Broadside at Croke Park

Meath hurling chairman Francis Lynch fired a broadside at the GAA officials in Croke Park at Monday night's Co Committee meeting in Navan regarding the Christy Ring Cup. "We were on a tour of Ireland in the competition, we didn't get fair treatment from Croke Park," stated Lynch. "We had to travel to Armagh for the first round, then we had to get the train to Kerry for the second round, last Saturday we had to go to Ballycran to play Down. "We didn't get a chance to see our minor hurlers either as the fixtures clashed," he added. "We will have to look at this and it might be better if these Christy Ring Cup games were fixed for neutral venues," stated Co Committee chairman Barney Allen. Delegates from Ballinlough and Dunderry queried the scheduling of fixtures. Ballinlough's Seamus McGee suggested that there was a lack of common sense in relation to a request from his club regarding a Junior D FC game against Kilmainhamwood. Dunderry's Tommy Nally also sought assistance regarding a MFL final and a Junior D FC game, both scheduled for this Friday night. There was also an input from Mac McGroder (Drumree) regarding a A HL fixture against Navan O'Mahonys. Fixtures' secretary Jimmy Henry refuted the comments. "I wouldn't have got this job if I hadn't some cop on," he said. A query from Eamonn Barry, a member of the Co Committee, regarding expenditure on the portacabins at Pairc Tailteann, was not answered. However, Barry persisted with his enquiry. "Have we any idea of the amount spent on the portacabins to date," he asked. "We have a fair idea," replied the Co Committee chairman. It was also confirmed that Meath now has three referees in the top grade at national level following the addition of Moynalty's Joey Curley to the elite list of 18 last week. The Moynalty clubman joins David Coldrick of Blackhall Gaels and Cormac Reilly of St Mary's and it is anticipated that the trio will be on regular duty in the forthcoming football championship games.