29-05-2025
Micheal Donoghue blasts ‘mental' GAA calendar as Galway prepare for Leinster final war against Kilkenny
GALWAY boss Michéal Donoghue has joined the chorus calling for a longer inter-county season.
Clare, Waterford, Antrim, Offaly and Wexford all waved the
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Galway manager Micheál Donoghue reckons the GAA inter-county season needs to be longer
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The Gawlay boss and his team face Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC final
Whoever loses will face another three weeks on the spin in the All-Ireland preliminary round and quarter-finals.
The Clarinbridge man knows something had to give in terms of a split season, but feels the inter-county schedule needs more breathing space in league and championship.
He said: 'I would be in full agreement. I think the three weeks on the spin is really, really hard. I think there should definitely be another break in between.
'In my view, I think the league needs to be restructured. I think, as an example, we had half our league games played in 14 days this year as well, which was absolutely mental.
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'So, I think the structure of that maybe should be looked at because I think if you look at it down the last few years, teams are just trying to navigate themselves through it and maybe just keep their status.
'I think this time of the year when teams start getting knocked out, particularly in Munster, there's always a shout to say 'why are they gone' and 'why are they still in it' and whatever.
'That's the way it's been orchestrated and that's the way it has been, so you've just got to soak it up.
"I think we talk about player welfare, and I think sometimes the powers that be forget the boys are still amateur.
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'You've still got to get up and go to work and do the day job and if you have kids or whatever. Then you've always got recovery, so it's a massive toll.
'As I said, I think in the current structure maybe an extra week or two weeks just to space it out for those elements really.'
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