Latest news with #PaddyCunningham
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Moving Antrim-Armagh to Newry 'very short-sighted'
Former Antrim captain Paddy Cunningham says the Ulster Council's decision to switch the Saffrons' Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final against Armagh to Pairc Esler is "very short-sighted and misguided". After a meeting of the Ulster Competitions Control Committee (CCC) on Thursday, Ulster GAA said they "sympathised with Antrim GAA's situation" but that the county must move the last-eight tie from Corrigan Park to Newry in order to accommodate the anticipated crowd for the visit of the All-Ireland champions. In response, Antrim GAA have said they "still expect" to stage the game at home, reiterating that it is their "right" to play the game in west Belfast. At a CCC meeting in February, Corrigan Park was the only venue put forward for the match by Antrim GAA delegates and Saffrons panellist Paddy McBride previously told BBC Sport NI that if the game was not held there, the county would "probably not play it". "This has really galvanised the players and I would urgently advise them [the Ulster Council] to reconsider," Cunningham told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster. "Antrim were drawn out of the hat first. The Ulster GAA Championship is sacred. Every team wants to play at home. "It's already going to be a mammoth task for Antrim to get a result against the current All-Ireland champions so every advantage is required for Antrim. Obviously playing at home in front of their own supporters is huge." Antrim 'will not concede' home advantage for Armagh tie Cunningham added that "the only positive" to come out of the seeming impasse over the venue for the last-eight tie "is that it probably highlights the need for Casement to get off the ground". "This is probably the last straw for Antrim GAA. We've been forgotten about for the past decade and we've had no home. Corrigan has been very kind to us but it is a stop-gap for the bigger project which is Casement Park." Cunningham perceives widespread support for Antrim's stance from across the GAA. "There has been support from Gaels not only within Antrim, but across Ulster and across Ireland, and even within Armagh. The only people who seem to be against this is the Ulster Council. "I think the GAA as a whole is solely behind the Antrim players and the Antrim county board. They will need to take stock of this and do the right thing. "I feel sorry for Armagh as much as I feel sorry for Antrim given that they are trying to prepare for an Ulster Championship game 35 days away and it's completely up in the air whether this game will take place. It's a very difficult position to put Armagh in too."
BBC News
07-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Moving Antrim-Armagh to Newry 'very short-sighted'
Former Antrim captain Paddy Cunningham says the Ulster Council's decision to switch the Saffrons' Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final against Armagh to Pairc Esler is "very short-sighted and misguided".After a meeting of the Ulster Competitions Control Committee (CCC) on Thursday, Ulster GAA said they "sympathised with Antrim GAA's situation" but that the county must move the last-eight tie from Corrigan Park to Newry in order to accommodate the anticipated crowd for the visit of the All-Ireland response, Antrim GAA have said they "still expect" to stage the game at home, reiterating that it is their "right" to play the game in west a CCC meeting in February, Corrigan Park was the only venue put forward for the match by Antrim GAA delegates and Saffrons panellist Paddy McBride previously told BBC Sport NI that if the game was not held there, the county would "probably not play it"."This has really galvanised the players and I would urgently advise them [the Ulster Council] to reconsider," Cunningham told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster."Antrim were drawn out of the hat first. The Ulster GAA Championship is sacred. Every team wants to play at home. "It's already going to be a mammoth task for Antrim to get a result against the current All-Ireland champions so every advantage is required for Antrim. Obviously playing at home in front of their own supporters is huge." 'Bigger project is Casement Park' Cunningham added that "the only positive" to come out of the seeming impasse over the venue for the last-eight tie "is that it probably highlights the need for Casement to get off the ground"."This is probably the last straw for Antrim GAA. We've been forgotten about for the past decade and we've had no home. Corrigan has been very kind to us but it is a stop-gap for the bigger project which is Casement Park."Cunningham perceives widespread support for Antrim's stance from across the GAA."There has been support from Gaels not only within Antrim, but across Ulster and across Ireland, and even within Armagh. The only people who seem to be against this is the Ulster Council. "I think the GAA as a whole is solely behind the Antrim players and the Antrim county board. They will need to take stock of this and do the right thing."I feel sorry for Armagh as much as I feel sorry for Antrim given that they are trying to prepare for an Ulster Championship game 35 days away and it's completely up in the air whether this game will take place. It's a very difficult position to put Armagh in too."
