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OPINION: Plan B isn’t perfect but it’s a step in the right direction

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4 years ago

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Seán O’Shea of Kerry is tackled by Shane O'Connell of Tipperary during this year's Munster semi-final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

The ‘league as championship’ model has its flaws but it must be passed at Congress nevertheless, writes Adam Moynihan

As I was weighing up the rights and wrongs of the ongoing football championship debate, a quote by the American political columnist George Will came to mind. I have no idea who the man is if I’m being perfectly honest. The politics of Kerry football keep me busy enough without concerning myself with Capitol Hill.

But I happened upon this line of his once and for some reason it stuck with me. “The pursuit of perfection often impedes improvement.”

‘Perfect’ is always the goal but sometimes ‘better’ is good enough.

Plan B is certainly not perfect. Far from it. In fact, I would describe it as a pretty poorly thought-out proposal. My biggest concern is the fact that the Division 3 and 4 winners (the 17th and 25th ranked teams in the football pyramid) will participate in the All-Ireland series, while the 6th, 7th and 8th teams will not. The 12th to 16th placed teams will also be eliminated without playing a single knockout championship game.

Sport is supposed to be a meritocracy. It’s hard to justify granting the 25th best team in the country a shot at the All-Ireland while the 6th best team are left behind. Frankly, it smacks of the GAA pandering to the weaker counties in a fairly condescending way. They are effectively saying, “here you go, you can still win Sam”. Before muttering, “good luck against Dublin” once they’re safely out of earshot.

If Proposal B does get the go ahead, this is one crease that needs to be ironed out.

As I’ve said before in this column, I also don’t believe that two tiers are enough. There will still be mismatches between the strongest and weakest teams in the All-Ireland Championship and the strongest and weakest teams in the Tailteann Cup.

But the bottom line for me as a fan and a journalist, and I truly hope it will be the bottom line for at least 60% of voters at Saturday’s Congress, is that Plan B is an improvement. It’s better than what we have currently, and it’s a lot better than the other proposal on the table.

SIMILAR LEVEL

Plan B will give teams more championship matches against opposition who are operating at a similar level as them. Kerry beating Tipperary by 15 points does nothing for the development of Kerry or Tipperary football. In order to grow, Kerry need to be playing against teams who can beat them, and Tipperary need to be playing against teams whom they can beat. (And in order to enjoy the fare, spectators and television viewers need to see matches that are not foregone conclusions.)

In the early days of the two-tier debate, some dissenting voices from the traditionally less successful teams complained that they could no longer win the Sam Maguire if they were “demoted” to a ‘B’ championship. (Which is probably why the Division 3 and Division 4 winners are getting a golden ticket to take part in the preliminary quarter-finals of the ‘A’ championship.) Leaving aside the fact that some of these teams have won exactly none of the 134 previous iterations of the tournament, this attitude is patently self-defeating.

Playing in the Tailteann Cup (or, preferably, a third-tier championship) would actually greatly increase their chances of lifting Sam in the medium-to-longer term. Lining out against teams of a similar standing would allow them to put a run together, and so build momentum, and so build confidence. This is how the weak teams develop. Not by getting tanked by an All-Ireland contender on an annual basis.

Who’s to say that a Division 4 team like Wicklow can’t steadily build by getting good results over a number of years, win the Tailteann Cup, and eventually find their footing at senior level? It might take a decade. It might take two or three of them. But isn’t ‘some day’ better than ‘never’?

Look at a club like Kenmare Shamrocks. Ten years ago they were playing junior football but by graduating on merit through the Kerry Club Championship system, they are now a major force at senior level. Last weekend they competed in their second successive senior club final. Would they be where they are now if Kerry football wasn’t structured the way it is? I would say probably not. Success breeds success. If they were getting tarred by Dr Crokes in an “All-Kerry” championship in 2011, they’d probably still be getting tarred by Dr Crokes in 2021. They earned their right to sit at the top table, and the journey has made them what they are.

Another criticism of Plan B is that it will downgrade the importance of the provincial championships. For what it’s worth, my personal response to that is fairly straightforward: good.

KERRY TEAM

As for the Kerry team, Plan B works for them too. The players are in favour of it. A poll on my personal Twitter account suggests that over 87% of Kerry supporters are in favour of it.

However, the Kerry delegation heading to HQ are apparently undecided and waiting to have their arms twisted on the day. It’s a little surprising that they haven’t yet made their minds up – it’s not like there hasn’t already been enough public debate on the issue – but we must reserve judgment until they make their final call. As long as they arrive at the right decision, that’s all that matters.

The ill-conceived Plan A (four provincial groups of eight plus knockout) appears to be a complete non-runner for Kerry and for most counties, which is a relief because this motion comes directly before Plan B on the agenda. If Plan A were to get the necessary 60% majority, the arguments for and against Plan B wouldn’t even be heard.

TIDE

Cork, Tipperary, Clare, Carlow, Louth, Wexford, Meath, Offaly, Kildare, Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo and Down have confirmed that they will be backing Plan B.

The rest of Ulster are expected to vote against the motion, along with Galway and Mayo.

On Wednesday, GAA President Larry McCarthy and Director General Tom Ryan threw their considerable weight behind the ‘league as championship’ model. McCarthy urged delegates to be “bold” and go for the more radical proposal. I don’t even think it takes boldness to opt for Plan B. All it takes is a little bit of common sense.

After years of debate, the tide appears to have turned the right way for those who seek progress. That being said, this is the GAA. There is bound to be resistance in certain quarters - a desire to keep to the status quo. These traditionalists, and those with genuine reservations, will point to how imperfect Plan B is, and they’re not wrong. Plan B isn’t perfect. It’s just better.

Isn’t that enough?

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Fossa Swimmers make a splash at County Finals

The Fossa Swim team pictured at the Tralee Sports Complex following their successful outing at the County Finals of the Community Games on Sunday, February 15. The 25-strong squad delivered […]

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1 week ago

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21 February 2026

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The Fossa Swim team pictured at the Tralee Sports Complex following their successful outing at the County Finals of the Community Games on Sunday, February 15.

The 25-strong squad delivered an impressive performance, securing a total of 37 medals across various individual and relay events.
Two Fossa swimmers captured gold medals, officially qualifying them for the National Community Games Finals scheduled for later this year.

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On the Ball Part 2 of the Mikey Daly Interview

Éamonn Fitzgerald EF: Killarney Celtic are invited to participate in an Irish competition. That has big financial implications for travel, meals, etc. MD: It is great to be invited, showing […]

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3 weeks ago

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8 February 2026

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Éamonn Fitzgerald
EF: Killarney Celtic are invited to participate in an Irish competition. That has big financial implications for travel, meals, etc.
MD: It is great to be invited, showing the quality of our squads, but travel costs are very high. I have been looking at clubs like ours in Limerick, Tipperary, Clare and elsewhere for a regionalised competition so that travel costs could be reduced, but I don’t see any commitment to that idea. It’s up in the air at the moment.
EF: Running an amateur sports club is very expensive, especially if you have so many successful teams in competition.
MD: You are well aware of that yourself, but with all of our activities, we are funded by the usual sources used by all sports to collect money. We are in a very good financial state.
EF:How good?
MD: As a trustee of the club, I am very proud to say that we are almost debt-free and we expect to be clear of any debt by October this year, marking our 50th anniversary. In saying that, whether you are an Under 12 or a senior player, all you have to pay for a training session with Killarney Celtic is €2.

EF:The women in Celtic appear to do great work developing soccer for all.
MD: Yes, they do marvellous work in so many parts of the club, led by trojan worker Mary Lyne. On Wednesday night last, the Mothers, Others and Friends started a weekly non-competitive fun game under lights at Celtic Park, and that is great.

EF: Can, can you see some ex-Celtic player is going to make it with a top Irish club and then cross Channel?
Md: I have to compliment Killarney Athletic here right away because Brendan Moloney and Diarmaid O’Carroll did just that. We haven’t had any such shining light yet, but we know that we will in the future because we have great young successful players coming through.
EF: Reverting back again, to 1976, you would have come up at the time The ‘ban’ was abolished. That rule prevented GAA players from playing soccer. If they did, they were suspended. However, it must have been difficult for a player to play both codes when it was permitted.
MD: Fair dues to Seán Kelly, he removed the “ban’, and we were very fortunate that there were some great players from Spa in particular, like Billy Morris, Seán Cronin, the Cahill brothers, James and John, Seánie Kelliher and others. They wanted to play football and soccer. The way we worked it in Celtic was that if the football season was over, then they always played soccer with us, and vice versa
EF: Why do you think that club soccer has become so popular in Ireland? It is climbing the rankings as a sport in Ireland.
MD: Because it’s on television the whole time, and the coverage is getting is precedented. Anytime you turn on the TV, you will find a soccer game from all parts of the world, not just cross channel. The 11-a-side is probably easier to organise than we say 15-a-side in the GAA, and some small clubs, particularly in rural areas, find it hard to get 15 to form a team. See what they’re doing in places. Two neighbouring teams get together as one team, and that’s understandable because all people want to do is play. Of course, not all young people wish to play soccer; they have different hobbies, learning the guitar or whatever, and that is great for them. That’s my experience anyway.

EF: The real crunch time comes when they get to roughly 18-years-old, completing their post-primary education and moving away from Killarney for third-level education. They may be in college, anywhere in the country, making it difficult to come down and play with their local club. So that’s one big reason for the fall off.
MD: Some fall away before that, believe it or not.
EF: Do you think Celtic are doing well, promoting the club?

Yes, for all sexes, but particularly for the girls, so that they can stay on longer for valuable coaching. We’re very fortunate to have David McIndoe as coach for the Celtic girls, and he is outstanding, absolutely fantastic.
EF: The FAI seems to stumble from one crisis to another, but at local level soccer is alive and well in towns, as well as in rural areas. Ballyhar and Mastegeeha are very good examples where great facilities have been developed by enthusiastic volunteers and that attracts the players
MD: So I think once you get to the stage where you have a facility and committed club people, you’re there. We have a very good membership, and we’d be well organised for parents who support their kids playing, and they do. We have two stands, as you know, one dedicated to our former great Celtic man, John Doyle (RIP). That’s important nowadays that you have a clubhouse where the spectators can get that welcome cup of coffee they will relish, especially on cold days.
EF: Where do you see Celtic in 2076?

MD: As I said earlier in Killarney Celtic, we are welcoming for everyone, the local Irish, of course, but it’s open to all. We have great people originally, from China, Europe, and the Middle East. We have an exceptionally good committee at the moment. We had people with foresight like Dermot O’Callaghan (RIP), who were progressive, and of course, that family continues the Celtic tradition. Obviously, we like to push the thing on a bit further, but we’re very conscious that we spent 50 years putting this together and we want to make sure that when we go, the structures are in place in (Killarney) Celtic for the next 50 ( years)As a trustee I am very proud of how we have developed and will celebrate that achievement this year. We will also remember the Celtic players and supporters who have passed away since 1976 and look forward to whatever challenges and opportunities face Killarney Celtic in the years ahead. It is hard to believe that it all started from our conversation (with Billy Healy and Tommy O’Shea) that a new club was needed in Killarney, so that all players who wish to play soccer will be able to play at whatever level they wish and join us at Celtic Park.
EF: Thanks, Mikey, and wish you good health on your daily cycles with your good friend Mike O’Neill.
That’s Mikey Daly, always a pleasure to chat with him on a variety of sports.

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