What a wonderful opportunity for clubs to play somewhere different and to visit places they barely know. After all, where is Ballaghadereen and who knew they played cricket in Carrick-on-Shannon, Galway and Middleton?
Muckamore travel to Mullingar and surely it will be the highlight of their season as it is somewhere different and promises to open new bonds of sporting fellowship and experience. Mullingar is in the centre of Ireland and my only sporting experience in the town was as a part owner of a horse with the late Jimmy Galway of North Down fame. We back it from 5-1 to 4-6 and it won by ten lengths on a wet and wonderful Sunday afternoon over 30 years ago. Celebrations were long and late and I’m sure the Muckamore boys will have as much fun on their trip.
Obviously the draw was manufactured to avoid really long trips from one end of Ireland to the other, but hopefully after the inaugural year the clubs themselves will look for a more open draw and the opportunity to spend a weekend in the West or South of Ireland. With the big improvements in road and rail travel it is not such a huge challenge to travel in Ireland, and with plenty of time to plan is it a great opportunity for clubs to get back to sporting roots.
Some 32 clubs are in the draw including the mighty Phoenix, Sion Mills, Rush and Eglinton, but the whole culture of this competition is to broaden the horizons of clubs outside the big guns and its appeal will surely be in travelling to hitherto unknown cricket grounds and locations.
Club tours and friendly games have become victims of modern sport where the heavy demands of the major competitions allow very little scope. The Irish Senior Cup and the Ulster Cup have certainly opened new doors at the highest level, but outside the premier clubs there is a wealth of untapped sporting exchange waiting to be developed. This competition will go some way towards opening new horizons for clubs outside the top tier and hopefully the longer journeys will involve overnight stops and an opportunity to enjoy or provide hospitality.
Perish the thought, but cricketers may even take their loved ones with them for a little holiday!
Clarence Hiles
Editor
