Amalgamated sides to be avoided at U12 and U21 apart from 'exceptional circumstances'

Amalgamation teams at under-age grades in Cork are likely to be largely limited to the U14-18 bracket following the recommendations of the county board’s independent teams sub-committee.

While inter-county management teams have carried much of the external focus with regard to the last two county board meetings, the topic of amalgamated, or independent, teams competing at the various under-age levels has been the subject of much discussion. The committee's report was passed last Tuesday.

In its report, the committee acknowledged the role played by independent teams in keeping Gaelic games going in areas of low population and the proposals set out “are intended to protect independent teams where they are necessary and are also intended to promote and protect club identity into the future”.

For Go Games – which are up to and including U11 – U12 and U21, the committee recommended that only club teams participate. However, in exceptional circumstances, combined independent teams would be allow to take part.

If there was an instance of an independent team being necessary at U12, it is proposed that a number of bespoke competitions would be arranged for clubs with smaller numbers, to promote club activity and to enhance participation levels.

Going forward, it is envisaged that a timeline will be laid out for applications for independent teams to take place each autumn, with the committee then assessing their viability.

From 2026 onwards, such applications would be made before the end of September (for next year, the relevant dates would be pushed back by a fortnight).

Each application would include relevant information around player numbers – up to minor, this would involve the players and the age and those a year and two years younger; for U21, it would encompass players from U17-U21 inclusive.

RETENTION

The report makes clear that numbers alone will not be the sole defining characteristic of the committee’s decisions: “The guiding principle of participation levels and retention of playing numbers has to be borne in mind by clubs when applying for permission to field an independent team.”

During October, the independent teams monitoring committee would potentially seek additional information and meet club representatives before issuing recommendations at the end of that month. Clubs would then have until November 15 to appeal those calls, with final decisions made in mid-December, allowing competition organisation for the following year to take place.

In addition, the committee recommended that all current amalgamations will be permitted to use their independent name for as long as present arrangements stay in place, if they wish to do so, but the facility also exists to change that name to the combined names of their parent clubs. 

It is recommended that any new entities arising in the future would have combined names.

“The committee discussed at length the importance of safeguarding and of promoting the identity of clubs in their communities, particularly in the Ireland of today, in which we see continuous population movement both from within the country and from outside,” the report said.

LOCAL IDENTITY

“We believe it is very important that independent teams, especially, place particular emphasis on the parent clubs’ names and on parent club activities, especially for those who have moved into their club catchment area more recently, in order to preserve local club identity and to avoid confusion in the minds of people who are not familiar with our games.

“The guiding principle of enhancing participation levels and of improving retention levels has to be central to all clubs’ and independent teams’ planning. We ask all clubs and independent teams to reflect on this.”