ANTRIM defender Kevin O’Boyle says he would give up inter-county football rather than take part in a ‘B’ Championship.
Speaking ahead of Antrim’s Ulster Championship clash with Down in Newry tomorrow night, the Cargin man insists a tiered Championship would demoralise many of the smaller counties.
New GAA president John Horan has made it known he would like to see the creation of a tiered Championship before the end of his three years in office.
But O’Boyle says its introduction would hasten his inter-county departure.
“People talk about B Championships,” he said. “I wouldn’t be playing football if there was a ‘B’ Championship. You wouldn’t be inspiring the next generation.
“The big counties would get bigger and the small counties would get smaller.
“You wouldn’t get as much commitment from players either. Would I be committing to that? Probably not. I’m thoroughly looking forward to playing against Down in the Ulster Championship.
“Yes, we’re a Division Four team but all we want is a crack at the Ulster Championship. You get a different buzz from it. I have no fear no matter who we’re playing.”
The much-maligned Tommy Murphy Cup – a ‘B’ Championship - was dropped in 2008 after a five-year experiment.
However, a tiered Championship has received support among many GAA observers as the gap continues to grow between the top eight and the rest of the country.
Antrim boss Lenny Harbinson is an advocate of a tiered format.
“You want the opportunity to play against the top teams,” added O’Boyle. “We’re looking forward to the Down game even though they are two divisions ahead of us.”
Crucial to the growth of the Antrim senior footballers is the GAA-backed ‘Gaelfast’ scheme that hopes to revive Gaelic Games in Belfast primary schools.
The GAA at central level has committed €1m to the project over the next five years with key appointments to be made over the coming weeks.
“The ‘Gaelfast’ project isn’t going to happen overnight,” said O’Boyle, who is a maths teacher in Holy Trinity College, Cookstown.
“You need a senior team to inspire the younger boys and hopefully over the next few years we’ll see progress and maybe we can be the team that can do that.
“If you look at Belfast, in terms of population, Antrim should be doing better than what they’ve done over the past number of years. There are so many distractions out there.
“That's why we need a senior team that is performing, that is leading by example. But Antrim needs a ground, they need Casement Park, they need somewhere they can call home.
“If we have a home game in the Ulster Championship we don’t have anywhere to play it.
“You need the foundations in place and we have teachers in schools that I’m sure are doing the work. But if they can get that extra help, it can make a difference… It can give kids a platform to go on to bigger and better things.
“Perhaps it needs to target the post-Primary sector as well. Our kids just need the direction.”
Creating a ‘B’ Championship, O’Boyle added, could indirectly harm the ‘Gaelfast’ project.
