By John Harrington

The 2022 Electric Ireland Celtic Challenge Cup begins this weekend with 39 teams from 29 counties taking part.

Established in 2016, the ethos of the competition is a developmental one with teams initially competing at group stages.

Depending then on results teams are graded for the knockout stages giving all an opportunity to compete at their own level.

The inclusion of second, third, and even four teams from some counties has proven very successful as it can result in teams from for example, Nicky Rackard counties playing teams from Liam MacCarthy counties in a final.

It’s also a great opportunity for counties to give more players meaningful matches and so deepen their reservoir of playing talent.

Kildare are a great example of a county who used the competition for this purpose and for the first time ever they’ll field three Celtic Challenge teams this year.

According to Kildare Games Development Administrator, John Doran, spreading the net this wide has a positive impact on both club and county teams.

“This year we've three teams in the Celtic Challenge and the first team would be U-17 players who didn't quite make the county minor team so we bring them back in and have them play in the Celtic Challenge,” Doran told GAA.ie

“Then what we do with the other two teams is go with two mixed ability teams from our U-16 squads. We spread the net as far as we can to give as many guys as possible to play in the competition. It's a developmental competition and exactly what we want.

“It's about keeping them involved and we definitely have spotted a few players who performed well in the Celtic Challenge and then went on to play for the county minors the following year and the U-20s after that.

“I've even seen a couple of guys who mightn't have made the minors but came back in to the Celtic Challenge and within a couple of years were playing senior hurling in their clubs so it's a competition that works for both club and county.

“It's so important to keep players involved for as long as you can because they're young and might not make the county minor but if you can include them in a panel like that it keeps them hurling and keeps them improving and helps them make that jump from underage club to adult club hurling because they get another year of quality hurling.

“Up to now all the feedback has been phenomenal, it's a brilliant competition.”

The fact that Kildare have three teams competing in the Celtic Challenge this year is a testament to how much work they’ve put into developing hurling in the county and the rising standards that have come about because of that.

In 2018 Doran implemented the ‘Kildare Hurling Action Plan’ which has already made an appreciable difference on the ground.

“We're building nicely year on year,” says Doran. “Having increased numbers involved in development squads is paying off because we're getting more guys going up to minor and then onto the U-20s which is always a big step up.

“And guys who don't quite make the county teams go back to their clubs as better players as well.

“So the club scene is getting better all the time and there's evidence of that in the minor championship. About four years ago there was maybe only two teams, three at most, in the Minor A championship and now that's after expanding a lot and we have more divisional minor club championship as well.

“It's evidenced by the number and quality of players that are starting to come through which is hugely positive.

“It was nice as well to see a club that only got hurling going a few years ago, Cappagh, are now playing their first ever adult hurling match in the Junior Hurling League against Kilcock this evening. That's a great step for a club who really bought into the action plan and followed it very well and brought their players through the pathway.”

This weekend’s Celtic Challenge fixtures can be found HERE.