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Wheelchair Hurling Inter-Provincial League continues

Lorcan Madden, Leinster, and Sultan Ka Ka, Munster, during the 2018 M Donnelly GAA Wheelchair All Ireland Finals at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.

Lorcan Madden, Leinster, and Sultan Ka Ka, Munster, during the 2018 M Donnelly GAA Wheelchair All Ireland Finals at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.

By Cian O'Connell

It has been another highly competitive year in Wheelchair Hurling's Inter-Provincial series.

The action resumes for round four at St Mary's Secondary School in Newport on Saturday September 14.

That will be followed by the All Ireland series at Abbotstown next month so Gerry McNamara, who is on the GAA Games for All National Committee, is delighted with how the competition is unfolding once more.

"Each province has a team, this is the fourth round of the League," McNamara says about the upcoming games in Tipperary.

"Up to now each of the other provinces has held their event. This is the final round of the League. It is played in an indoor arena. Men and women play."

McNamara is delighted to be involved in such a worthwhile venture which is providing keenly contested matches as usual.

"I'm on the Games For All National Committee, each of the provinces has a representative," McNamara explains.

The Connacht team which competed in the 2018 M Donnelly All Ireland Wheelchair Hurling Championships in Abbotstown.

The Connacht team which competed in the 2018 M Donnelly All Ireland Wheelchair Hurling Championships in Abbotstown.

"I'm the Munster one so I'm organising this Munster one. We are working with Newport GAA club in Tipperary.

"The top team in the League wins the League and then we have an All Ireland series in Abbotstown in October. They all play each other again with a semi-final and a final there."

McNamara is encouraged by the response in Munster, Connacht, Ulster, and Leinster to the Inter-Provincial tournament. That Ireland featured in an international event held in June brought further joy.

"We were in Castlebar in August, we wouldn't play in July with the holidays," McNamara adds. "Usually March, May, August. September, and October is when the events are organised.

"It is a GAA recognised event and earlier this year 12 Wheelchair hurlers were taken to the Netherlands to take part in an International Floorball competition. You had three players from each province, it was fully supported by the GAA.

"The four representatives from the provinces went with them, they played teams from USA, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, we were there for five days."

That was a hugely satisfactory experience, but now the battle is to secure League and All Ireland glory on home soil.