IT’S ONE OF many debates in the GAA – continue to play league finals or award the trophy to the group winners?

Take Division 4 in football, which concluded last Saturday night.

Wexford won seven games out of seven to top the table. Limerick finished second with four wins, two draws and one defeat.

But it was the Treaty who lifted spring silverware after Saturday’s final in Croke Park, Jimmy Lee’s side finishing up 3-11 to 0-18 winners.

Despite the defeat, Wexford captain Liam Coleman remains overwhelmingly in favour of retaining league finals.

It’s about both the journey and the destination.

Wexford’s focus has already switched to the Leinster opener against Laois at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday evening, but the Castletown midfielder reflects fondly on the league final experience.

“Actually getting there was fantastic too. Any young GAA supporter, when you think of success in GAA, it’s there, it’s in Croke Park. Obviously it would have been nice to have more people at it, but maybe if you talk to some players who get to play there 4-5 times a year, their answer could be different.

“Having the league finals is brilliant, and having them in Croke Park is even better. I think we would have been awarded the medal as winners of the league with two games to go, for example, right? And then you would have had two dead-rubber matches, and you’re still in the exact same argument.

“I said it to a few lads after the match, it was so enjoyable to be there in Croke Park, with the match and the balance, with getting up the steps on the line. It was a small crowd, but to me, compared to what we were used to playing with in Division 4, it was a massive crowd.

“If you were talking to a player who was playing in Division 1 or 2, they might say they would rather it be in Thurles or somewhere like that. Because it’s more realistic to fill them stadiums and there’s a better atmosphere. Because Croke Park is quite exclusive, and it should be that way, it’s a driving motivation for a lot of teams to get up there.”

On Monday morning, Croke Park was again commanding headlines as it was announced that the Leinster semi-finals will be moved out of the venue for the first time in 30 years.

Leinster GAA chairman Derek Kent explained that the decision was primarily for atmospheric reasons. 

Players at the Leinster GAA senior football championship launch. Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE

What are Coleman’s thoughts there?

“Of course we can (live with it), definitely,” the 25-year-old said.

“It would have been nice if they were in Croke Park for us again. Even last year, when we narrowly missed out on the league [final], we really said, ‘You know what, we’re going to give this Leinster Championship a crack and get to that semi-final and get to Croke Park.’

“It’s not going to change anything for us this year. Playing in a packed out O’Moore Park or something like that would still be as memorable. One of my memories as a young Wexford person was when we were playing against Meath in Dr Cullen Park (the 2008 Leinster quarter-final comeback), and that was packed.

“No problem with that.”

Wexford have little time to dwell on last Saturday’s league final disappointment as they get set to face Laois this Saturday as the provincial action commences.

Coleman has no issue with the hectic schedule.

“If a management team or a team is in a league final and they don’t want to be there, it’s the best practice match you can get. I know that’s probably not what the competition is there for, and I do think it’s unfortunate that timing, and you’re out one week straight after — in an ideal world that’s not the case.

“It’s not the end of the world either. It could actually be a good thing for us, because we get to dust off the cobwebs of Saturday evening and get straight back into matches.”