UPDATE: Ballinkillen back in Carlow senior hurling championship after agreement reached

Ballinkillen are back in the Carlow senior hurling championship after an agreement has been reached following the County Board's decision to award the semi-final to Naomh Moling.

Carlow GAA issued a statement on Sunday which said: "Following the Leinster Council Hearings Committee's ruling to uphold Carlow GAA's CCC decision to award the SHC semi-final to Naomh Moling, Carlow GAA has now acceded to Naomh Moling's request to re-make the fixture.

"The game will now proceed on Saturday, October 12 in Netwatch Cullen Park at 3.30pm."

A major row erupted in Carlow GAA circles after the Ballinkillen team was kicked out of the championship after a dispute arose over the scheduling of the club's semi-final.

The club appealed the decision of the County Board to award the semi-final to Naomh Moling - but the appeal was not upheld by the Leinster Council, however an agreement has been reached between all parties. 

Ballinkillen GAA Club will not be making any comment at this time. 

In a previous statement, Ballinkillen moved to clarify the reasons for the "postponement" of the semi-final, scheduled for Netwatch Cullen Park versus Naomh Moling last Sunday. 

Ballinkillen told the County Board that they could not fulfill Sunday's fixture and requested the match to be rescheduled over player welfare concerns.

A number of their hurlers were due to be involved in an intermediate football semi-final between Kildavin and Naomh Eoin which had been scheduled for the preceding Saturday evening, September 28. 

Ballinkillen contacted the County Board to request that either of these fixtures be rescheduled.

The club said there are five Ballinkillen hurlers involved with the Kildavin panel and the club took the view that to ask players to play two important matches within 18 hours of one another was "unjust, against player welfare and against the player development pathway".

However, the County Board did not accede to this request. 

The County Board then awarded the match to Naomh Moling which had put Ballinkillen out of the 2019 senior hurling championship.