North Versus South Argument
Of course the issue has little to do with either the Clontarf or Downpatrick clubs, both of whom have done marvellous jobs in raising their facilities to the highest level. The real issue is the uneasy relationship between regional and national interests with each Provincial union jockeying for prestigious matches. The ICU has no set policy with regard to ground allocations and invites acrimony by failing to plan ahead. Quite often the decision is essentially on a north versus south basis, which does nothing to promote harmony within the ranks, and occasionally produces the wrong venue.
The north/south debate has for long been a contentious issue in Irish cricket but is rarely openly discussed. Strong northern opinions are unwelcome in the ICU corridor of power because they threaten the status quo. But history has shown a huge discrepancy not only in where the top international matches have been staged but also in the teams selected. However this is hardly surprising. Irish cricket encompasses the uneasy alliance of cricketers from two separate countries with essentially different cultures and very different aspirations.
Cricket has been fortunate to avoid direct confrontation largely because each of the four provincial unions is autonomous and therefore the decisions of the Irish Cricket Union are not binding upon them. Indeed the ICU takes its roots from a common interest in providing representative cricket and there are some who believe that this should remain the extent of its control over cricket in Ireland. Others however feel differently, and recent developments at Executive level bear testimony to a desire for wider control aimed at placing the national interest paramount. This will not go down well with many northern clubs who remain essentially parochial, a fact illustrated in the NCU who continue to place a higher emphasis on the domestic Touche Ross Senior Cup competition over the ICU-controlled All Ireland Schweppes Cup.
