Iarmhí TV to make debut with Fr Dalton’s v Brownstown

Iarmhí TV will kick off this weekend with coverage of three Westmeath hurling championship games - including Friday's meeting of Fr Dalton's against Brownstown in the Senior 'B' HC.

At a Westmeath County Board meeting held online last Sunday evening, Westmeath GAA PRO Donie Malone gave an outline of Iarmhí TV. This is the new streaming channel initiative being run via YouTube and the Westmeath GAA website.

Iarmhí TV will bring high-quality live streaming of club championship games to supporters for a €10 subscription fee, which Westmeath GAA chairman Billy Foley said is being levied to cover the cost of the initiative.

Iarmhí TV has been made even more necessary due to the Covid-19 restrictions but costs in the region of €980 per match to deliver, Mr Foley explained.

“We have to make this financially neutral, and hopefully make a few quid out of it, because with only 200 people admitted to games and 100 of them not paying, going forward our financial situation is going to be very, very worrying,” said Mr Foley.

Live-streamed coverage was trialled successfully on Friday last for the Leinster Schools SF ‘B’ final (Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore v Cnoc Mhuire, Granard), which took place in TEG Cusack Park.

Iarmhí TV debuts this weekend for the first round of senior hurling championship matches.

In addition to the clash of Ballymore-based Fr Dalton's against Brownstown (Friday, 7.30pm), there will be coverage of the following Senior 'A' HC games: Castletown-Geoghegan v Lough Lene Gaels (Saturday, 7pm) and Clonkill (the reigning Westmeath hurling champions) v Raharney (Sunday, 7pm). All three of those games will take place at TEG Cusack Park.

Acknowledging the reduced access to grounds due to Covid-19 restrictions, Mr Foley said that a balance must be struck between avoiding further virus outbreaks and running meaningful championships.