Kilkenny football team will not participate in this year’s O’Byrne Cup.
The Cats were scheduled to face Louth away in the first round on Sunday, but prior to Christmas, they informed the Leinster Council that they would not be taking part.
Louth have now instead been handed a bye to the next round, where they will face the winners of the Meath versus Wexford fixture on January 15.
This will be the first time in five years that Kilkenny have failed to field a team for the competition, which begins in early January.
On Wednesday of this week, the county board moved quickly to quash speculation that they would not be competing in the National Football League. A new management team is currently being put in place, following the resignation of manager Dick Mullins last year.
