Armagh and Galway have jointly requested that their All-Ireland SFC Group 2 tie be moved to Croke Park.
The game has been fixed for Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada on Sunday, June 18, with the Carrick-on-Shannon venue’s capacity set at around 10,500.
Armagh and Galway played a thrilling All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park last year which attracted an attendance of 71,353, albeit the game was staged as a double-header with the Kerry-Mayo quarter-final.
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The dynamic of the upcoming fixture is somewhat different, however, given its status as a round robin fixture where Galway have already qualified from the group and Armagh are likely to join them, regardless of the outcome.
Also, Armagh’s clash with Tyrone in Omagh last weekend, one of the more attractive games of the group stage, attracted just 9,200, while around 3,000 watched Westmeath-Galway in Mullingar, so it may be a stretch to argue that interest in the forthcoming fixture would outstrip the capacity at the Leitrim county ground.
Furthermore, the game is expected to be broadcast live on television.
The GAA was clearly keen to spread the neutral round of games in the group stage around the country with Longford, Omagh, Cavan, Tullamore, Portlaoise and Limerick the other venues chosen.
No doubt, Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney and his Galway counterpart Padraic Joyce are keen for their sides to have a runout at Croke Park before the knockout stages kick in but switching the game to GAA headquarters would likely invite scorn from counties who have not been given the opportunity to play there the weekend after next.
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