GAA president Larry McCarthy has said that the All-Ireland finals will not be moving back into August in 2023.
Although this has been the first year since the introduction of the split season model, there has been speculation that the showpiece events in both codes, which will be played on July 17 (hurling) and 24 (football), could be moved from July after just one year in order to give more breathing space to the inter-county season.
But McCarthy insists this won’t be the case and when pressed further, he replied: “I’m not the boss. Central Council make that decision on that but we have to let this year go through and look at it.
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“We’re going to have a different year next year, we have to let that go through and see what that’s going to bring. Maybe after that but I wouldn’t foresee a change for next year.”
Elsewhere, there has been criticism this week at the decision to form a Croke Park double header with Saturday’s Roscommon-Clare and Mayo-Kildare football qualifiers, but McCarthy defended the move.
“I’m delighted that Clare are coming to Croke Park. That’s one of the teams west of the Shannon. Mayo have been there quite a lot so I suspect that some of the commentary may be emanating from there, I’m not sure. Mayo bring such a crowd.
“Is there a neutral ground between Newbridge and Castlebar that would fit Mayo and Kildare?”
He also responded to objections to the draws for early rounds of the Tailteann Cup being conducted on a regional basis.
“We ended up with Sligo and Leitrim in the quarters, which was a great event. We had Cavan playing Fermanagh (above), which was a local one. We were to a certain extent looking to replicate the provincials.
“Think of the cost of sending Waterford to Fermanagh and what sort of a gate that might have got. Whereas if Cavan went to Fermanagh it was a better draw and event, I would argue.”
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