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League Dates

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are the dates for 2025 league games known yet?

Stmunnsriver (Wexford) - Posts: 2889 - 11/11/2024 16:10:22    2579245

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Replying To Stmunnsriver:  "are the dates for 2025 league games known yet?"
Yes, football is starting on weekend 25/26 January. Not sure about the hurling start date.

Provisional football opening round is

DUB - MAYO
KERRY - DONEGAL
TYRONE - DERRY
ARMAGH - GALWAY

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1030 - 11/11/2024 16:27:02    2579249

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Hurling is to start the same weekend, of January 25/26.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 11/11/2024 20:01:05    2579274

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Hurling is to start the same weekend, of January 25/26."
26 Jan
2 Feb
16 Fen
23 Feb
2 Mar
16 Mar
23 Mar

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1944 - 11/11/2024 20:44:53    2579286

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "26 Jan
2 Feb
16 Fen
23 Feb
2 Mar
16 Mar
23 Mar"
What date are the league finals?

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 13/11/2024 12:58:19    2579508

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "What date are the league finals?"
All football finals and hurling Divs. 2, 3 and 4 finals on the weekend of March 29/30.

Hurling Div. 1a and Div. 1b finals on weekend of April 5/6.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 13/11/2024 13:22:10    2579511

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "All football finals and hurling Divs. 2, 3 and 4 finals on the weekend of March 29/30.

Hurling Div. 1a and Div. 1b finals on weekend of April 5/6."
The 4 football finals get them in Croke park and the hurling normally get a thurles and then somewhere else in the midlands. Should the hurlers not get the 4 finals in Croke park too? I'm sure if you ask the div 2 to 4 lads they would rather play the game in an empty Croke park rather than an empty thurles/breffni park? Not a dig, attendance will be same no matter where it's played is my point .

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 13/11/2024 15:34:17    2579537

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "All football finals and hurling Divs. 2, 3 and 4 finals on the weekend of March 29/30.

Hurling Div. 1a and Div. 1b finals on weekend of April 5/6."
And then you have some starting their championship the week after the league final.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3485 - 13/11/2024 20:14:29    2579566

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "The 4 football finals get them in Croke park and the hurling normally get a thurles and then somewhere else in the midlands. Should the hurlers not get the 4 finals in Croke park too? I'm sure if you ask the div 2 to 4 lads they would rather play the game in an empty Croke park rather than an empty thurles/breffni park? Not a dig, attendance will be same no matter where it's played is my point ."
A D1 hurling final would struggle to get 10,000 to Croker.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1944 - 13/11/2024 20:45:34    2579567

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Replying To Gaa_lover:  "And then you have some starting their championship the week after the league final."
Yes Christy Ring downwards

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 13/11/2024 21:20:11    2579574

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "Yes Christy Ring downwards"
No.

As stated above, the Div. 2, 3 and 4 Hurling League Finals will be on the weekend of March 29 & 30.

The Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups will start on the weekend of April 12 & 13. That's a two-week break.

Similarly, the Munster & Leinster Senior Hurling Championships will start on weekend of April 19 & 20 - so again, a two-week break after the Div. 1a and Div. 1b Hurling League Finals.

There will be some first round provincial football championship games one week after the Football League Finals, and so there's a chance that some football teams might have to play a championship match one week after a League Final, but you're wrong in suggesting that hurling teams from Christy Ring level downwards might have to.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 13/11/2024 23:13:23    2579584

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "A D1 hurling final would struggle to get 10,000 to Croker."
Yes Div 1 and 3 on the Saturday and 2 & 4 on the Sunday. As I said, the div 2 lads downwards would be playing their final in front of 500 people somewhere, why not make it Croke Park?

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 14/11/2024 12:14:47    2579605

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "Yes Div 1 and 3 on the Saturday and 2 & 4 on the Sunday. As I said, the div 2 lads downwards would be playing their final in front of 500 people somewhere, why not make it Croke Park?"
I presume you're talking about hurling? Divs. 2, 3 & 4 Football League Finals are already customarily played in Croke Park. And they'd probably attract more than 500 people too.

So, if hurling, you propose to put those finals back by a week, to the weekend of April 5 & 6, such that the finalists would be playing their League Final just one week before their first Ring/Rackard/Meagher Cup game after all?

Remember that if you want them in Croke Park, they couldn't stay on their current dates of March 29 & 30, since Croke Park will be in use for the Football Finals that weekend.

Also, you're forgetting that there'll be five Hurling League Finals to be played, not four.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 14/11/2024 12:38:32    2579607

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "I presume you're talking about hurling? Divs. 2, 3 & 4 Football League Finals are already customarily played in Croke Park. And they'd probably attract more than 500 people too.

So, if hurling, you propose to put those finals back by a week, to the weekend of April 5 & 6, such that the finalists would be playing their League Final just one week before their first Ring/Rackard/Meagher Cup game after all?

Remember that if you want them in Croke Park, they couldn't stay on their current dates of March 29 & 30, since Croke Park will be in use for the Football Finals that weekend.

Also, you're forgetting that there'll be five Hurling League Finals to be played, not four."
Yes I am talking about hurling. I think the Div 2, 3 & 4 lads deserve their final in Croke Park like their counterparts. Would be great to see this in 2026.

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 14/11/2024 15:12:25    2579618

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When are finalised fixtures to be released?

I know that provisional fixtures sent to county boards last week

macca999 (Fermanagh) - Posts: 1142 - 14/11/2024 21:14:43    2579650

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "I presume you're talking about hurling? Divs. 2, 3 & 4 Football League Finals are already customarily played in Croke Park. And they'd probably attract more than 500 people too.

So, if hurling, you propose to put those finals back by a week, to the weekend of April 5 & 6, such that the finalists would be playing their League Final just one week before their first Ring/Rackard/Meagher Cup game after all?

Remember that if you want them in Croke Park, they couldn't stay on their current dates of March 29 & 30, since Croke Park will be in use for the Football Finals that weekend.

Also, you're forgetting that there'll be five Hurling League Finals to be played, not four."
Yes I am talking about hurling. I think the Div 2, 3 & 4 lads deserve their final in Croke Park like their counterparts. Would be great to see this in 2026."
Just to be clear - I'd have no objection to the Divs. 2, 3 & 4 Hurling Finals being in Croke Park. Was just pointing out that for that to happen next year, you'd be asking those finalists to play those matches just one week before their opening games in the Ring/Rackard/Meagher Cups.

However, I see now that you're asking for it in 2026, so maybe those other championships could be put back a week somehow then, to get round that issue.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 15/11/2024 09:47:36    2579688

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I do think with planning the window to keep everyone happy is there. Those competitions are over for most come May, so to push the start date in 2026 out a week or two extra won't ruffle many feathers

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 15/11/2024 12:27:15    2579720

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "I do think with planning the window to keep everyone happy is there. Those competitions are over for most come May, so to push the start date in 2026 out a week or two extra won't ruffle many feathers"
I dunno. As these things often do, it gets more complicated the more you look at it.

Am looking at next year's master fixtures calendar. The Ring/Rackard/Meagher (RRM) Cup Finals are fixed for weekend of May 31/June 1, along with U20 All-Ireland Hurling Final. Presume the RRM triple-header will be in Croke Park one day, with the U20 Final being played on the other day.

Now, if you pushed the start of the RRM back a week to do what you're asking for with the League Finals, you either have to remove the gap week that teams get during the RRM competitions, or else push their finals back a week too.

And if you pushed their finals back a week, they'd be competing for attention with the Leinster SHC Final, Munster SHC Final, and McDonagh Cup Final on that weekend.

Leinster SHC Final & probably McDonagh Cup Final would be in Croke Park on one of those days, so that would only leave Croke Park free for the RRM Finals on the same day as the Munster decider.

And if things were fixed that way, the GAA would be criticised for disrespecting the RRM finalists for only putting those matches on as a "sideshow" in Croke Park, when the "real" match that day that would get the attention of 98% of the hurling world was down in Cork or Thurles or Limerick.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 15/11/2024 13:54:24    2579740

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "I dunno. As these things often do, it gets more complicated the more you look at it.

Am looking at next year's master fixtures calendar. The Ring/Rackard/Meagher (RRM) Cup Finals are fixed for weekend of May 31/June 1, along with U20 All-Ireland Hurling Final. Presume the RRM triple-header will be in Croke Park one day, with the U20 Final being played on the other day.

Now, if you pushed the start of the RRM back a week to do what you're asking for with the League Finals, you either have to remove the gap week that teams get during the RRM competitions, or else push their finals back a week too.

And if you pushed their finals back a week, they'd be competing for attention with the Leinster SHC Final, Munster SHC Final, and McDonagh Cup Final on that weekend.

Leinster SHC Final & probably McDonagh Cup Final would be in Croke Park on one of those days, so that would only leave Croke Park free for the RRM Finals on the same day as the Munster decider.

And if things were fixed that way, the GAA would be criticised for disrespecting the RRM finalists for only putting those matches on as a "sideshow" in Croke Park, when the "real" match that day that would get the attention of 98% of the hurling world was down in Cork or Thurles or Limerick."
I take your points but do think it can be sorted, I am open to correction but I believe there is 2 gap breaks in the league next year? If the round robin in league was tightened up it could work without interfering with RRM final dates? Where is the master calendar available, it's normally issued this time of year but haven't seen it yet

BaileCrann (Down) - Posts: 23 - 15/11/2024 15:01:31    2579751

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Replying To BaileCrann:  "I take your points but do think it can be sorted, I am open to correction but I believe there is 2 gap breaks in the league next year? If the round robin in league was tightened up it could work without interfering with RRM final dates? Where is the master calendar available, it's normally issued this time of year but haven't seen it yet"
I just got the master fixtures spreadsheet a while ago because of an admin role I have. It just has weekends marked with things like "RRM date 1" and "RRM date 2". Doesn't normally become publicly available until the actual fixtures are tied down too - i.e. who exactly will be playing who on each weekend. That normally comes around early December, and is published on the main GAA website.

Anyway, you're correct that there are to be two gaps in the Hurling League next year:
- first will be between Rounds 3 and 4, meaning that the weekend of February 15/16 will be free.
- other will be between Round 6 and 7, meaning that weekend of March 15/16 will also be free (i.e. St. Patrick's weekend, with St. Patrick's Day falling on the Monday).

Remember that next year's Hurling League will have five divisions of seven teams each, which means one team will have a bye in each round. It means that the counties whose bye comes in Week 7 will actually be finished their League on weekend of March 8/9, unless of course they qualify for their final.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2615 - 15/11/2024 15:45:02    2579761

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