Weather warning for Saturday’s packed GAA fixture list

The GAA has confirmed that efforts will be made to re-fix any postponements arising from Saturday’s busy match schedule, on Sunday or Monday. It had earlier been reported on RTE that the Gaelic Players Association had advised county panels of possible changes to the full round of football league fixtures as well as hurling league quarter-finals and the fifth-sixth play-off in Division 1A.

With Met Éireann warning of heavy rain and strong winds across the country at various stages on Saturday there is an obvious danger of matches not being able to go ahead.

Coincidentally, on the St Patrick’s weekend 12 months ago all four hurling league quarter-finals were called off on Sunday 18th and optimistically re-fixed for the bank holiday Monday. Only one, Offaly-Kilkenny went ahead and the others had to be re-fixed, as did the 2018 club hurling final replay between Cuala and Na Piarsaigh after the sides drew on the Saturday.

Galway’s hurlers, scheduled to face Wexford in Wexford Park, had to overnight on the Sunday, only to be told that the match wouldn’t be played on Monday either.

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There was criticism of the GAA by the GPA at the time because of the lack of consultation with players. A number of county panels reportedly stated their intention to refuse to fulfil fixtures re-arranged at short notice.

“Notwithstanding the recent inclement weather conditions creating considerable challenges for the CCCC with regard to rescheduling of games,” ran the GPA statement, “the GPA consider it wholly unacceptable that no consultation was made with players beforehand.”

This year the GPA are making sure that players are on notice should there be postponements.