No plans to alter schedule to avoid clash with rugby

GAA FIXTURES NEWS:THE GAA will not alter its fixtures schedule to avoid any clash with the Six Nations rugby internationals.

Although this has happened in the past, there are no plans to do so next month when two of Ireland’s matches are on Sundays.

The first competitive rugby international at the new Lansdowne Road, between Ireland and France, is on February 13th, the inaugural weekend of the NHL, and at the same time as the matches between Galway-Wexford, Cork-Offaly and Waterford-Dublin.

That weekend’s big match, however, sees a re-run of the last two epic All-Ireland finals between champions Tipperary and Kilkenny, which will be played on the previous evening.

“We’re aware of that,” Feargal McGill, the GAA’s head of games administration, told this newspaper. “Our policy over the years has been that if two counties agree to change a fixture we’ll facilitate that in most cases.

“So if any of the counties involved feel that they would like to change, fair enough, but we have no plans to instruct any alterations to the calendar.”

Two weeks later there will be a programme of NFL matches, but again arguably the more attractive fixtures, Dublin-Kerry and Down-Armagh, are scheduled for Saturday the 26th, with Galway-Mayo and Cork-Monaghan fixed for the following afternoon.

During the 2007-10 period, when Croke Park hosted rugby internationals, the problem rarely arose, with just the first Six Nations match at the venue, the 2007 clash of France and Ireland, being played on a Sunday.

Four years previously, when Ireland played a Grand Slam decider against England in Dublin on a Sunday, the then Games Administration Committee, under the chair of current association director general Páraic Duffy, took the decision to switch all National League fixtures to Saturday.

In 2005, when the countries met again in Dublin, the GAA allowed its own fixtures go ahead, but attracted some fairly poor attendances.

Since then, Saturday matches under floodlights have become commonplace, reducing some of the pressure on GAA Sunday attendances.

Meanwhile, the Leinster Council has rescheduled the weekend’s postponed O’Byrne Cup matches. There will be two matches this evening with Westmeath taking on Dublin at St Loman’s in Mullingar and UCD travelling to Navan to face Leinster champions Meath.

The Offaly-DCU fixture will take place in Rhode tomorrow evening. All matches throw in at 7.30pm.

In the west, the Connacht Council have moved their postponed matches to the end of the month.

Leitrim will face Mayo in Ballinamore, whereas Roscommon entertain Galway-Mayo IT in Ballyforan, both throw-ins at 2.0.

* Parke GAA Club in Mayo have launched a 40th anniversary publication, CLCG Fóchumann An Pháirc - Ceathaireacha Bliain ag Fás.

The book is a pictorial record of the club’s first 40 years, accompanied by a DVD which has recordings of important matches.

Copies are available for sale at Turlough Stores, Lyons’s on Davitt’s Terrace in Castlebar or by contacting Frank Cloherty on 087 138 4822.