Gaelic Games

GAA considering moving All-Ireland finals back to August from 2026

GAA Director General Tom Ryan raises question in his annual report

There has been some opposition to the new calendar, in which the finals have played in July. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
There has been some opposition to the new calendar, in which the finals have played in July. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Seán Moran
Thu Feb 06 2025 - 15:33

GAA Director General Tom Ryan has acknowledged that the All-Ireland finals may be moved back from 2026. There has been some opposition to the new calendar, in which the finals have played in July for the past three years.

Ryan, writing in his annual report, indicated that he would be open to tweaking the dates by a couple of weeks but he didn’t envisage the traditional dates in September being restored once the current three-year trial concludes next summer with the All-Irelands at the end of July.

“There is a gathering mood to shuffle the finals back by a week or two, and that may well transpire in the future. Stretching the season out a little would be no bad thing – but I don’t foresee a return to September.

“A further opportunity to stretch the season might well present itself at the other end of things, in January. Perhaps the suspension of the provincial preseason competitions could point to starting the Allianz Leagues a little earlier in future? It’s probably too early to reach conclusions around this yet; 2025 is just a trial and the competitions are still on hold. But it merits debate.”

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In the usual, wide-ranging report, he also addressed the diminishing prospects for capital projects receiving central funding because of building costs. He suggested a sharing of facilities between GAA units.

“We need to approach GAA capital projects differently. Shared development has long been anathema to our thinking, I know, but if we can share with universities, share with other organisations then why not share between ourselves?

“What would our infrastructure landscape look like if we were to prioritise half a dozen facilities around the country for prioritised investment, remove the local funding burden, and designate them as provincially or nationally shared? Don’t dismiss it out of hand.”

He also expressed himself “underwhelmed” by the suspension of the preseason competitions in pursuit of player welfare.

“Key to that objective is the concept of a reasonable closed season that is universally observed. We dispensed with the provincial preseason competitions to advance that goal. It was a matter of some contention at the time, and opinions were very much divided as to whether it would work. It’s early days I know, and the definitive data is not yet to hand at the time of writing, but I am somewhat underwhelmed at the outcome.

“If this structure is to persist, we must make it work, otherwise the sacrifice of those competitions is just pointless. So that means everybody stretching their thinking a bit.

“Counties not permitting or sanctioning training, managers trusting and minding their players, and the GPA telling us where breaches arise, and the Association enforcing. It’s a shared responsibility and we’re all letting each other down.”

Seán Moran

Seán Moran

Seán Moran is GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times