The Beast from the East has dug its claws in and continues to wreak havoc with this week’s Irish sporting calendar.
Rugby, soccer, racing and GAA have all been heavily affected due to the heavy snow and treacherous travelling conditions - with more events liable to be called off ahead of the weekend.
On Wednesday afternoon the FAI announced all of the weekend’s League of Ireland fixtures would be cancelled,with 10 games across the Premier Division and Division One rescheduled.
Among the fixtures to fall foul of the weather were Bohemians trip to play champions Cork City at Turners Cross, and Dundalk’s journey north to face Derry City. All of the top flight fixtures will now be played on Monday March 19th.
Meanwhile struggling Ulster have been offered some respite by the weather, with their Pro 14 fixture against Glasgow Warriors on Friday night also postponed.
A statement from Ulster Rugby read: “Because of the travel implications an early decision was made after consultation with both clubs due of the severe weather warnings in place across Ireland and the UK. The health and safety of supporters, players and staff is always paramount when considering the postponement of a fixture.
“Glasgow Airport has experienced significant disruptions today (including closure) and due to extreme weather and with further inclement conditions forecast for Friday night in Belfast, those travelling to the stadium would likely be exposed to hazardous conditions which raises welfare concerns.”
That fixture will now be played on the weekend of April 20th, with both sides free after being knocked out of the European Champions Cup.
A decision is yet to be made on Munster’s clash with Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Friday night (7.35) and Leinster’s crunch visit to the Scarlets on Saturday (3.15).
Both fixtures are likely to hinge on whether or not flights are operating out of Dublin airport.
Irish racing fixtures have also been heavily affected, with Thursday’s meeting at Clonmel called off, and Saturday’s Navan card likely to suffer the same fate. Friday’s All-Weather meeting at Dundalk has been postponed until March 9th.
There are 33 intercounty games scheduled to take place over the weekend, with Feargal McGill, the GAA’s director of player, club and games administration, saying decisions are likely to be made on Friday.
Saturday fixtures under threat include Dublin’s NFL Division One clash with Kerry in Croke Park.
