DECEMBER ALL-IRELAND finals are on the cards after the GAA confirmed today they will finish the 2020 championships in the calendar year.
The football final will take place on Saturday 19 December with the hurling final on Sunday 13 December and the Joe McDonagh Cup final will act as the curtain-raiser there.
The Leinster football final will be held on the 100th year anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
The full plans for their fixtures in the revamped championship were unveiled in Croke Park this morning to cover football and hurling.
The inter-county season is set to resume on the weekend of 17-18 October with games to be held on Saturdays and Sundays, some of them with ‘unfamiliar’ throw-in times.
Here are the changes that are in store:
Football
- Championship to revert to provincial knockout.
- New York will not be involved and London will be involved pending travel restrictions.
- No qualifiers in 2020 and Tailteann Cup is postponed until 2021.
- The All-Ireland football semi-final draw will see Munster v Connacht and Leinster v Ulster.
- Rounds 6 and 7 of the Allianz football leagues will be completed, the top team in each division is the league winner for that division. No league finals will be played.
Hurling
- Liam McCarthy Cup to revert to straight knockout in the provinces. Two round back door with All-Ireland quarter-finals.
- New draw for Munster and Leinster senior championships – to be made this evening.
- No Division 1 hurling league knockout games to be played, Limerick declared Division 1A and Clare Division 1B champions for 2020.
- Joe McDonagh Cup to stay round-robin with the winner promoted to the Liam McCarthy Cup for 2021.
- No entry to 2020 championship for Joe McDonagh Cup finalists.
- Issue of what happens for 2021 Liam MacCarthy Cup championship should Kerry win Joe McDonagh Cup will be dealt with in final competition proposals.
- Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups to be straight knockout with Lory Meagher Cup to retain existing format.
- Participation of overseas teams in lower-tier hurling championships will be on the basis of all games being in Ireland.
The games in provincial championships will be on a weekly basis and will be finished on the day (extra-time, penalties) in all inter-county knockout games including All-Ireland finals.
There will be no club provincial or All-Ireland championships this year, and no inter-county junior championship either.
The U20 football semi-finals and final will be completed. The U20 hurling championship will be played concurrently with the senior hurling championship, no All-Ireland semi-finals as the provincial champions will meet in the All-Ireland final.
It is to be recommended that a player who plays (as a starter or sub) in the senior hurling championship becomes ineligible for the U20 grade until his senior team has exited the championship. For the U20B grade, a blitz type competition is being explored post the Ring/Rackard/Meagher completion.
The minor football and hurling grades will be knockout, the All-Ireland series will not be played alongside the senior competition.
No quarter-finals in either grade, the draw has bee made in advance for the one semi-final in hurling with Galway to face the Munster champions.
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Looks like Mayo will be asking Santa Claus for Sam this year
@david hynes: Now you’re just being silly there David. Even we know Santa doesn’t come until Christmas eve ..
@david hynes: even if they whole championship was cancelled they’d still be runners up.
Croke park in December. Rain and hail. Extortionate ticket prices. Getting dark at 4pm and a very long dismal drive home. No thanks.
@Patrick Agnew: Haha stay at home so. Some of us would be delighted with the misery of being in croker in december
@Patrick Agnew: I’d say you’re the life and soul of a party. Generally, ticket prices are good value with many being double headers. As for the weather, this being Ireland, you’ve as much chance of being soaked in July as you do in December.
@Gareth Ward: off you go Gareth. I’ll watch it in the pub.
@Patrick Agnew: I’ll meet you there for a pint so after ive been to the games!
@Patrick Agnew: Do ya hear this lad? Christ. The pessimism. I’d crawl over broken glass to see my county play in a December final. Driving home from a match in the dark, what will they think of next!
@Patrick Agnew: You’re from Fermanagh Paddy, you won’t need to worry about it…
@Joe Brennan: good spot joe but I’m from Armagh
@Patrick Agnew: Still won’t.
Hopefully galway can beat mayo to relegate them
How is the provincial system fair for lets say an Ulster team who have to play a lot more and tougher games. Open draw would have been fairer and a good chance to trial something different. Instead its the same old.
@Lad: The provincial system has never been fair. So its not any different this year
@Gareth Ward: there is no back door? That does make it more unfair.
@Lad: Agree about Ulster but this is best way as open draw means some teams dont even have provincial title to go go for. I for one will be looking forward to it!!!
@Lad: Probably. But someone else would have a reason to complain then
@BrianG: true but they have a chance to go for that every year. What about giving them one good chance off the All Ireland. Last 32, round of 16, quarters, semis and final. Fair for everyone and gives someone like kildare, Tipp, Derry a real chance to go further than they could ever hope for the AI, rather than through the province. Give them hope, its crucial in GAA, just like nowhere but Newbridge and what that meant for kildare.
Just imagine a game of hurling in a potential snowstorm
@Sean Treacy: Bring it on baby
@Sean Treacy: just give me a game of hurling anywhere right now ..hail , rain or snow .
This will shorten the winter for a lot of people.
Roscommon at 100/1, twill be the best Xmas ever had
Lets go 6 in a row!
@Johnny 5: “Yis can fook off with your ga, Liverpool are playing Southampton at 4 o clock.” Jesus wept
@Baz:
Ha ha you can watch the paint dry Wel watch a mans game
Football so predictable.
Hurling so exciting.
@Colman Walsh: your comment was also predictable
Galway for the double this year at senior and U20, and the camogie and ladies football too!
@David Finn: Is that not a quadruple?
Kerry v Galway and Dublin v Donegal for the semis. Repeat of last years final, Dubs to shade it by a couple of points.
@Johnny 5: jes lad say if Galway can get back to the form they had up till this will give Kerry a good run for there money
@Johnny 5: jaysus I dunno, I like the name Johnny 5.
@Johnny 5: our game v Tyrone in ballybofey will be massive.
Should the semi finals not be Leinster v Munster and Connacht v Ulster? Before the break the super 8′s would have been Connacht and Ulster winners in one group and Leinster and Munster in the other. Why the change now?
@Alan Kenny: They obviously want a kerry dublin final
@Alan Kenny: I’d imagine 2020 framework moves to 2021. Hopefully back to normal
not a hope we will be well into lockdown 2 by then
Is there relegation in the leagues ??
@Gareth Ward: I would say so. Bottom two will still get relegated.
Also why are games to be finished on penalty’s? These are not low scoring games, there could easily be made a new rule to finish a game after a draw in extra time, such as first team to lead by 2 points or more wins.. Much fairer.
@Lad: Penalties are more craic anyway. Plus it could take an hour for a team to get a 2 point lead
@Gareth Ward: Seriously? An hour?
Ya because All Ireland Finals are all about the craic.
@Lad: Well i cant put an exact time on it. But imagine how untra defensive teams would get then! An hour might be generous
And yes, all ireland finals are great craic!
@Lad: can you imagine Tyrone defending a lead in extra time with that rule. Christ there be lads building blocks across the 45m line
I’m just glad we’re having championships – but fingers crossed! The virus will do what it wants to do.
Good luck to all – GAA management, teams and players.
Limerick league champions. So only lost two of the last 7 trophies they could have won. 2* league 1a, 1 all Ireland, 1 * league 1b, 1* munster
@Trevor: Well Clare are also league champions. 1a and 1b are the same level, it was division one split into 2 groups
@Gareth Ward: 1a and 1b are not the same level
@Trevor: Do your research kid, they are
@Trevor: they are the same level changed format start of this year
@Gareth Ward: use your brain. Also I would have included a munster cup win if I was going to the level of lower 1b
@Trevor: Hahaha you are making less and less sense with every comment
it’s an absolute farce. Never has it been easier for Dublin and Kerry to walk their provinces.
No other div 1 team from their provinces next year. Kerry might not even face a div 2 side.
Absolute huge asterix joke.
@Peter McGlynn: no there won’t be any asterix next to it, if Kerry or Dublin win the all ireland it’s cause they are the best team, its not there fault if the rest aren’t up to the standard.
Dream on GAA
Another handy all Ireland for Tipp