AFTER SPENDING MONTHS on pause there is some light at the end of the tunnel for GAA fans, with a championship fixture plan for hurling and football now confirmed.

The competitions, which have been altered due to the Covid-19 shutdown, will commence in October and November and will culminate in All-Ireland finals taking place in December.

Rounds 6 and 7 of the National football league will be completed before championship action gets underway while the hurling leagues in Division 2 and 3 will also conclude ahead of the championship.

From there, the Munster and Leinster hurling quarter-finals will take place at the end of October. The Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard, Joe McDonagh and Lory Meagher competitions will also start before the end of that month.

The football championship will then take centre-stage at the start of November with provincial competitions reverting to the classic knockout format. The Leinster football final will take place on the weekend of 21/22 November to mark the 100th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

The hurling championships will continue and the All-Ireland semi-finals will be played on the weekend of 28/29 November. The All-Ireland football semi-finals will follow at the start of December and the deciders in both codes will be played later that month.

Stephen Cluxton lifting the Sam Maguire for Dublin last year. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

Here’s the full list of championship fixtures that will take place in 2020:

October

• Saturday 17 – All-Ireland U20 football semi-final 
• Saturday 17/Sunday 18 – Round 6 National Football league, Division 2A, 2B and 3B hurling finals
• Saturday 24 – All-Ireland U20 football final
• Saturday 24/Sunday 25 – Round 7 National Football League, Munster hurling quarter-final, Leinster hurling quarter-final, Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard quarter-finals, Round 1 Joe McDonagh and Lory Meagher

November

• Saturday 31/1 – Connacht football quarter-finals, Munster football quarter-finals, Round 1 Leinster football, Ulster football preliminary round/quarter-finals, Munster hurling semi-finals, Leinster hurling semi-finals, Round 2 Joe McDonagh and Lory Meagher , Christy Ring and Niky Rackard semi-finals and relegation semi-final
• Saturday 7/Sunday 8 – Connacht football semi-finals, Munster football semi-finals, Leinster football quarter-finals, Ulster football quarter-finals, Round 1 hurling qualifier (2 games), Round 3 Joe McDonagh (1 game), Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard relegation finals, Round 3 Lory Meagher
• Saturday 14/Sunday 15 – Connacht football final, Leinster football semi-finals, Ulster football semi-final, Leinster hurling final, Munster hurling final, Round 2 hurling qualifier (2 games), Round 3 Joe McDonagh (1 game), Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard relegation finals, Round 3 Lory Meagher
• Saturday 21 – Leinster football final, Round 4 Joe McDonagh, All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals (2 games)
• Sunday 22 – Munster football final, Ulster football final, All-Ireland U20 hurling finals (2 games)
• Saturday 28 – All-Ireland hurling semi-final, Round 5 Joe McDonagh
• Sunday 29 – All-Ireland hurling semi-final
• Saturday 28/29 – All-Ireland minor football semi-finals

Séamus Callanan after Tipperary's All-Ireland hurling triumph in 2019. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

December

• Saturday 5 – All-Ireland football semi-final (Leinster v Ulster)
• Sunday 6 – All-Ireland football semi-final (Connacht v Munster)
• Saturday 5/Sunday 6 – All-Ireland minor football and hurling finals
• Sunday 13 – All-Ireland hurling final, Joe McDonagh final
• Saturday 19 – All-Ireland football final

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