LAST UPDATE | 9 Aug 2021
THE ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINAL meeting of Tyrone and Kerry has been postponed by six days, to Saturday 21 August, because of a Covid outbreak among the Tyrone squad.
The All-Ireland final has now also been pushed back, to Saturday 4 September with a throw-in time yet to be confirmed.
The final will now fall on the same day as the Republic of Ireland play Azerbaijan in a World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium, with the All-Ireland ladies’ football championship football slated for the following day, 5 September.
Sunday’s U20 final between Offaly and Roscommon is going ahead as planned, with a maximum crowd of 24,000 still permitted. The GAA will seek permission to retain the expanded permitted attendance of 40,000 at the senior final on its refixed date.
“The GAA’s CCCC has today confirmed that Sunday’s GAA Football semi-final meeting of Kerry and Tyrone at Croke Park will not take place as originally scheduled and will now be played on Saturday August 21 at the same venue (time to be confirmed)”, read a GAA statement.
“This decision was taken following a status report received by the GAA relating to positive Covid cases in the Tyrone panel. This change will necessitate the GAA Football All-Ireland final being re-arranged to take place on Saturday 4 September.
“The GAA Football U20 final meeting of Offaly and Roscommon will proceed as planned at Croke Park at 1.30pm on Sunday with the same permitted attendance.
“The GAA will continue to liaise with the appropriate Government Departments and officials to discuss the practicalities of having these revised fixtures included under the statutory instrument that has facilitated the increased attendances of recent weeks.
“The GAA will also be working with the LGFA around the TG4 Ladies All Ireland Junior final scheduled for Croke Park on September 4.”
Kerry GAA chairman Tadhg Ó Murchú said the postponement is a “disappointment to us all”, but acknowledged the context that made the delay necessary.
Updated with GAA statement at 15.15; with reporting by Paul Dollery
Not really fair when you remember that Sligo were kicked out of the championship last year for the same reasons
@Tom McBride: totally agree.
@Tom McBride: nobody cares about lesser teams. It’s all about the big few.
@Homes: Absolutely, no way would any teams outside of Div 1 or 2 have a game rescheduled for the same. Nonsense.
@Homes: Tyrone hardly in the “big few” these days are they??
Can you imagine the sledging that will go on. The Tyrone backs sneezing on top of the kerry forwards etc
@James Beattie: lol. Didn’t think of that. Hilarious haha
Up Kerry!
Would the Tyrone team not be vaccinated yet?
@Gerard Browne: can still have covid
@John O Reilly: I know that but if everybody is vaccinated there’s no need to quarantine?
@Gerard Browne: still have to isolate even if fully vaccinated!
@Darren Mullins: if positive yes but not if a close contact as you become a casual contact if vaccinated or is it different in the UK?
@Darren Mullins: Makes the point of getting the vaccine pretty pointless so
@Gerard Browne: with the vaccine you only get a milder dose of covid
@Gerard Browne: If you call significantly reducing your chances of death or serious illness then ya, pointless
Tyrone should have been thrown out
Good call. Even though I have to do a week of late shifts to get Sunday off!
Sligo couldn’t field a team and were punished , Tyrone should be out of the all Ireland series . Broke covid rules kick them out
@Greg: they didnt break any covid rules. Cork u20s were given a similar postponent this season for the same reason.
@Kieran Lynch: where did they celebrate after Ulster Final?
Rte just announced it being postponed for a week. Final moves to September 4th.
@Kieran Campbell: Saturday???
@John McCabe: Yeah Sat 4th Sept. Most likely a 6:30-7pm kick off too, so they can accommodate for the Ireland vs Azerbaijan game in Lansdowne which kicks off at 5 bells on Saturday as well.
@Ultan Corcoran: I believe the All Ireland Final will have a ‘throw in’, and the other match at the Aviva will have a’kick off’
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
This bl00dy virus has stopped being a joke when it interferes with GAA all ireland.