All-Ireland fixtures - No way to repay loyalty of GAA fans

Cork GAA followers are understandably annoyed that the football and hurling All-Ireland quarters-finals involving the county have not been scheduled for the same day in Croke Park.

It is a cop-out to suggest that the games could not be rescheduled for the same day. People have made plans to travel home from abroad for the games on the days now designated, therefore it would not have required much imagination last weekend to schedule the two Cork games for the same day.

On Saturday Cork play Sligo in the football quarter-final in a curtain-raiser to the game between Tyrone and Meath.

On Sunday Cork play Waterford in the hurling quarter-final replay in a curtain-raiser to the All-Ireland semi-final between Kilkenny and Wexford.

Adding insult to injury the Cork and Waterford followers have to pay €45 for a match ticket, instead of the €35 for the drawn game.

The explanation for this is that the semi-final is being played afterwards.

The GAA rightly prides itself in being a family- and community-orientated organisation.

Children will be admitted for €5 each, but their hard-pressed parents have to pay the full price for tickets, as well as the cost of travel to and from Dublin.

In the case of Cork supporters, there is the added expense of an overnight stay in Dublin to take in the two games, not to mention the further costs that would be incurred if either or both of the teams goes further.

This is no way to treat supporters who have been so loyal to the GAA.