John Fogarty on Bloody Sunday: Winter Championship an ode to the game that didn't finish

GAA president John Horan lights a candle at the Bloody Sunday memorial in Croke Park. In lieu of a larger commemorative event at Croke Park, the GAA is encouraging members, supporters, and the wider public to light a candle at dusk next Saturday, remembering the 14 people who lost their lives that day 100 years ago. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Including three provincial football finals, there will be nine Championship games played this Bloody Sunday weekend. Two involve Tipperary, one Dublin. Given the hurdles that stood in their way, the GAA must be pleased with such a billing across a poignant couple of days.

Only Dublin and Tipperary’s senior footballers facing off in a game of consequence in Croke Park would have been a more fitting way of commemorating that awful day. Well, next best might have been staging Tipperary’s Munster SFC final with Cork as well as Dublin’s Leinster decider with Meath at the site of that tragedy 100 years ago this Saturday. But how it’s worked out is considerably better than the original plan to replicate the challenge game with another one between the counties and follow it with an International Rules game.