GAA to extend break after league programme

The gap between the end of the Allianz Football League and start of the senior provincial championships is set to double next year.

This year, there was a three-week break between the four divisional finals on April 23/24 and the first championship clashes, the Leinster preliminary round games on May 14/15. However, the scrapping of the Division 1 semi-finals means the four divisional finals will take place earlier in 2017, on April 8/9, with Leinster again expected to be first out of the blocks on May 21, a margin which represents six weeks. Sligo’s trip to New York at the start of May will begin the Connacht SFC.

It is the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee’s hope that the extra space between the competitions will allow counties to organise club championship fixtures.