All-Ireland club finals will have later throw-in time to boost profile

The All-Ireland senior club finals will have later throw-in times on St Patrick’s Day in Croke Park this year.

GAA director of games administration Feargal McGill said the Central Competitions Control Committee’s decision to push the hurling final start from 2pm to 3.30pm and the football decider from 4pm to 5pm have been taken to help boost the profile of the matches.

It’s often been mentioned that the Dublin St Patrick’s Day parade has delayed spectators in getting to Croke Park for the hurling game, but McGill said that those national holiday celebrations were just one of a number of reasons for the rescheduling.

“We’re not doing it solely for that. There are a few things we are taking a look at in terms of the promotion of the games, which we will reveal in due course.”

This year, the Cheltenham Gold Cup also takes place at 3.30pm on March 17.

The club finals’ traditional St Patrick’s Day slot is under threat as GAA director general Páraic Duffy and president Aogán Ó Fearghail remain determined to bring them back to December so as to complete a calendar year season.