GAA move to clarify fixture confusion

The GAA are today attempting to clarify the arrangements in relation to the upcoming All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final pairings.

With regard to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling semi-final and the potential for a draw to determine the pairings, the provincial champions of Munster and Leinster shall be in separate semi-finals and shall respectively play one of the two quarter-final winners.

Subject to the respective provincial champions not meeting the defeated finalists from their own province at this stage and, where feasible, the avoidance of repeat pairings, a draw shall be made to determine the pairings.

Depending on the winners of next weekend's quarter-finals, the semi-final pairings will be as follows:

- If Dublin and Waterford win (both provincial runners-up), then the semi-finals are Kilkenny v Waterford and Tipperary v Dublin

- If Dublin and Galway win (Dublin are provincial runners-up), then the semi-finals are Kilkenny v Galway and Tipperary v Dublin

- If Limerick and Waterford win (Waterford are provincial runners-up), then the semi-finals are Kilkenny v Waterford and Tipperary v Limerick

- If Limerick and Galway win (both provincial runners-up are eliminated, Galway previously played Kilkenny), then the semi-finals are Kilkenny v Limerick and Tipperary v Galway.

Therefore, no matter what combination of results next Sunday, there is no necessity for a draw to determine the pairings.

Meanwhile, the draw for the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship will take place next Sunday evening (live on RTÉ Two, 6.15pm approx).

The format for the draw is that each of the provincial champions shall play one of the four winners from Round 4 of the qualifiers, subject to the respective provincial champions not meeting the defeated finalists from their own province.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for the weekend of August 1/2/3 with the fourth quarter-final delayed by one week to August 8/9 (due to the knock-on effect of the draw in an earlier round of the qualifiers between Roscommon and Wexford).

Dates, times and venues will be finalised by CCCC next Monday (July 27).