Under 21 semis rescheduled to avoid clash with Congress

Breakingnews.ie has learned that next Saturday's Cadbury All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship semi-finals are set to be scheduled to avoid a clash with the GAA Congress.

The GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) is currently meeting in Croke Park in order to fix the games, which sees Donegal face Tipperary and Dublin take on Roscommon.

The CCCC are eager to avoid a repeat of last year's chaos which saw Cork face Dublin at Semple Stadium, while GAA Congress was voting on motions 70 miles down the road in Cork.

Cork native Christy Cooney was also being voted in as GAA President, around the same time, and is understood to have issued a directive to the CCCC to avoid another clash.

Congress takes place in Newcastle, Co. Down this Saturday; with delegates voting on important motions such as those on the new experimental rules, and keeping Croke Park open for soccer and rugby internationals.

With Tipperary contesting the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time; and rare appearances for Donegal and Roscommon at the penultimate stage, delegates from those counties would have been torn between supporting their respective county, or staying on to vote at Congress.

Up to 30 delegates would have been affected directly by the clash.

Congress finishes at 4.30pm, and with extended daylight into evening time and the availability of floodlit venues, it is expected the semi-finals will now throw-in at 7.30pm.

The CCCC will confirm times and venues for the games later this afternoon.