GAA confirm submission made regarding new proposed list of free-to-air sports events

SUBMISSON MADE: The GAA have confirmed they have made a submission to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media regarding the new proposed list of free-to-air sports events. Pic Credit: Ben Brady, Inpho.

The GAA have confirmed they have made a submission to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media regarding the new proposed list of free-to-air sports events.

Deadlines for opinions on the additional events, which include the four All-Ireland senior football quarter-finals and two senior hurling quarter-finals, passed last Tuesday.

Currently, two of the football quarter-finals are shown on GAAGO and are scheduled to be streamed on the pay-per-view platform again this June.

Including the quarter-finals across the two codes, the additional GAA games in the Government free-to-air category comprises the four All-Ireland senior semi-finals and the six provincial deciders.

In his annual report, GAA director general Tom Ryan indicated they would be objecting to the quarter-finals being included in the list.

“It’s worth nothing the fact that barely a couple of dozen games out of our near 400-game season earn any return. Here they are, in point of fact only two of the above games (two quarter-finals) are not free-to-air currently, so the viewer benefit of any change in designation would be marginal.

"But it would remove our right to negotiate and would have a seriously detrimental impact on our finances and our operations. We will be making a submission on the matter.”

Meanwhile, Kildare forward Ben McCormack is set to miss Sunday’s crucial Allianz FL Division 2 game with Cork with a suspected broken jaw.

McCormack and fellow forward Darragh Kirwan were replaced at half-time in last Sunday’s loss to Meath, Kildare’s fourth consecutive defeat.

The Sarsfields man, an All-Star nomination in 2023, scored three points in the opening half in Navan and was sorely missed thereafter.

Naas’ Kirwan and Athy’s Barry Kelly also face a race to be fit for the trip to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. A fifth straight defeat for Kildare will all but consign them to Division 3.

Lee Chin is also hoping to be available for Sunday week’s Division 1A clash with Waterford in Walsh Park. The Wexford captain made an early exit from Sunday’s draw with Clare with a leg injury.

Another veteran Diarmuid O’Keeffe is currently rehabbing from back surgery and is not expected to return until the middle to end of the Leinster SHC.

Elsewhere, Tipperary’s AFL Division 4 game against Waterford this Sunday has been switched from FBD Semple Stadium to Bansha. It is believed the Thurles playing surface is not capable of hosting the game.

The footballers are due to face Wexford in Thurles on March 16. Tipperary’s hurlers’ remaining two Division 1B games are on the road – Limerick on Saturday week followed by a trip to Belfast eight days’ later.