Jarlath Burns defends GAA’s fixtures body in wake of Donegal criticism

Jarlath Burns at the national launch of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Series at the Croke Park. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.

GAA president Jarlath Burns has defended the association’s national fixtures body days after criticism from Donegal manager Jim McGuinness.

Following Sunday’s win over Mayo, the Ulster SFC-winning boss was furious about the decision of the Central Competitions Control Committee to stage that All-Ireland SFC final round group game in Roscommon town’s King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park.

Believing that it was arranged for a venue further away from Donegal than Mayo “because it’s us”, McGuinness said: “We don’t believe we should have been here. We think it was very unfair to bring us here.

"It was the equivalent of bringing Mayo to Omagh and we also put in an email to the CCCC say we couldn’t get a hotel in the area so we had to stay in Athlone.”

Speaking on Monday, CCCC chairman Brian Carroll explained that Markievicz Park in Sligo would have been the preferred venue if it wasn’t unavailable due to pitch reconstruction.

In his address to launch the All-Ireland senior football championship in Croke Park on Tuesday, Burns paid tribute to the work done by the CCCC.

Referring to the Tailteann Cup draw he assisted in on RTÉ Radio One’s “Morning Ireland” last Monday week, Burns said: “I was on the way back in the car with Bernard Smith (GAA’s games administration manager), who was with me and he took seven phone calls from counties asking for clarification on this, asking for a favour there, asking that they could play at a particular time, something that would have been on in their county, and I think every one of those requests was met.

“And whenever fixtures are being made, there are so, so many things that they have to take into consideration, particularly with regard to neutral venues. I think they do an incredible job. I think they are amazing people and I just thought that it was important to put on record my appreciation and thanks for the work that they do in very complex circumstances.”

Addressing the media in attendance at the event, Burns said the full-time members of the CCCC including GAA director of club, player and games administration Feargal McGill and Smith as well as volunteer chairman Carroll are happy to explain the reasoning behind their decisions.

“Fergal and Bernard and Brian Carroll are also on the end of a phone if anybody ever wants to ring them up and ask them for clarification as are our communications department, and you will always get a good reason as to why decisions are taken.

“But you guys know our CCCC and you know further and you know better and you know how hard they work to ensure that everything is done to the best of the ability to ensure safety and to ensure that there's no bias and to do the best that they can for all of our teams.”

Meanwhile, the GAA have reported a 21% year-on-year rise in attendances for this year’s All-Ireland senior football round games. In one of the best championship in recent times, crowds have been flocking to games being played under the new rules.

Last year, there was a 10% decline in attendances across football and hurling. This past weekend, it was revealed to Central Council that attendances in this year’s Allianz Football League had recorded a 24% increase in gate receipts, up over €1.5million to in excess of €8m.