Quick turnarounds and home advantage: Three key All-Ireland SFC questions 

David Clifford of Kerry in action against Oisin Conaty of Armagh. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

If GAA president Jarlath Burns wasn’t already thinking the third round of the All-Ireland SFC should be played at neutral venues – and he was – then playing his part in his native Armagh facing the 440km trip to Killarney on Saturday to stay in the championship has probably convinced him the change has to be made for 2027.

The decision to incorporate home advantage was partly made on foot of how much stink Donegal kicked up about Dr Hyde Park being chosen as the neutral venue for their final group game against Mayo last year.

Donegal themselves now have to travel to Croke Park and yet the home team would prefer to play them elsewhere in the county. 

It’s one of the unusual outcomes from a fascinating draw that poses more questions than answers. Here are three of the burning ones:

Why did Armagh agree to a six-day turnaround?

The early word on Monday was Kerry v Armagh could be the Sunday game and possibly shown live on RTÉ. 

As the morning developed, it became clear Armagh simply couldn’t make the lunch-time throw-in work for them. 

Because of RTÉ’s commitment to the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final in Thurles and World Cup coverage, the television slot couldn’t be changed. 

Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel in Adare is a favourite meeting point for Limerick's teams as well as Kerry before they travel north for matches. It’s also popular for teams staying overnight before facing the likes of Cork and Kerry. 

The 1.15pm start would have meant having to leave the hotel several hours earlier than usual to arrive in Killarney well in advance of the game. Even with Gardaí outriders, getting through the traffic of Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale before Killarney would have been difficult. 

Therefore, they surrendered the extra day’s rest and like Mayo face the six-day turnaround. 

For a team that already has injury concerns over Blaine Hughes (quad) and Jarly Óg Burns (hand), the tighter preparation time will be tough. Not that Kieran McGeeney will make excuses but part of one of those six days will also be lost to travelling to the game.

Why did Dublin agree to play Donegal in Croke Park?

A question that doesn’t read quite right, does it? Ever since the spring series of 2011, Croke Park has been the home of Dublin senior football. 

The success under Jim Gavin was considered indelibly linked to the familiarity with the stadium. Understandably, Ger Brennan’s request for the game to be played in Parnell Park raised plenty of eyebrows this week and in some places guffaws. 

In 2019, Donegal attempted to deny Dublin the opportunity to use GAA HQ as a home venue in the Super 8s where the second round were played in Croke Park because it was deemed neutral. 

Then Dublin chief executive John Costello described it as “divisive and mean-spirited” and it only received 36% support. 

When they were drawn in a 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final, Cork proposed to Dublin the idea of a home-away agreement and Dublin responded that their home ground was Parnell Park. 

Now the wheel has turned 180 but the county board executive felt they simply couldn’t put out their supporters seeking to get to the game on Sunday. 

Brennan will be accused in some quarters of having a small team mentality but with so players still earning their spurs and confidence levels not where they should be he felt the back-to-basics approach was best.

Will Armagh fans outnumber Kerry’s in Fitzgerald Stadium?

Reacting to Monday’s draw, Kerry journalist Andrew Moynihan posted on X a video clip of the famous Oranje Dutch supporters jumping in unison with the caption: “Killarney by 12pm on Saturday”. 

All laughs aside, Armagh are going to travel in their thousands for this game. Trains from Heuston Station were booked out quickly on Monday. The Orchard County’s season ticket system is oversubscribed. 

The quarter-final double-bill, which they headed last year, drew a crowd of over 70,000, 9,000 more than the Tyrone-Dublin-led games the day before. 

The 2023 semi-final was watched by 55,548 people and primarily made up by Armagh folk, much to the chagrin of Jack O’Connor. 

“I thought the crowd was a factor in the game. No question about it. It just lifted Armagh.” 

David Clifford last year successfully pleaded with fans to turn out in Croke Park and this year’s captain Paul Geaney did something similar last month. 

If Kerry thought the crowd Donegal brought to the Round 1 game last month was sizeable, they will be even more impressed on Saturday.