GAA may move 2027 lower-tier hurling finals to ease logjam

Laois players celebrate after the Joe McDonagh Cup final match between Carlow and Laois. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The GAA may move lower-tier inter-county hurling championship finals next year to ease the logjam of games in April and May.

As Central Council will give further consideration next month to extend the span of the Joe McDonagh Cup by a month to early July in 2027, the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) could move a number of hurling deciders.

The Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup finals are currently pencilled in for May 29/30, which is the same weekend the U20 final is organised to be played.

After two successive promotions, New York are incorporated into next year’s Christy Ring Cup with a semi-final date against the second-placed team in the group stages arranged for May 22/23. However, that could be their opponents’ sixth game in seven weekends.

If the McDonagh Cup is retained in its current slot, it will conclude on the same day as the Leinster final, June 6. However, the second and third-placed teams next year face off in a semi-final. 

That would mean they will have to play six out of seven weekends including the final.

The concern around the concentration of lower-tier hurling championship fixtures in April and May from promotional and player welfare points of view were raised at Central Council in Croke Park last Saturday.

As things stand, the McDonagh, Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups all take 49 days to be completed. Football’s second tier Tailteann Cup, which starts in May, is 64 days in duration.

Moving the hurling finals to June 5/6 weekend has been suggested but they would then clash with the Leinster and Munster finals and possibly the McDonagh Cup showdown as well.

Retaining the status quo in the McDonagh Cup schedule would confirm that for the second year in a row there will be just five inter-county hurling games following the June Bank Holiday weekend – the All-Ireland quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals. 

In contrast, 26 Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup matches are set to take place after that weekend.

Some Leinster counties including Carlow are against the McDonagh Cup final switching from early June to on one of the All-Ireland semi-final days as they would have to alter their club championship to accommodate for a final appearance. 

If rearranged, the McDonagh Cup semi-final will be played on All-Ireland quarter-final weekend on June 19/20.

This past season, 22 of the 35 teams in the hurling championships concluded their hurling by late May compared to just eight of the 33 in the football competitions.

Key 2027 provisional hurling dates:

All-Ireland SHC final: July 18.

All-Ireland semi-finals: July 3/4.

All-Ireland quarter-finals: June 19/20.

Munster and Leinster finals: June 5 (Munster), June 6 (Leinster).

Start of Munster and Leinster championships: April 17/18.

National Hurling League: Round 1 (January 23/24); Round 2 (January 30/31); Round 3 (February 6/7); Round 4 (February 20/21); Round 5 (February 27/28); Round 6 (March 6/7); Round 7 (March 20/21). Finals: Division 1A and 1B (April 3/4); Division 2, 3 and 4 (March 27/28).

Key 2027 provisional football dates:

All-Ireland final: July 25.

All-Ireland semi-finals and Tailteann Cup final (Saturday): July 10/11.

All-Ireland quarter-finals: June 26/27.

All-Ireland Round 3 and Tailteann Cup semi-finals: June 19/20.

Leinster and Ulster finals: May 15/16.

Munster and Connacht finals: May 8/9.

Start of provincial championships: April 10/11 National Football League: Round 1 (January 23/24); Round 2 (January 30/31); Round 3 (February 13/14); Round 4 (February 20/21); Round 5 (February 27/28); Round 6 (March 13/14); March 7 (March 20/21); Finals (March 27/28).