GAA decide to change times but not venue

The GAA have defended their decision to stage the two higher-profile AllIreland hurling quarter-finals in Thurles on Saturday week.

Despite concerns about Semple Stadium's capacity of 53,000 being unable to cope with the anticipated support for Cork against Limerick and Kilkenny against Galway, the GAA won't be considering any change of venue, though they did bring forward the throw-in times yesterday, to 4.15pm (Cork v Limerick) and 6pm.

The other two quarter-finals - involving Clare against Wexford and Tipperary against Waterford - will also be staying put, in Croke Park on Sunday week.

Among the concerns expressed in the aftermath of Monday's fixture details was that the Kilkenny-Galway game should have gone to Croke Park, though the GAA have dismissed the idea they were belittling the fixture by playing it in Thurles and also denied Croke Park wasn't considered because of the Billy Joel concert in the stadium the following Saturday.

While the Thurles double-header looks certain to be a sell-out, the GAA's Central Competitions Committee (CCC, formerly the Games Administration Committee) still didn't feel the game had to go to Croke Park.

Interestingly, the CCC chairman Jimmy Dunne wasn't able to attend Monday's meeting when the fixtures were decided, nor was the CCC secretary Seán Ó Laoire.

Also on the committee are the four provincial secretaries - and according to John Prenty of Connacht, none of the concerns expressed yesterday would persuade them to revisit the matter.

"Our job is to fix the games and it's the counties' job to play them," said Prenty. "It just wasn't reasonable to play the four games in the one day, so that decision is made now and it's not possible to revisit it."

The GAA's information officer, Fergal McGill, was equally supportive of the decision to stage the two games in Thurles.

"The reality is that not one hurling quarter-final in the last 10 years drew an attendance greater than the capacity of Semple Stadium," he said.

"Just look at last year, when two of the big quarter-finals, involving Tipperary against Galway and Kilkenny against Limerick, were played on the same day in Croke Park. That double-bill drew 44,000. If you take out the 12,000 corporate tickets then you're talking about a lot less than 10,000 per county.

"But we've had an electronic ticketing system in place for the past few years and can tell more or less at the touch of a button what each county is expected to bring for a game like this based on recent years.

"That was taken into account for the four counties playing here, as well as the estimates of the four county secretaries. So, while we could have gone for Croke Park, there was no reason to rule out Thurles based on all the estimates we got."

The GAA also issued more detailed ticket information yesterday; tickets for the double bill in Thurles (Cork against Limerick and Kilkenny against Galway) will be available from the participating counties later in the week.

Tickets for the Croke Park double bill on Sunday, July 23rd, will also be available from the participating counties later this week, and also over the phone from the GAA tickets office (01-8658657), from the GAA website (www.gaa.ie), and from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.

Prices in both instances are adult stand €35, adult terrace €20, and juvenile stand €5. There are concessions for students and senior citizens on the production of ID.

In the meantime, Cork hurling manager John Allen added his voice to the concerns expressed about the double bill in Thurles.

"We expressed an interest in it being played in Croke Park simply because it is probably the one match of the year when parents can take their kids without the hassle of queuing up for tickets," he said.

"I know Croke Park is a bit of a journey for some people, but at the same time many people will not be able to go to Thurles because they won't be able to get tickets. Certainly for parents, the quarter-final should be the one match they can attend without a worry.

"Many juvenile clubs would bring their kids but that is probably blown out of the water now. I don't see why they couldn't have played the match on the Saturday in Croke Park to facilitate the many people who will not now get to the game."

It was also announced that Saturday's All-Ireland football qualifier between Laois and Meath in Navan will be all-ticket, the tickets available from the participating counties.

Admission to all other games in the football qualifiers this weekend will be by cash - with the Fermanagh-Wexford game brought forward to 5.30pm, and the Longford-Derry game to 5pm.

Finally, the GAA also confirmed that Wexford footballer Matty Forde has been called before the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) over the alleged stamping on Offaly's Shane Sullivan in the Leinster football semi-final last Sunday week.

Forde was yesterday given notice of his entitlement to a disciplinary hearing before they decide on any potential punishment, which may happen as early as this evening, but definitely before Wexford play Fermanagh on Saturday.