Louth-Meath game switched to Breffni Park

GAELIC GAMES:THE GAA have addressed the issue of Louth not being able to stage a home qualifier, due to health and safety issues at their Drogheda ground restricting capacity to 4,000, by switching the fixture to Kingspan Breffni Park in Cavan.

The venue will now provide a double-header on Saturday, June 25th, with Cavan playing Longford at 5pm in their first round tie while the repeat of last year’s highly controversial Leinster final between Louth and Meath will throw-in at 7pm.

Louth were removed from the Leinster championship in dramatic circumstances by Carlow last Sunday.

They initially seemed agreeable to Parnell Park’s 13,500 capacity stadium in Dublin, but the ground is unavailable that weekend.

Croke Park stages the Leinster football semi-finals – Dublin versus Kildare and Carlow against Wexford – on Sunday, June 26th.

Breffni Park holds 32,000, 6,000 seating, so it should be able to cater for these two local derbies.

RTÉ have confirmed they will televise the Louth versus Meath match which is sure to draw plenty of attention due to the manner in which the widely disputed Joe Sheridan goal settled last year’s provincial final.

Louth are keen to ensure their inability to stage matches is addressed this month when the county officers and delegates meet to decide which of three options will be adopted as an area to develop a respectable intercounty home ground.

The options are to redevelop the grounds in Drogheda, build a stadium at Dundalk Institute of Technology (which would be shared with other sports), or sacrifice a few of their six pitches out in their Gaelic games centre of excellence in Darver.

Regardless, the funding of one of these projects appears like a more serious dilemma.

“It is the top priority of the county board at present,” said Louth press officer Ronan Lynch.

“We look on with envy at the fine grounds of our rivals, so it is something we aspire to.”

Lynch tentatively put a development period at three years, but more will be revealed after the next county board meeting in July.

Elsewhere on June 25th, last year’s defeated All-Ireland finalists Down set off on yet another likely qualifier odyssey against Clare in Ennis.

Laois will be looking to recover from their heavy defeat to Dublin in O’Moore Park against Tipperary; Antrim welcome Westmeath to Casement Park; Fermanagh must go to Ruislip for a 1.30pm start against London; Sligo are down in Aughrim, Wicklow, at 7pm, and Offaly face Monaghan, also at 7pm, in Tullamore.

Dublins first-choice corner back Philly McMahon has been ruled out of Sunday weeks Leinster football semi-final against Kildare after it was discovered he sustained medial ligament damage to his right knee against Laois on June 5th. Ross OCarroll is another not being considered for selection due to injury, leaving Paul Brogan or Paul Conlon as the options to come in, while Kevin Nolan may be switched from wing back.

Galway’s championship preparations have also taken a major blow with forward Sean Armstrong set to miss the Connacht semi-final against Mayo after tearing his hamstring on Sunday.

All ties to be played Saturday, June 25th

CLARE v DOWN

Ennis, 3.0pm

LAOIS v TIPPERARY

O’Moore Park, 5.0/7.0pm

ANTRIM v WESTMEATH

Casement Park, 2.0pm

LOUTH v MEATH

Breffni Park, 7.0pm

LONDON v FERMANAGH

Ruislip, 1.30pm

CAVAN v LONGFORD

Breffni Park, 5.0pm

WICKLOW v SLIGO

Aughrim, 7.0pm

OFFALY v MONAGHAN

Tullamore, 7.0pm