New date for 2005 All-Ireland final

The All-Ireland football final of 2005 will be moved forward a week in order to avoid a clash with golf's Ryder Cup - also scheduled to take place at the K-Club in Kildare over the same September date.

An agreement has been reached between the GAA, the European Ryder Cup and Bord Failte whereby the traditional date for the football final - the fourth Sunday in September - will be rescheduled a week earlier to allow for the maximum spectator opportunity of both events.

Joe McDonagh, President of the GAA, acknowledged the significance of the Ryder Cup to Ireland and the operational problems that would inevitably ensue if it clashed with the All-Ireland football final.

"On this unique occasion, it is appropriate and in the national interest that the date of the football final be altered to facilitate the Ryder Cup," he said. "The Games Administration Committee would eventually take this decision into account in producing a master fixture plan for 2005."

European Ryder Cup director Richard Hills welcomed the agreement and also looked forward to further co-operation between the two bodies in the lead-up to September 2005. "I fully understand the complexity of the GAA fixture schedule and the difficulties associated with changing the traditional date of such a national institution," he said, "and I greatly appreciate the co-operation of the GAA in this matter."

Some 35,000 visitors are expected to attend the Ryder Cup over each of the three days from September 23rd to 25th, placing huge demands on Dublin hotels, Garda services and public transport. As a result, Bord Failte approached the GAA's Management Committee a fortnight ago to discuss the implications of both events going ahead on the same weekend.

There has been some previous alterations to the date of the All-Ireland finals. The GAA had experimented with earlier dates for both the hurling and football finals at the start of the decade but reverted to the traditional weekends in recent years. The 1988 football final replay between Meath and Cork was also delayed a week because of the clash with cycling's Milk Race.

Meanwhile, the GAA's Management Committee is expected to accept the Leinster Council's proposals for next summer's provincial hurling championship when they meet in Athlone tomorrow. The new format will see Kilkenny, Offaly and Wexford go directly into the semi-finals, with a round-robin competition deciding the fourth semi-final position. There will also be an open draw to decide which teams play in the semi-finals.

Laois and Dublin will automatically enter the round-robin series of games as well as the two finalists in the Keogh Cup competition next year. That involves the weaker counties in Leinster - Meath, Westmeath, Carlow, Wicklow, Kildare and Louth - and will be run on a knock-out basis. There had been some debate on whether Wexford should gain direct entry to the semi-finals and that was eventually supported in order to meet the Management Committee's requirements.

This format, which is similar to that in the Leinster football championship, is "precisely in the spirit of the Westmeath motion passed by Congress this year" according to a spokesperson for Croke Park. The rescheduled live draw for next year's All-Ireland championship will now go ahead this Sunday evening at the RTE studios in Donnybrook. The Management Committee will also hear the appeal of Clare's hurling goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald over the two-month ban received for his involvement in post-match incident at the Munster under-21 final with Tipperary last August. This suspension has ruled Fitzgerald out of contention for the AllStar award but two months is the minimum penalty for bringing the game into disrepute and that makes any decision reversal seem unlikely.

Elsewhere, Roscommon manager Gay Sheerin has made five changes in the side to face Cork at Hyde Park on Sunday from that which fell to Galway in the first round of the National Football League a fortnight ago. A number of the Roscommon Gaels players, including Fergal O'Donnell, are unavailable due to the Connacht club final on Sunday week and further changes has Brendan Bourke coming in for Clifford McDonald at centre back and Ronan Owens starting at corner back for Enon Gavin.

Martin Cahill of St Brigid's will make his debut for Dublin at right corner back when they host Armagh at Parnell Park. He comes in for the injured Declan Conlon and there is also vacancy in the half-forward line as Dublin await a late fitness test on Declan Darcy.

Meath face another selection dilemma ahead of their meeting with Sligo at Markievicz Park with Cormac Murphy, Darren Fay, Hank Traynor, Enda McManus, David Nestor and Evan Kelly all doubtful because of injury. Manager Sean Boylan will be lucky to have half his All-Ireland winning side available as John McDermott, Trevor Giles and Richie Kealy are also involved with Skryne and Dunshaughlin in next weekend's Meath county final.

ROSCOMMON (SF v Cork): D Thompson; D Gavin, J White, R Owens; D Donlon, B Burke, B Mannion; J Gilhooly, D Casserly; C Connelly, D Duggan, S Casey; N Dineen, S Lohan, F Dolan. Subs: E Daly, B Butler, D Allen, E Lohan, G Lohan, G Cox.

DUBLIN (SF v Armagh): D Byrne; M Cahill, P Christie, T Lynch; P Curran, P Andrews, S Ryan; C Whelan, J Magee; J Gavin, C Moran, AN Other; D Farrell, E Sheehy, M O'Keeffe.

ARMAGH (SF v Dublin): B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, M McNeill; C Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann; P McGrane, J McNulty; P McGeever, C O'Rourke, M McGrory; J Byrne, D Mackin, S McDonnell.

Joe McDonagh, President of the GAA, acknowledged the importance of the Ryder Cup to Ireland.