Under-21 final switched to Bank Holiday

GAELIC GAMES NEWS: THE CADBURY All-Ireland Under-21 football final has been switched to the May bank holiday Monday – although not, as suggested, to avoid a conflict with a certain rugby match being played in Dublin on the same weekend.

Although neither the finalists nor the venue are yet known, the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) switched the game from its allocated date of Saturday May 2nd to the bank holiday Monday, May 4th, in order to maximise the GAA’s exposure over that weekend.

The National Hurling League finals are also down for decision that weekend – starting with the Division Three and Division Four finals on the Saturday, and the Division One and Two finals on the Sunday. As a result, the CCCC felt the Under-21 final would be better served on the Monday, particularly as it was also a bank holiday in the northern counties.

“There was a general discussion on this in the context of what we had on over the weekend,” explained CCCC chairman Jimmy Dunne. “We had three days to play with, and the chance to give all three to Gaelic games, and we that’s what we ran with.

“As far as I’m aware, all these games will now be televised over the weekend, the Saturday, Sunday and Monday. That makes for great coverage and that was part of the thinking behind it as well.

“Also, this is the only weekend in the year when the northern counties have the same bank holiday as the south. That presented the opportunity as well, in that if a northern team come out of the semi-final, it made no difference. Normally on bank holidays we couldn’t run it, because the northern counties don’t have the bank holiday on the same day.”

The Heineken Cup semi-final, involving Munster against Leinster, is set for Croke Park on Saturday May 2nd, although Dunne claimed that wasn’t the overriding factor in moving the Under-21 final.

“We did take the Heineken Cup semi-final into consideration as well, but it wasn’t purely because of that. We had games down for the Saturday, and the hurling league finals on the Sunday as well, so it made sense to put the Under-21 final on the Monday. We now have a full weekend of GAA finals action.”

The Ulster Under-21 final between Armagh and Down takes place in Casement Park this evening, with an 8pm throw-in. Extra-time will be played if necessary, although neither team will want that as the winners are out again in their All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday, when they’ll take on Mayo in Pearse Park in Longford, with a 5pm start.

The other semi-final involving Dublin against Cork takes place in Thurles, also on Saturday, with a 3.30pm start.