Minister of State for Sport Michael Ring had criticised the GAA's decision to fix Mayo's All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay with Kerry for the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday.

The Mayo TD feels GAA chiefs gave little consideration to Mayo supporters when they decided to bring the replay to Limerick. With Croke Park pre-booked to host an American football college match between University of Central Florida and Penn University on Saturday, the Minister believes the replay should have been put back to Saturday week when Croker would be available again (that's assuming there isn't a replay required in the Dublin-Donegal semi-final).

"I don't think it's right bringing our supporters down there. We have three bottle necks on the way to Limerick. We have Tuam, Claregalway and Clarinbridge," Mr Ring said at the proposed merger of the National Sports Campus Development Authority and the Irish Sports Council into one statutory body called Sport Ireland yesterday.

"We had an All-Ireland semi-final there many, many years ago and people going to the match actually didn't get to the match simply because of the fact that such a big crowd were going to it. It took an hour for people to get one mile on the road.

"It is not a suitable venue for Mayo. It is not a venue that they know. Personally I think All Ireland semi-finals should be played in Croke Park."

He added: "I would have preferred it to be Croke Park. I would say and I'm not afraid to say it, the core business of the GAA is the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the finals and those games should be played in Croke Park."

Minister Ring insisted that he isn't in a position to influence GAA decision-making.

"I have no influence at all," he stressed.

"That's a matter for the GAA, how they do their business. They run their business. I run my business. I'm the Minister for Sport but I don't have any responsibility for the overall running of the GAA."

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