National Forum

GAA Venue Selection

(Oldest Posts First)


WEEKEND GAA FIXTURES

SATURDAY JULY 6

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Round 4)

Semple Stadium, Thurles: Cork v Laois, throw-in 5.0pm

St Tiernach's Park, Clones: Cavan v Tyrone, 5.0pm (live on Sky Sports)

*Double header with the Ulster U20 Football Semi-Final between Cavan v Tyrone, 2.45

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick: Galway v Mayo Maigh, 7.0pm (live on Sky Sports)

Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (quarter-final)

Semple Stadium, Thurles: Kilkenny v Clare, 3.0pm

SUNDAY JULY 7

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Round 4)

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise: Meath v Clare, 2.0pm (live on RTE)

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (preliminary quarter-finals)

TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar: Westmeath v Cork, 3.0pm

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise: Laois v Dublin, 4.15pm


Looking at the above you'd have to wonder what goes on in these fixtures committee meetings. When the blatantly obvious stares them in the face, they still can't get it right. They only seem interested in making sure that everyone has a seat and to hell with creating an atmosphere to enhance the experience.

Dragging Mayo and Galway to Limerick to play in a half empty stadium when the Hyde would be packed to the rafters.

Having Cork footballers (and their minibus of fans) v Laois in an empty Thurles on Saturday while Cork Hurlers are in a half full mullingar on Sunday. If Westmeath have to have home advantage then have the double header there and fill the place.

Failing the above, why not have Meath v Clare, Kilkenny vC Clare and Cork V Laois in Thurles to make some attempt to fill the place.

This obsession with choosing stadiums with enough seating to hold all the season ticket holders while the rest of the stadium is empty does nothing to promote the idea that "nothing beats being there".
Playing matches in half empty stadiums where you can here the players shouting at each other is a disaster and takes away from the spectacle and does nothing for games promotion.

Better off having packed stadia where not everyone can get in than half empty stadiums where you can swing a cat between supporters

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 02/07/2019 03:52:39    2204088

Link

Meath vs Laois next Tuesday in the u20 semi final. Couldn't they have put that on in portlaoise at 12 before meath footballers and laois hurlers both playing?

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 03/07/2019 00:02:46    2204704

Link

Interesting the issues now a days over venues, I was looking back at National Hurling & Football league results there from early 1980's...some very interesting venues and names of grounds..worth a look sometime..

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 04/07/2019 15:46:49    2205494

Link

Replying To Fairplayalways:  "Interesting the issues now a days over venues, I was looking back at National Hurling & Football league results there from early 1980's...some very interesting venues and names of grounds..worth a look sometime.."
Tipp And Cork played a Munster hurling final in Killarney back around 88/89 that was probably a strange one.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 04/07/2019 16:26:46    2205506

Link

Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Tipp And Cork played a Munster hurling final in Killarney back around 88/89 that was probably a strange one."
It was 1987 as it happens. A replay. It went to extra time and Tipp won by scoring three goals in extra time. They should have won in normal time anyway as Pat Fox had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed because he hit so fast that it rebounded from the back post out that nobody at the time moved or saw it go in..any I digress. Clare played Tipp down there that year in the semi finals (draw and replay) and Cork played Clare there in 1986 Munster final too.

Cork played Clare in the last two Munster hurling finals (before this year). Killarney would have been a great venue for them I think. be some atmosphere. I can't see an atmosphere returning there for a big match any time soon (unless the Dubs visit next year in the Super 8 - which they won't as ye will both be provincial champions).

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 04/07/2019 18:18:39    2205560

Link

dragging Cavan and Kerry to New York for an All-Ireland final in 1947 was the strangest of all though.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 04/07/2019 18:51:42    2205573

Link

Some of the games were played in places like, Portarlington, Ballinascreen (Derry) and some venue in Monaghan with a double barrel name, Clones was used also I might add...Duggan park in Ballinasloe for the hurling...Ime only mentioning the ones that spring to mind..yeah Killarney for the Munster Hurling Final in 1987 I think it was..and what a game that was....

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 04/07/2019 18:56:06    2205575

Link

Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Tipp And Cork played a Munster hurling final in Killarney back around 88/89 that was probably a strange one."
They played a qualifier game there too in 2004, playing us and clare in pairc ui caoimh last year is up there as 1 of the bad calls of recent times...anything to keep frank happy I suppose .

It got 10k and limerick and kk in thurles the following day drew 18k

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 04/07/2019 20:10:58    2205601

Link

Replying To bennybunny:  "It was 1987 as it happens. A replay. It went to extra time and Tipp won by scoring three goals in extra time. They should have won in normal time anyway as Pat Fox had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed because he hit so fast that it rebounded from the back post out that nobody at the time moved or saw it go in..any I digress. Clare played Tipp down there that year in the semi finals (draw and replay) and Cork played Clare there in 1986 Munster final too.

Cork played Clare in the last two Munster hurling finals (before this year). Killarney would have been a great venue for them I think. be some atmosphere. I can't see an atmosphere returning there for a big match any time soon (unless the Dubs visit next year in the Super 8 - which they won't as ye will both be provincial champions)."
Kerry will be at home to the winners of Galway and Mayo the day before the horse racing festival starts.

Should get a decent crowd for that. Bigger crowd if it's Mayo

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 04/07/2019 20:43:21    2205609

Link

Replying To s goldrick:  "dragging Cavan and Kerry to New York for an All-Ireland final in 1947 was the strangest of all though."
No more stranger than dragging Clare and Wexford to Páirc Uí Chaoimh last year for an All-Ireland quarter-final (Attendance: 10,255).

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2474 - 04/07/2019 20:57:06    2205623

Link

I doubt Frank was too happy when 10k turned up to his Pairc!
Clare and Wexford fans told them where to go, but fair play to Ned Quinn and the CCC for playing KK in Thurles the day after, keep it handy for your own!!

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1733 - 05/07/2019 08:36:38    2205743

Link

Replying To s goldrick:  "dragging Cavan and Kerry to New York for an All-Ireland final in 1947 was the strangest of all though."
Well there was a motive for that at the time was there not - to do with declining numbers of immigrants to the US following the war and the effect it was having on the GAA scene over there with the GAA Officials in the states realising it needed a boost again. Albeit it being decided upon on receipt of a heartfelt letter from an emigrant which it was later found was a forgery.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 05/07/2019 11:54:25    2205848

Link

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "WEEKEND GAA FIXTURES

SATURDAY JULY 6

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Round 4)

Semple Stadium, Thurles: Cork v Laois, throw-in 5.0pm

St Tiernach's Park, Clones: Cavan v Tyrone, 5.0pm (live on Sky Sports)

*Double header with the Ulster U20 Football Semi-Final between Cavan v Tyrone, 2.45

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick: Galway v Mayo Maigh, 7.0pm (live on Sky Sports)

Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (quarter-final)

Semple Stadium, Thurles: Kilkenny v Clare, 3.0pm

SUNDAY JULY 7

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Round 4)

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise: Meath v Clare, 2.0pm (live on RTE)

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (preliminary quarter-finals)

TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar: Westmeath v Cork, 3.0pm

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise: Laois v Dublin, 4.15pm


Looking at the above you'd have to wonder what goes on in these fixtures committee meetings. When the blatantly obvious stares them in the face, they still can't get it right. They only seem interested in making sure that everyone has a seat and to hell with creating an atmosphere to enhance the experience.

Dragging Mayo and Galway to Limerick to play in a half empty stadium when the Hyde would be packed to the rafters.

Having Cork footballers (and their minibus of fans) v Laois in an empty Thurles on Saturday while Cork Hurlers are in a half full mullingar on Sunday. If Westmeath have to have home advantage then have the double header there and fill the place.

Failing the above, why not have Meath v Clare, Kilkenny vC Clare and Cork V Laois in Thurles to make some attempt to fill the place.

This obsession with choosing stadiums with enough seating to hold all the season ticket holders while the rest of the stadium is empty does nothing to promote the idea that "nothing beats being there".
Playing matches in half empty stadiums where you can here the players shouting at each other is a disaster and takes away from the spectacle and does nothing for games promotion.

Better off having packed stadia where not everyone can get in than half empty stadiums where you can swing a cat between supporters"
To be fair, the journey to Limerick is not drastically much further for large portions of Mayo than Dr Hyde, and is probably more convenient for much of Galway, albeit I accept much of this is Hurling country. Take Corofin for example, no real difference between Limerick and Dr Hyde in terms of travelling time.
Limerick is a larger ground and you'd think more appropriate for a match of this importance with the added spice of local rivalry.
I think many of your points are well made though and perhaps more effort to promote double headers would've been a good idea.

BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 311 - 05/07/2019 12:24:06    2205870

Link

Replying To BaldyBadger:  "To be fair, the journey to Limerick is not drastically much further for large portions of Mayo than Dr Hyde, and is probably more convenient for much of Galway, albeit I accept much of this is Hurling country. Take Corofin for example, no real difference between Limerick and Dr Hyde in terms of travelling time.
Limerick is a larger ground and you'd think more appropriate for a match of this importance with the added spice of local rivalry.
I think many of your points are well made though and perhaps more effort to promote double headers would've been a good idea."
Only thing I would add though is part of the Galway football territory is NW Connemara a nice distance from Limerick similar to the distance for North Mayo fans. South and East Galway as we know is largely if not all hurling so support from those GAA heartlands will be minimal no matter where the match is. At this stage the venue debate has moved on and the biggest losers are the traders in Roscommon town unfortunately.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 05/07/2019 13:11:42    2205891

Link

Talking to a few lads from Belmullet area in north west Mayo, they left last night heading Limerick, said it would be quicker to get to New York than Limerick, haven't a clue where the GAA or co boards are measuring distances to and from venues, must be the distance from the county grounds to another venue outside the county, it takes nearly 3 hours from Cliften to Limerick, around the same with Ballina to Limerick, how is that suppose to be nearer than the Hyde. Dr Hyde Park could hold the crowd just like Newbridge last year, if you couldn't get a ticket, tough. We have 83k tickets for the hurling and football All Ireland Finals, if the GAA are following their idea then Croke Park isn't big enough for the crowd so will they switch the 2 finals to the Nou Camp in Barcelona which holds nearly 100,000 people, of course not, Galway v Mayo should be in Dr Hyde Park

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 06/07/2019 14:01:31    2206240

Link

Do those lads have a jet in their back yard?

m_the_d (None) - Posts: 1099 - 06/07/2019 15:19:38    2206261

Link

If true I can see Mayo's reasoning for refusing the toss. Watching the game made me realise they may have wanted a bigger pitch and were confident Mayo fans would outnumber Galway 2 to 1 which was the case. Not a good record in Castlebar and why risk Sathill, also knowing it wouldn't be in the hyde I think the Mayo board were positioning to have it in Limerick. I think it worked out for them, cute up there in Mayo.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 06/07/2019 21:04:14    2206483

Link

Replying To riverboys:  "Talking to a few lads from Belmullet area in north west Mayo, they left last night heading Limerick, said it would be quicker to get to New York than Limerick, haven't a clue where the GAA or co boards are measuring distances to and from venues, must be the distance from the county grounds to another venue outside the county, it takes nearly 3 hours from Cliften to Limerick, around the same with Ballina to Limerick, how is that suppose to be nearer than the Hyde. Dr Hyde Park could hold the crowd just like Newbridge last year, if you couldn't get a ticket, tough. We have 83k tickets for the hurling and football All Ireland Finals, if the GAA are following their idea then Croke Park isn't big enough for the crowd so will they switch the 2 finals to the Nou Camp in Barcelona which holds nearly 100,000 people, of course not, Galway v Mayo should be in Dr Hyde Park"
Satnav says there is 5 min difference from Clifden to either Dr Hyde or Garlic Grounds. Fair enough satnav not totally reliable but can't be that far out.
Ballina and north Mayo is different. Probably an extra hour to Limerick. You have a point, but it's nowhere near as bad as you are making out.

BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 311 - 06/07/2019 21:51:00    2206544

Link

Replying To BaldyBadger:  "Satnav says there is 5 min difference from Clifden to either Dr Hyde or Garlic Grounds. Fair enough satnav not totally reliable but can't be that far out.
Ballina and north Mayo is different. Probably an extra hour to Limerick. You have a point, but it's nowhere near as bad as you are making out."
Sure why let simple facts get in the way of a good whinge!

m_the_d (None) - Posts: 1099 - 06/07/2019 22:51:42    2206607

Link

Attendance at the Gaelic Grounds 19,000, capacity at Hyde Park 19,000, another GAA clanger.

moc.dna (Galway) - Posts: 1212 - 07/07/2019 01:23:18    2206729

Link