HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

National Forum

Late County Finals - Split Season

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post

You need to Login to Post

Replying To legendzxix: "Club championships from August to January have a lot on the line. A very active part of the split season. Inter county then has leagues in February and March which aren't so intense. The football provincial championships in April and early May then aren't much better. The top teams are usually already qualified for the championship. Whether the motion at the end of February to extend the inter county season by two weeks is really needed is debatable. If the football finals are played in the second weekend of August, it means the football semi finals will be a week later in July. Arguably the national leagues should start a week later in line with that. Mid August to end of December could be for county and provincial club championships. 4 weekends in January then for the All Ireland club championships. Either way, the club season should not be squeezed out." Given Jan weather, should that month be reserved for 'warm up, friendly' pre-season games only (pre-season competitions scrapped) - and maybe, have a 6-round league Feb-Mar? omahant (USA) - Posts: 3376 - 11/02/2026 14:39:44 2655940 Link
Replying To omahant: "Given Jan weather, should that month be reserved for 'warm up, friendly' pre-season games only (pre-season competitions scrapped) - and maybe, have a 6-round league Feb-Mar?" You can't have a 6 round league. It still takes 7 rounds to play a 7 team Division. The Leagues are absolutely fine thanks. Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 410 - 11/02/2026 16:43:45 2655954 Link
Replying To omahant: "Given Jan weather, should that month be reserved for 'warm up, friendly' pre-season games only (pre-season competitions scrapped) - and maybe, have a 6-round league Feb-Mar?" I think pre-season competitions scrapped is tied in with having the football final on the second weekend of August. Your still going to have pre-season challenge games anyway. If the football semi finals are a week later than current and all rounds prior to that are also one week later, the current league schedule can start a week later and finish a week later. Depends where that extra week is prioritised. Would seem wrong to squeeze out the club season by two weeks to extend the national league season. Any negative change like that should be met with strong push back by clubs. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9520 - 13/02/2026 00:11:39 2656153 Link
Kerry GAA will vote against a proposal to move the All-Ireland football final back a fortnight to the second Sunday in August, unless they get assurances that there will still be a 16-week window thereafter to complete their club and county championships. Cork will vote against the proposed two-week extension after their club delegates voted against the proposed change. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9520 - 18/02/2026 10:41:57 2657093 Link
I beiieve this is the thin end of the wedge. Ultimately Croke Park want all competitions, club and county completed in the same calendar year. That would really shorten the club championship window if the AIF's are moved out by 2 weeks. Would counties be prepared to complete their club championhsips from mid August to mid October (approx 8 weeks). I beleive that would have a massive negative impact across the board. Thats what is coming down the track!!! Brendanj (Westmeath) - Posts: 72 - 18/02/2026 12:07:37 2657108 Link
moving the all ireland back two weeks only works if the county champs of All ireland finalist are allowed enter club championships at provincial finals stage - no ones voting for that tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1709 - 18/02/2026 12:55:51 2657119 Link
Replying To Brendanj: "I beiieve this is the thin end of the wedge. Ultimately Croke Park want all competitions, club and county completed in the same calendar year. That would really shorten the club championship window if the AIF's are moved out by 2 weeks. Would counties be prepared to complete their club championhsips from mid August to mid October (approx 8 weeks). I beleive that would have a massive negative impact across the board. Thats what is coming down the track!!!" My understanding is that completing all in the calendar year is no longer on the agenda. The All Ireland club finals in January are very unlikely to move. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9520 - 18/02/2026 13:50:14 2657131 Link
HQ fronted by Tom Ryan are the main ones pushing for this and what HQ wants they usually end up getting Congress convinced to vote on what they want. However I can't see it getting the required vote at the upcoming vote so they'll have to do more convincing and reach a compromise before next year's Congress. Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3865 - 18/02/2026 14:04:26 2657135 Link
Replying To Brendanj: "I beiieve this is the thin end of the wedge. Ultimately Croke Park want all competitions, club and county completed in the same calendar year. That would really shorten the club championship window if the AIF's are moved out by 2 weeks. Would counties be prepared to complete their club championhsips from mid August to mid October (approx 8 weeks). I beleive that would have a massive negative impact across the board. Thats what is coming down the track!!!" Would be nice if all competitions could be completed in the calendar year. Present situation is a decent compromise as only a few clubs have to play in January, are delighted to have to of course. Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 410 - 18/02/2026 14:04:40 2657136 Link
Replying To Gaa_lover: "HQ fronted by Tom Ryan are the main ones pushing for this and what HQ wants they usually end up getting Congress convinced to vote on what they want. However I can't see it getting the required vote at the upcoming vote so they'll have to do more convincing and reach a compromise before next year's Congress." I think you're hitting the nail on the head. Of the proposed two week extension - it seems one week might used for the league and the other week having a weekend off between the All Ireland finals. Extending the national league timeframe should not be a reason to cut the club season. The clubs season has championships from August to January. Seems wrong to squeeze that for the national leagues. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9520 - 18/02/2026 14:14:26 2657139 Link
An article was suggesting that football and hurling should be on alternate weekends to allow both to breathe. Previously there were complaints that there were too few games to training ratio. There will be a rest weekend after the league finals this year. The All Ireland football championship will be completed over six rounds. Might be time to let it be and get on with the game, including defeating the motion to extend the inter county season by two weeks. Leave the club season alone! legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9520 - 26/02/2026 07:58:51 2658672 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "An article was suggesting that football and hurling should be on alternate weekends to allow both to breathe. Previously there were complaints that there were too few games to training ratio. There will be a rest weekend after the league finals this year. The All Ireland football championship will be completed over six rounds. Might be time to let it be and get on with the game, including defeating the motion to extend the inter county season by two weeks. Leave the club season alone!" Yes absolutely Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18724 - 26/02/2026 10:54:05 2658692 Link
Football and Hurling a different sports with very different rules. The parts of Ireland where football is strong are different places to where hurling is strong. Why would anyone wants to modify calenders for football to accommodate hurling? Let each sport stand on its own two feet. Football was pour for 16 years (exluding 1-2 matches per year) so hurling was the skillful game. Now football has it act together - hurling is in the back seat - its up to the hurling aficionados to derive a game that is attractive to watch again. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1709 - 27/02/2026 16:52:00 2658929 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Football and Hurling a different sports with very different rules. The parts of Ireland where football is strong are different places to where hurling is strong. Why would anyone wants to modify calenders for football to accommodate hurling? Let each sport stand on its own two feet. Football was pour for 16 years (exluding 1-2 matches per year) so hurling was the skillful game. Now football has it act together - hurling is in the back seat - its up to the hurling aficionados to derive a game that is attractive to watch again." Hurling is still a fantastic game to watch. Football is definitely better than it was a couple years ago. 2 totally different sports. Both great games to go to. Who is proposing modifying any Football calendar to accommodate hurling? Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18724 - 27/02/2026 23:16:32 2658960 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "An article was suggesting that football and hurling should be on alternate weekends to allow both to breathe. Previously there were complaints that there were too few games to training ratio. There will be a rest weekend after the league finals this year. The All Ireland football championship will be completed over six rounds. Might be time to let it be and get on with the game, including defeating the motion to extend the inter county season by two weeks. Leave the club season alone!" we hear so much about the club's love the split season etc. Yet jarlath burns is on record as saying that the question he gets asked most is about the all Ireland being extended to later in the year. This while visiting the, eh ,clubs. Square that one!! richiepmurphy (Kilkenny) - Posts: 57 - 28/02/2026 05:22:57 2658969 Link
"Motion 14, that would see the inter-county season extended, heavily defeated at GAA Congress, withdrawn just ahead of expected heavy defeat" Motion 14 should have been given the unmerciful beating it deserved. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9520 - 28/02/2026 12:46:56 2659013 Link
Replying To richiepmurphy: "we hear so much about the club's love the split season etc. Yet jarlath burns is on record as saying that the question he gets asked most is about the all Ireland being extended to later in the year. This while visiting the, eh ,clubs. Square that one!!" Club players (not clubs) and county players are massively in favour of the split, over 80% in polls. Very early in his presidency Jarlath stated that one of his primary ambitions as president was to move the finals back to later so he must be talking to like minded officials when he visits the clubs, certainly not the players. sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1106 - 28/02/2026 13:44:27 2659031 Link
Replying To legendzxix: ""Motion 14, that would see the inter-county season extended, heavily defeated at GAA Congress, withdrawn just ahead of expected heavy defeat" Motion 14 should have been given the unmerciful beating it deserved." Well at least that's the end of that and hopefully the GAA journalists and pundits that talk about the July finals as if they are some sort of plague will now let the hare sit. sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1106 - 28/02/2026 14:11:14 2659042 Link
Replying To sligo joe: "Club players (not clubs) and county players are massively in favour of the split, over 80% in polls. Very early in his presidency Jarlath stated that one of his primary ambitions as president was to move the finals back to later so he must be talking to like minded officials when he visits the clubs, certainly not the players." He didn't specify. But clearly it was club followers ,and not just officials as you've tried to claim. richiepmurphy (Kilkenny) - Posts: 57 - 28/02/2026 15:19:29 2659055 Link
Replying To richiepmurphy: "He didn't specify. But clearly it was club followers ,and not just officials as you've tried to claim." Well Richie my main point is and was there is clearly an overwhelming majority of players in favour of the new schedule so no more than yourself I don't know specifically who Jarlath was talking to and maybe they were only telling him what he wanted to hear. Moving the finals back into August was a stated main project in the first weeks of his presidency so maybe he was trying to promote his case by saying it was what nearly everyone was saying to him or else he was only talking to the few that want the finals moved later. Reports from Congress indicate there was virtually no support for the motion except from Duffy's committee that put the motion forward. sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1106 - 28/02/2026 15:59:07 2659058 Link