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Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tipperary-Cork to commence 2026 Munster SHC round-robin
For the second season in a row, the 2026 Munster senior hurling championship is set to start with a repeat of the All-Ireland SHC final at the home of the Liam MacCarthy Cup holders. All-Ireland champions Tipperary are due to host Munster winners Cork in FBD Semple Stadium next year just as Clare and Cork clashed in Ennis last April, nine months following their Croke Park meeting. The sequencing of games has been locked in since 2022, so to avoid any county playing three games in as many weekends. Tipperary and Waterford's home and away games were bunched this year, and in 2026, Clare's first two matches will be in Páirc Chiosóg Zimmer-Biomet and Limerick's last couple of round-robin fixtures take place in TUS Gaelic Grounds. The second round of next season's championship sees a re-run of June's Munster final with Cork entertaining Limerick in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. As Cork did this year, Tipperary will have a three-week break between the second game against Waterford and facing Limerick in TUS Gaelic Grounds in the penultimate round of the provincial championship. With August All-Ireland finals in 2026 being ruled out by GAA president Jarlath Burns, the dates for next year's provincial hurling championships are expected to be broadly similar to 2025. The 2026 Munster final will take place on a Sunday. Meanwhile, a motion to sever the link between the Joe McDonagh Cup and Liam MacCarthy Cup in the same season is expected to be re-tabled by Central Council at October's Special Congress. At another Special Congress in late September 2023, a motion initially put forward by the Central Competitions Control Committee to do away with the link, which pits the McDonagh Cup finalists against the third-placed teams in Leinster and Munster in preliminary quarter-finals a week after the second-tier final. However, it received just shy of 50% support and required 60% backing. In the six years of the preliminary quarter-finals, McDonagh Cup sides have lost 11 out of 12 times with an average losing margin of 17.9 points. If the change is acceptable to delegates, the McDonagh Cup final could be staged as late as All-Ireland semi-finals weekends, similar to the conclusion of the Tailteann Cup in football. Provisional 2025 Munster SHC fixtures: Round 1: Tipperary v Cork; Clare v Waterford. Round 2: Cork v Limerick; Waterford v Tipperary. Round 3 (separate weekends): Clare v Limerick (first); Waterford v Cork (second). Round 4: Limerick v Waterford; Tipperary v Clare. Round 5: Cork v Clare; Limerick v Tipperary.
Irish Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jarlath Burns calls for change to hurling Championship structure ahead of final
GAA president Jarlath Burns is pushing for the removal of the All-Ireland hurling preliminary quarter-finals. It's a stage of the Championship where the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists are paired off against the third-placed teams in the Munster and Leinster Championship on a rotating basis, with opinions divided on the value of it. When the round robin provincial structure was adopted at Special Congress in 2017 for the 2018 season, the preliminary quarter-finals were introduced as a result of an amendment to the motion which saw the newly-created McDonagh Cup come into play, with second tier counties feeling that they should retain a link to the All-Ireland series. But with the McDonagh Cup winners and runners-up invariably required to play the weekend after the final of that competition, there have been a large number of lopsided games at that stage of the Championship. This year, McDonagh Cup winners Kildare lost to Dublin by 21 points, while Tipperary beat Laois by 23. The great outlier is Laois's win over Dublin in 2019, which directly impacted the decision to increase the Leinster Championship from five teams to six, while there are some other instances of Carlow and Westmeath being competitive at that stage of the Championship against Leinster opposition. But, writing in the match programme ahead of today's All-Ireland final, Burns suggested that the preliminary quarter-finals place an 'unfair burden' on the McDonagh finalists and advocates the second tier competition being drawn out more. 'As we look forward, we must also be reflective,' the Armagh man wrote. 'There is a necessary and timely conversation to be had about the structure of our senior hurling championship, specifically regarding the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists entering the All-Ireland series through a preliminary quarter-final. 'While the current system offers a pathway, it may also place an unfair burden on teams whose seasons have already been long and challenging. 'If we were to remove the preliminary quarter-final, we would open the door for a longer and more meaningful Joe McDonagh Cup competition – a competition that deserves to stand proudly on its own, with adequate time, coverage, and respect. 'These are discussions that must be held with fairness, vision, and the future in mind.' A motion to scrap the preliminary quarter-finals came before Special Congress in September 2023 but only garnered 49% support, well short of the 60% required to bring about change, with players from the counties concerned largely in favour of retaining them with the Gaelic Players' Association backing their stance. However, with another Special Congress pencilled in for this coming October, largely to deal with the new football rules, it may well be on the agenda again.
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
GAA President Jarlath Burns open to major All-Ireland final date shift from 2027
GAA PRESIDENT Jarlath Burns has revealed that the playing of the All-Ireland senior finals in August could become a possibility from 2027. August dates have been ruled out for the 2 Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns is open to August All-Ireland finals from 2027 2 Burns also hinted at a shift in schedule and throws weight behind return of provincial decider replays Burns explained: "We have an amateur organisation that is also working alongside Croke Park, which is a commercial organisation. "Croke Park operates with regard to its priorities and how it does its business a year in advance. "So already, because we hadn't made a decision on that, August 2026 is taken up. That puts August 2027 into the mix." read more on gaa But speaking at yesterday's launch of the All-Ireland SHC at the Faithful Fields in Offaly, he elaborated: "The decision might be made during my presidency, but it might not actually occur during my presidency. "But I'm certainly open to the first and third weeks in August from 2027 on. At the end of the day, we are a games organisation. "And the final point is this – we also have to factor in replays. We have to factor in camogie and LGFA and replays for those as well, so Croke Park could be very, very busy in that month of August. "But that's great. The more games we can have in it, the better." Most read in GAA Football In light of last weekend's Munster SHC final, which saw Cork overcome Limerick after a penalty shootout, Burns also gave his backing to calls for the reintroduction of replays for drawn provincial deciders. A motion relating to the issue was withdrawn at Congress in February. However, it is expected to return to the agenda in October at Special Congress. GAA fans 'loved seeing and hearing' the late Micheal O Muircheartaigh as he features in RTE documentary Hell for Leather Burns said: "Well, we did bring a motion to Congress this year. Ironically, it was Munster GAA who stymied it. "For good reason as well, because they know that they have it very tight with the preliminary quarter-finals. "There are lots of considerations there but certainly I'd be open to doing whatever has to be done to get replays in for provincial finals. 'I agree with the split-season for all of the reasons that I've given before, but I definitely think that any review should consider the possibility of replays, particularly in provincial finals.'
Extra.ie
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
'It was a pity' - Munster final drama prompts GAA rethink
GAA president Jarlath Burns said replays will be considered in light of the drama-packed Munster hurling final between Cork and Limerick that was decided on penalties. After the match ended level following extra time, Cork won the first provincial hurling final to go to a shoot-out 3-2 – and with it a first Munster title since 2018. But with various calls for the compressed inter-county calendar to be changed to allow for provincial final replays, Burns yesterday opened the door to such an option – especially after the former Armagh captain witnessed his own county losing back-to-back Ulster football titles on penalties. And he also suggested All-Ireland finals could return to August rather than July. Uachtarán Tofa Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns during the GAA Congress at Canal Court Hotel. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 'You don't have to talk to me above anybody else about replays and provincial finals. We've lost three now, two quarter-finals, on penalties. I would be very much in favour of replays where at all possible.' He was speaking at the official launch of the All-Ireland hurling series at Offaly's Centre of Excellence, The Faithful Fields. Asked if he thinks it might be revisited, he replied: 'These things are always revisited. At the end of this championship, because it's a three-year phase, we're going to review all aspects of it. 'I agree with the split-season for all of the reasons that I've given before, but I definitely think that any review should consider the possibility of replays, particularly in provincial finals. I just think that was such a game of drama, it was just a pity the way it ended. The Armagh-Donegal game could have gone the same way for the third year in a row, so I'm totally in favour of replays.' A motion relating to replays was actually brought forward and debated at the GAA's Annual Congress back in February but was ultimately withdrawn after significant opposition and the fear it would impact negatively on the club window. 'Well, we did bring a motion to Congress this year,' added Burns. 'Ironically, it was Munster GAA who stymied it.' His words will feed into the possibility of a motion being brought to the Special Congress that is taking place in early October. On the question as to whether penalties is a fair way to decide a championship game, he said there are pros and cons. Cork won the first provincial hurling final to go to a shoot-out 3-2 – and with it a first Munster title since 2018. 'Well, that's what's in the rules and that's what we have at the moment. There are those who would say that winner on the day means winner on the day. And whatever that comes to, it has to come to. It's not too often that you have penalties in a hurling match for obvious reasons. We had it on Saturday evening. 'There are many people who say it adds to the drama as well, and that it can assist in the narrative of the game, that there was a winner on the day, there was a cup presented. Whenever we used to have replays, people gave off to the GAA that we were just doing it for the financial gain. And remember, the 83 per cent goes back. We need every penny we can get for all those good reasons. 'And now we have stopped replays to allow for the club season, which obviously in the dual counties, and that's what we're trying to promote, dual counties, and we're getting, not criticism, but debate over it. 'So there are all of these points that you have to consider. The GAA do not take these decisions lightly. They are all voted on. We're a very democratic organisation and if people want to change it, we'll be in favour of that.' Burns too opened the door on the possibility of the All-Ireland finals returning to August rather than July. Uachtaran CLG Jarlath Burns. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane 'You might have heard me saying that this isn't going to happen during my presidency. The decision might be made during my presidency, but it might not actually occur during my presidency. But I am certainly open to first and third weeks in August from 2027 on. At the end of the day, we are a games organisation.' With the Munster Council raising the price of a stand ticket to €50 for last weekend's Munster final while the Leinster Council offered up 20,000 free tickets for under-14s to the Leinster hurling final, Burns admitted that Croke Park are looking at dynamic pricing for big Croke Park days. 'We do have a ticketing workgroup set up under Declan Woods from Cavan. They are coming up with all sorts of ideas around dynamic structures, dynamic pricing. 'If you look at the URC final on Saturday, they have a dynamic structure. Even the corners of the stands, it's cheaper to get into them than the main part of the stand. It's interesting what they're charging to get into Ard Comhairle as well, if any of you have seen that. 'So, I think the future of that is if we could get, I think it was 10,000 this year, why could we not get 20,000 young people to come this year and create that culture, where the more empty seats you have in the stand, the more we have to fill with young people who we want to come into our games.'
Irish Examiner
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Intercounty hurling season needs 'total transformation and a complete mindset change' says Leinster chief
Leinster chairman Derek Kent says the inter-county hurling season is too short and requires an overhaul. Following on from his Leinster senior football final match programme notes in which he called for a review of the playing calendar, the Wexford man comments that there is an imbalance between the scheduling of hurling and football fixtures. In his programme notes today, Kent writes: 'Almost 60% of our senior hurling teams in Leinster will have no hurling in June, which surely demonstrates a troubling lack of hurling promotion. 'On the contrary, over 91% of our football teams, all but one of the 12 in the province, will play football this month. That clearly highlights an imbalance in the playing of our games. 'The structures and scheduling that we currently have in place for hurling, which we should remind ourselves is a UNESCO-recognised intrinsic part of Irish culture, require a 'The number of games in a short timeframe including the U20s and U17s has affected the fostering of hurling and our games have been poorly attended to-date. 'The widest issue is the length of our playing season, A decade ago, we played 20% less game in a time of 20% more time. As things stand, the timing of our fixtures is not doing hurling many favours.' Kent's remarks come a day after the Munster SHC final was decided after extra-time and penalties as there is currently no facility for provincial final replays in the GAA Official Guide. A motion to allow for replays in the six provincial deciders between football and hurling was deferred at Congress in February but could be debated at Special Congress on October 4. On the topic of making 20,000 tickets free to U14s for today's double-header, Kent notes: 'The promotion of our games among our children is something we in the Leinster GAA must not lose sight of.'
