Kerry-Dublin league attendance may be hit by England-Ireland Six Nations clash

The GAA could be looking at a crowd shortfall next March 1st when Dublin travel to play All-Ireland champions Kerry in Killarney in the national league at the same time as Ireland's Six Nations rugby match against England is played in Dublin.

Provisionally fixed for Saturday evening in Tralee the fixture was moved at the request of Kerry, who have fixed all four of their home matches for Sundays. Dublin agreed to the switch.

Coincidentally, the same clash with a rugby international also happened two years ago when Dublin went to Killarney to play Kerry on the same afternoon as Ireland’s home match with England. An attendance of just 5,400 turned up at Fitzgerald Stadium, well short of what had been expected (approximately 8,000 programmes had been printed), to witness an easy win for Dublin.

When asked about the clash of fixtures, Croke Park sources said that it was a matter for the competing counties and that the CCCC had accepted their decision to move the fixture to Sunday.

Grand Slam

In 2003 the then Games Administration Committee switched a whole programme of league fixtures from Sunday to Saturday when Ireland were also playing England. The difference then was the Grand Slam was at stake between the two countries whereas this year’s fixture is just the third of the season.

Meanwhile Croke Park have confirmed the fixture details for next month’s All-Ireland club semi-finals.

The hurling matches will be played on 7th February as a double bill in Semple Stadium Thurles with Limerick's Kilmallock taking on Down and Ulster champions Portaferry - for whom it will be a 640-kilometre round trip - at 2.0 and Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny facing Galway champions Gort at 3.45.

A week later, the eagerly awaited football meeting of All-Ireland champions St Vincent's and Galway's Corofin will be staged in O'Moore Park, Tullamore at 2.0 and a day later in Portlaoise, Kerry champions Austin Stacks will face Slaughtneil of Derry.

Finally, Minister for the Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan TD, has announced the Government funding of €250,000 to Shannon Gaels GAA Club in New York to develop the underage playing field in Frank Golden Park, Queens – recognition of the great progress made in the past 22 years by the club. AIB GAA All-Ireland senior club semi-finals February 7th – (SHC) Kilmallock (Limerick) v Portaferry (Down), Semple Stadium, Thurles, 2.0 (Live on TG4); Gort (Galway) v Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny), Semple Stadium, Thurles, 3.45 (Live on TG4) February 14th (SFC): Corofin (Galway) v St Vincent's (Dublin), O'Connor Park, Tullamore, 2.0 (Live on TG4) February 15th (SFC): Austin Stacks (Kerry) v Slaughtneil (Derry), O'Moore Park, Portlaoise, 4.0 (Live on TG4).