Dublin abandon plans to use Croke Park for Kerry game

As expected, the Dublin County Board have abandoned plans to use Croke Park for their final round game of the National Football League - the Division One A meeting with Kerry.

The plan always hinged on the outcome of the last weekend's penultimate round. Dublin's loss to Mayo and Kerry's draw with Tyrone significantly lowered the stakes of Sunday's game, by ruling both teams out of the semi-finals.

It means the meeting will go ahead at Parnell Park, although it will be an all-ticket affair and is expected to draw a capacity crowd. Both teams need to win to preserve their Division One status.

Defeat for Dublin, under next year's rearranged format, would see them drop to Division Two.Kerry are currently joint third with Tyrone on seven points.Dublin just behind on six, but if Tyrone beat Mayo in Omagh they will stay in Division One, leaving Dublin and Kerry to fight it out to see who joins them.

If Tyrone are defeated, Kerry can still survive, even with a defeat to Dublin, provided they maintain the better scoring difference.

The outcome of Division Two A has been suspended by another week following the GAA's decision to postpone all final-round fixtures in that division.

That decision stemmed from the postponed clash of London and Leitrim, originally set for February 25th, but called off on the day because of a waterlogged pitch in Ruislip.

That game was later re-fixed for Newbridge, but London successfully appealed that decision, forcing the GAA to revisit the matter yet again - and eventually settling on the game being played in Ruislip this Sunday. All final-round games in the division need to be played simultaneously and therefore necessitated the move to Sunday week.

There are several implications arising from this, including the fact that the both Division Two semi-finals can't now proceed as scheduled on Sunday week - and the final is similarly affected. It is hoped that one of those semi-finals will still provide the curtain-raiser to the Division One final, set for Croke Park on April 22nd.

In hurling, the venues for this Sunday's Division One quarter-finals - featuring Waterford against Tipperary and Galway against Wexford - will be decided later today.

Redevelopment work of the dressingroom facilities at Semple Stadium is nearing completion and - while the venue will be available for both the semi-finals and finals - it's unlikely to be considered for this Sunday, with a double-bill at Limerick's Gaelic Grounds looking the more likely.

Various other pairings for the play-off stages of the hurling league have also been confirmed, with venues and throw-in times to be announced today.

NHL Division One - Quarter-finals: (a) Waterford v Tipperary, (b) Wexford v Galway. Semi-finals (Sunday week): Cork v (a)/(b), Kilkenny v (a)/(b). Play-off: Limerick v Offaly.

Division Two - Quarter-finals: (a) Laois v Kerry, (b) Derry v Kildare. Semi-finals (Sunday week): Wicklow v (a)/(b), Westmeath v (a)/(b).

Division Three - Quarter-finals: (a) Louth v Tyrone, (b) Donegal v Longford. Semi-finals (Sunday week): Sligo v (a)/(b), Roscommon v (a)/(b). Shield: Leitrim v Cavan, Monaghan v Fermanagh.