Gaelic Games

Leinster GAA to hold club matches at Croke Park in December

Excellent playing surface provides more certainty that matches won’t be called off

General view of Croke Park. Photo: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Seán Moran's face
Seán Moran
Wed Nov 3 2021 - 12:26

Leinster GAA has decided to stage a weekend of club action at Croke Park the week before Christmas. Saturday December 18th will see a double bill at the stadium, featuring the provincial football semi-finals and the following day, Sunday 19th, the hurling final will be played.

This is the first time that the province has used Croke Park for club matches since the stadium was redeveloped 20 years ago.

At a meeting on Tuesday night it was decided that the stadium and its bullet-proof playing surface offered certainty of fixture at a time of the year when conditions are always in danger of forcing weather-related postponements.

The club season has been affected by the pandemic-squeezed calendar this year but the provincial championships are scheduled to start towards the end of November. Leinster’s football final will take place in January.

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In 2020, the late-running winter intercounty championships meant that the provincial and All-Ireland club competitions had to be cancelled.