The GAA yesterday announced their master fixture list for 2003, which confirms the dates for the National League finals, all provincial competitions, and the hurling and football qualifier series.
As expected the National Hurling and Football League finals will be played on consecutive days over the May Bank Holiday weekend, with the football final on Sunday May 4th, and the hurling final on the Monday May 5th. Croke Park will be the venue for the football decider, with Thurles likely to be confirmed for the hurling.
Originally the hurling final was fixed for a week later, May 11th, but the Games Administration Committee recommended the Bank Holiday Monday to the Management Committee meeting last weekend on the basis that the new date would increase interest in the game, and avoid a clash so close to the start of the championship.
In Ulster it has been confirmed that Armagh will begin the defence of their All-Ireland football title at Clones against Monaghan in the preliminary round on May 11th. If Armagh advance as expected the quarter-final meeting with Down will take place at Clones on June 8th.
If Monaghan cause an upset then Down will face them in either Newry or at Casement Park.
In the Connacht football championship, Galway will have home advantage, at Pearse Park, when they meet Roscommon for the third year in succession. Not that home advantage has always counted. Two years ago in Tuam, Roscommon caused a major upset, and then Galway reversed the result in Hyde Park this past summer.
Leitrim must travel to New York for their opening game on May 4th, with Sligo also going on the road to Ruislip to face London on May 25th.
It was also confirmed Dublin would open their 2003 championship campaign as part of a double-bill in Croke Park on Sunday June 1st when the meet the winners of the Wicklow-Louth first round game (to be played at Parnell Park). Sharing the bill will be Meath, who play the winners of Westmeath-Carlow.
The football qualifier series will start with round one on Saturday, June 7th, with the quarter-finals slated for the August Bank Holiday weekend, where the games will be spread over three days - August 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Previously the quarter-finals had been spread over two weekends.
In a separate matter, yesterday's confirmation from the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue, that the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, had formally written to the GAA requesting the use of Croke Park for the European Championship 2008 bid is unlikely to significantly progress the matter of opening the stadium to other sports.
GAA president Seán McCague had acknowledged receipt of the letter when he met Government officials last month to discuss the reapplication for funding towards the redevelopment of Croke Park. But he also pointed out that while the letter would be forwarded to Central Council, he stated yet again the question of amending the relevant Rule 42 could only be addressed at Congress.
Meanwhile, the Munster Council have confirmed that Sunday's Munster club football semi-final between Kerins O'Rahillys of Kerry and Nemo Rangers of Cork will go ahead as originally scheduled in Killarney.
The Kerry champions had been trying to get the game shifted to Tralee, which would be more representative of a home venue, and although Nemo Rangers also backed the switch the matter failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority at the last Munster Council meeting.
