FOUR venues will be used to stage the six National Football League matches fixed for Sunday, March 31st. The matches will decide who will qualify for the two semi finals in the League and will also decide two relegation spots.
In all cases, extra time will be used, if necessary, in order to avoid replays. The venues are Croke Park, Clones, Hyde Park and Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Before then the Railway Cup hurling final and football semi final replay have been fixed for Ennis next Monday, March 18th.
The replay of the Munster Ulster football semi final will be played in a double bill, with the hurling final between Munster and Leinster as the feature match. Extra time applies for this game also in the event of a draw.
The list of fixtures for March 31st features National League quarter finals between Donegal and Wicklow at Croke Park Cavan and Derry in Clones, Meath and Mayo at Hyde Park and Cork and Kerry at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Also, at Croke Park that day Kildare play Laois to determine relegation to Division Two, while, at Clones, Antrim and Fermanagh will play off to decide which team drops to Division Four.
The Games Administration Committee of the GAA was to decide on the dates and venues for the matches on Tuesday night, but, after a long sitting, no decisions were made until yesterday morning. It is understood the need to consult the Cork and Kerry county boards about the venue for their quarter final caused the delay.
The GAA will hold special ceremonies at Croke Park tomorrow to mark the centenary of the first All Ireland finals played there. Special scrolls have been produced to mark the occasion and a plaque will be unveiled at the back of the Hogan Stand.
The four clubs which contested the All Ireland football and hurling finals 100 years ago, at what was then known as Jones's Road, will play exhibition matches, and will receive a set of medals to mark the centenary. The presentations will be made by the GAA's president, Jack Boothman.
The four clubs involved are Arravale Rovers from Tipperary, who will meet Navan O'Mahony's in football, and Tubberadora (now Boherlahan) from Tipperary, who will meet Tullaroan from Kilkenny in hurling. Arravale Rovers and Tubberadora brought off a Tipperary double.
Subsequently the referee, a Mr Kenny, who incidentally took charge of both matches, wrote to a newspaper to the effect that he had made a mistake in the football match which should have made it a draw. But Navan O'Mahony's sportingly accepted their fate and did not press for a replay.
A souvenir programme has also been produced, with an article about how the matches came to be played there. It contains the information that the attendance was in the region of 8,000, compared with a crowd of 7,000 at Lansdowne Road for the international match with Wales on the same day.
Sunday's Croke Park bill features the All Ireland club hurling and football finals, in which Sixmilebridge from Clare will play Dunloy from Ant rim in the hurling final at 2.0, and Laune Rangers from Kerry will play Eire Og from Carlow at 3.30. Supporters are reminded that the Canal End terrace and the upper deck of the New Cusack Stand will not be open for these matches.
Dunloy captain, Nigel Elliott, was in the spotlight yesterday. After leading his side to victory over Kilkenny champions, Glenmore, in the AllIreland semi final in February, he received the Ulster GAA Writers Merit Award for the month. Elliott played a vital part in the Antrim champions 2-13 to 0-7 win over Glenmore.
"I am delighted with the award, but it could have gone to any of the other 14 lads in the team. They were all superb against Glenmore and I am accepting the honour on behalf of them all. It's a nice boost to us before Sunday's final and I hope some of us will be back here again next month with the cup," said Elliott yesterday.
