THE GAA WILL avoid fixing any of this year’s All-Ireland senior football quarter-finals in Croke Park for Bank Holiday Monday August 5th due to potential traffic congestion after the match.
A Bank Holiday Monday date was last used when Dublin played Kerry at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage in 2009.
But it has been confirmed that this year’s last eight fixtures will be staged as double-headers on Saturday August 3rd and Sunday August 4th.
“There won’t be a game on the Bank Holiday Monday,” confirmed GAA Director-General Paraic Duffy.
“I think we are looking at two Saturday, two Sunday at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets are already on sale on that basis.
“Traffic is a huge problem for people coming back after the weekend. It (Bank Holiday Monday) just doesn’t work.
“Dublin would be the one before to keep them separate but it will be two double bills. CCC have decided on that already.
Provincial champions Kerry, Dublin, Mayo and Monaghan are already safely through to the All-Ireland senior football quarter-finals where they will be joined by the winners of next Saturday’s games in Round 4 of the qualifiers.
Those matches involve a triple-header in Croke Park between London and Cavan, Cork and Galway, and Meath and Tyrone. In Carrick-on-Shannon, the reigning All-Ireland champions Donegal take on Laois.
Repeats of provincial finals are not allowed in the All-Ireland senior quarter-finals but pairings that took place in the early rounds of the provincial championships can be held again. That means potential quarter-final ties include Cavan against Monaghan and Galway against Mayo.
The All-Ireland minor football championship quarter-finals also take place on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Dates, times and venues have to be confirmed but the pairings are known.
All-Ireland minor football quarter-finals
Monaghan v Tipperary
Kerry v Tyrone
Kildare v Roscommon
Mayo v Westmeath
