WICKLOW GAA HAS expressed its disappointment after the county’s Leinster senior football championship clash with All-Ireland champions Dublin, which is technically a home game, was not permitted to be played in Aughrim.
John Evan’s side upset the odds on Sunday when they stunned Offaly to book a quarter-final date with Dublin, but the game will be played at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise and not Wicklow’s home ground.
Leinster GAA today confirmed the throw-in times and venues for the quarter-final ties, with the move to O’Moore Park, which has a capacity of 27,000, likely to have been down to the Aughrim venue’s smaller capacity of 8,000.
The game will be played on Sunday 27 May at 4pm.
In a statement, Wicklow GAA chairman Martin Fitzgerald said the visit of Jim Gavin’s Dublin to the county for a championship match would help develop, promote and grow interest and participation in the game there.
“Following our Leinster Senior Championship win over Offaly yesterday, Wicklow GAA formally requested that the Wicklow v Dublin Leinster Senior Championship Quarter Final be played in Joule Park, Aughrim,” it read.
“All members of the Wicklow GAA are working hard to develop, promote and grow participation within the county, at all levels. The possibility of welcoming reigning All Ireland Senior Champions to Joule Park, Aughrim would give a sizable boost to Wicklow GAA, our supporters and our players.
“We are hugely disappointed that this request has not been considered. We feel a significant opportunity has been missed to promote GAA in Wicklow and assist the hard- work being done at all levels, across all codes, in the county.”
What an opportunity lost by the @officialgaa to move the @wicklowgaa @DubGAAOfficial to Port Laoise. So what if Aughrim is 8,000 capacity. God like it would do wonders for kids to see this Dublin team rock up to play in Wicklow. Not Dubs fault. 💰💰 talks!!!
— Tomás Ó Sé (@tomas5ky) May 14, 2018
Westmeath will face Laois on Saturday 26 May at O’Connor Park, while the Offaly venue will also host the meeting of Kildare and Carlow the following day at 2pm.
The other Leinster SFC quarter-final sees Longford go head-to-head with Meath at Pearse Park on Sunday 27 May at 3pm.
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