GAA PRESIDENT Jarlath Burns has revealed that the playing of the All-Ireland senior finals in August could become a possibility from 2027.
August dates have been ruled out for the showpiece fixtures in 2026 due to a schedule of Croke Park concerts which have not yet been announced.
Burns explained: “We have an amateur organisation that is also working alongside Croke Park, which is a commercial organisation.
“Croke Park operates with regard to its priorities and how it does its business a year in advance.
“So already, because we hadn’t made a decision on that, August 2026 is taken up. That puts August 2027 into the mix.”
Burns, who is in office until February 2027, recently ruled out the prospect of All-Ireland finals taking place in August while he is president.
But speaking at yesterday’s launch of the All-Ireland SHC at the Faithful Fields in Offaly, he elaborated: “The decision might be made during my presidency, but it might not actually occur during my presidency.
“But I’m certainly open to the first and third weeks in August from 2027 on. At the end of the day, we are a games organisation.
“And the final point is this – we also have to factor in replays. We have to factor in camogie and LGFA and replays for those as well, so Croke Park could be very, very busy in that month of August.
“But that’s great. The more games we can have in it, the better.”
In light of last weekend’s Munster SHC final, which saw Cork overcome Limerick after a penalty shootout, Burns also gave his backing to calls for the reintroduction of replays for drawn provincial deciders.
A motion relating to the issue was withdrawn at Congress in February. However, it is expected to return to the agenda in October at Special Congress.
Burns said: “Well, we did bring a motion to Congress this year. Ironically, it was Munster GAA who stymied it.
“For good reason as well, because they know that they have it very tight with the preliminary quarter-finals.
“There are lots of considerations there but certainly I’d be open to doing whatever has to be done to get replays in for provincial finals.
“I agree with the split-season for all of the reasons that I’ve given before, but I definitely think that any review should consider the possibility of replays, particularly in provincial finals.”
