29-04-2025
Jarlath Burns: All-Ireland finals will not return to August in 2026
GAA president Jarlath Burns has stated the All-Ireland finals will not return to August in 2026.
Despite last year floating the idea of the inter-county season returning to a finish in September, Burns ruled out the deciders being played in the eighth month of the year and suggested it will be a matter for his successor.
'It's not a non-runner for the future. This year it's out, next year it's out as well,' he told the GAA+ magazine programme Ratified on which he made the September comments 12 months ago. 'But it's going to be the next president who will make that decision, whether or not we go into August.
'It's probably not going to be my decision, but I would be open to it, notwithstanding the health warning that comes with the whole area of starting the club championship. We were showing so little respect to the club player that there was literally a group set up called the Club Player Association and they had one word, fixtures.
'We solved that for them. Let's not now go and unsolve it. So you fix one problem and you create another problem. But I think that there is generally an understanding that moving into the first and third weeks of August mightn't be the worst thing.
'But you have to remember this also – we have LGFA, they have their All-Ireland finals as well. And we have camogie, they have their All-Ireland finals here too. And we also have to allow for a replay in hurling and football and a replay in LGFA and Camogie. So that takes up a good bit of August.
'And I'm going to say the next thing without any apology – we also have concerts in this. And the Croke Park is now the major funding organ of the GAA. Let's not forget that. This stadium is keeping our organisation financially viable. Because without the €16 million or €18m that is given by Croke Park to the GAA, it costs us €20m every year to pay the 350 coaches we have going around full-time promoting our games.'
Admitting he was severely criticised for supporting the GPA's proposal to suspend the pre-season competitions, Burns said the Ulster Council lost €250,000 as a result of the McKenna Cup.
'If there's anything that I got the most severe criticism over, it was supporting the GPA over the ending of the pre-season competitions. In my own province, I went to the Ulster Convention and they were queueing up to criticise me over that.
'That cost about about a quarter of a million dollars to the Ulster Council and I would understand why they'd be cross with me supporting the GPA, but I did it for player welfare. That's what the GAA president has to be always cognisant of."
Burns said he was surprised by the negative reaction to the Football Review Committee making changes to their list of rules after the fifth round of the Allianz Football League. He said that entitlement was part of the enabling motion that was passed at Special Congress last November.
He added that it will be 10 years before the moves being overseen by the hurling development committee to expand the game in weaker counties will come to fruition.
