All Ireland Finals To Take Place In December As GAA Announce Plans

Friday, 26 June 2020 11:38

The football final is scheduled for six days before Christmas.

The GAA has revealed its revised 2020 championship fixture plan.

There will be no backdoor in the All-Ireland Football Championship.

Instead, it will be a straight knockout with the existing 2020 provincial championship draws.

That will mean Offaly will take on Carlow in the first round of the Leinster Championship in Bord Na Mona O Connor Park , with a quarter-final against Kildare on the line.

Laois will travel to the winners of a preliminary tie between Louth and Longford.

While Westmeath face the daunting task of taking on reigning All-Ireland Champions Dublin in Tullamore.

The final two rounds of the national leagues will also be completed.

The GAA has today confirmed arrangements for its 2020 inter-county competitions after the recommendations of CCCC were endorsed by An Coiste Bainistíochta yesterday. #GAA #GAABelong
— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 26, 2020

The hurling championship will still have a backdoor system with the season due to get underway in mid-October.

Kilkenny and Wexford will receive a bye to the semi-final stage in Leinster.

Laois, Dublin and Galway will then be in the hat around 6:30 this evening, with two meeting in a quarter-final and the other progressing straight to the latter stages.

If Eddie' Brennan's side fail to make the final, they will play a team from Munster in the qualifiers.

The Joe McDonagh Cup format will remain unchanged but Westmeath will not progress to the All-Ireland series if they do progress.

However they will still be promoted to play for Liam McCarthy if they are successful.

But Michael Fennelly's Christy Ring challenge with Offaly will look a little different, it'll will now be a straight knockout competition.

The Faithful county will begin their campaign with a quarter-final with Kildare on the 24th or 25th of October.

The draws have been made for the 2020 Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups. The Quarter-Finals in both competitions will take place over the weekend of October 24/25. #GAA #GAABelong
— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 26, 2020