'Croke Park is now the major funding organ of the GAA' - Burns rules out August finals

THERE WILL BE no shift of the All-Ireland finals to an August date for 2026, GAA President Jarlath Burns has insisted.

Despite having previously floated the idea of the finals for football and hurling returning to their traditional September slots, Burns has passed that call onto his successor, citing the potential of concerts being hosted in Croke Park as a significant commercial driver for the GAA.

“This year it’s out,” Burns said on the GAA’s new broadcast channel, GAA+.

“Next year it’s out as well. But it’s going to be the next president who’ll 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 championships.

“We were showing so little respect to the club player that there was literally a group set up called the Club Players Association and they had one word – fixtures.

“We solved that for them.”

He then admitted that staging of summer concerts in Croke Park takes precedence over staging the games.

“I’m going to say the next thing without any apology – we also have concerts in this. Croke Park is now the major funding organ of the GAA – let’s not forget that,” he said.

“This stadium is keeping our organisation financially viable.”

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