All-Ireland football final set for August slot

Kerry's Paudie Clifford lifts the Sam Maguire Cup with David Clifford and his son Ogie ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

The All-Ireland SFC final looks likely to be staged in August from 2027 onwards.

A motion will go before Congress in February to have the biggest match in the football calendar moved from July and played on the second weekend of August, with the hurling final to take place a fortnight earlier – on the last weekend in July.

The motion, backed today by Central Council, is dependent on the pre-season provincial competitions, which are returning again for 2026, being discontinued permanently the following year.

To mitigate against impact on the split season, club champions from counties contesting the All-Ireland finals would receive byes in the earliest rounds of the provincial club championships.

Next year's Sam Maguire Cup decider will be the fifth in a row to take place in July, with September having been the traditional month for All-Ireland football and hurling finals.