This weekend the Roscommon and Monaghan GAA senior finals take place, bringing the curtain down on the county stage of the club championships.
Three months after the club championship got underway in Longford, the Shannonside Northern Sound sports department have been flat out.
However, there are benefits of being flat out, notably the touring of county grounds across the region have revealed quite a few interesting items.
Not all are on the football pitch.
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Card readers are everywhere and working!
You’ve heard the Joe Finnegan Show cover this extensively. No cash at the turn style, not fair on the older generation at inter county grounds.
Well at club grounds there is nothing but card readers. No matter if it’s in Pearse Park or Pairc Sean, through to the back of beyond in Cashel to the far away hidden fields of Aughawillan, credit card readers are everywhere.
And it’s not just on the gate. It’s at the coffee shop and it’s also picking up the club lotto. Nothing beats the lotto seller looking for the card machine as it’s at the other end of the stand.
While some club grounds have some very nice coffee stands, nothing resembles modern Ireland like the lack of cash at a club GAA ground.
The question is now plain and simple, when will cash disappear?
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The new rules worked
There’s state the obvious and state the obvious, but the new rules worked. The club championship was the rubicon that Jim Gavin and his buddies had jumped too far.
The new rules were a total success in the inter-county season. Was there even a debate about them after round one of the club championship?
Thankfully the debate is over and the new rules are in for five years! See you later...
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Friday night lights is the new Sunday
This one has been burning away for some time.
The League of Ireland moved to Friday nights 30 odd years ago. The rugby moved into that sphere about 20-years ago. GAA has been a slower move for obvious reasons, but its coming.
In 2025 across the region, just 41% of the club championships games took place on a Sunday.
22% of the 145 games took place on a Friday. Monaghan the only outliner in the region keeping their games to Saturday’s and Sunday.
With 33% of matches on a Saturday and more floodlights arriving, it’s only time before Friday’s overtake Saturday’s. Que the next GAA traditionalist out cry.
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The Return of the Jedi?
From the naked eye attendances were up across the region.
This was good news. The games were more competitive and the new rules levelled the playing field. Fixing part A, also played a big part in fixing part B.
However, the format is now the piece that needs attention. OK, Longford will move from 12 to 10 senior teams in 2027 and Leitrim have moved to eight, but are all these games needed?
It’s time to go back in time in Longford and Leitrim and return to the backdoor system. A prolonged league, group stage does nothing for anyone, when the same eight make the quarter-finals.
In saying that, Cavan need a quick review of their campaign. The “Swiss-League” style system works but with 24 group/league stage games, the question needs to be asked, can we go without some teams?
On that, a new format awaits in the 2026 All-Ireland football championship. I’m predicting this will last to 2029 and in 2030, we’ll have a champion’s league style campaign.
One league table, but not everyone plays each other.
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The Split season works – expect for one party!
So here we are, year three of the split season. For the first time, I felt the All-Ireland final suited July this past summer.
However, the split season has ruined my yearly plans. My holidays between the end of the Allianz league and the start of the championship are now retired.
And like that, before Sam Maguire is presented we have started our club championship coverage.
However, the continually whining comes from the national media, who are unhappy. You see, that my colleagues in Dublin, Cork and Belfast have no GAA to cover until we reach county final time.
So while they now get a summer holiday. However, on their return, some 10-weeks remains before their laptop is placed back in the press box.
While those of us in the local and regional media are sweating to late night weekend deadlines.
As the local GAA fan is getting their constant fix of action, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen and even Robbie Williams are strutting around Croke Park.
My opinion leave the All-Ireland final in July. Sure, Daniel O’Donnell deserves a Croke Park summer headliner!
