A full explainer to the 2018 GAA calendar

Radical changes.

For so long the GAA has refused to make any drastic changes and now they’re all coming at one. We have the Super 8’s this year and the rejuvenated hurling championship, there have also been calls to tighten up the calendar so club players don’t have to wait months upon months for one game. Players and fans have also been hoping for a better game to training ratio. Well, the GAA have today released their master plan for the upcoming season and here are the main points. We will explain each of these, don’t worry.

• The league campaign will start in January
• April will be free for club games
• There will be four ‘double’ weekends during the league where hurling and football will be played
• The Allianz League final for hurling will be on a Saturday
• Munster Football final will be on a Saturday
• The Leinster and Munster Hurling finals will take place on the same day
• Both All-Ireland days will be earlier than years previous

  League starting in January A full round of league games will be played the weekend of 27 January, Croke Park will play host to a doubleheader where Dublin play Kildare in football and Offaly in hurling. The reason it starts early is that the GAA want to run off the league fixtures so April can be free for club games. April free for clubs Not entirely true as the football finals for Division one and two will take place on 1 April, the Division one Hurling final will take place on 24 March and the first Championship fixture is scheduled for 6 May. Four ‘double’ weekends  This is more than years previously, this is also to help run off the league so April can be free for club games. League Hurling final on a Saturday In order to have April free, that required having the final round of the football league and the Hurling League final on the same day. The GAA felt it would be wrong to schedule both on the same day and the possibility that Cork, Dublin or Galway could be involved in a final and an important football match on the same day so opted to put the hurling on a Saturday. Munster Football Final on a Saturday night The Munster Hurling Championship was scheduled for the same day the GAA planned the Munster Football final, instead of moving one to the Saturday they opted to experiment and put the football final on a Saturday evening. Leinster and Munster Hurling finals on same day  It was brought in to avoid a six-day turnaround in the football championship. In a statement from the GAA, it reads:

“This had never been done before as C.C.C.C and the provinces had always sought to maximise our opportunities to promote hurling in the context of a championship (before the recent changes agreed) that had very few high profile games in the early part of the season. However, given the huge number of high profile hurling games that will be staged in the provinces in 2018, we do not see the same issues arising as might have in previous years had such a proposal been floated.”

Both All-Ireland days earlier than previously The All-Ireland Hurling final will take place on the 19 August and the football final is on the 2 September. Full Championship fixture list   6 May Connacht Football Championship Leitrim v New York Sligo v London 12 May Leinster hurling championship Offaly v Galway 13 May Connacht football championship Mayo v Galway Ulster football championship Donegal v Cavan Leinster hurling championship Dublin v Kilkenny 12/13 May Leinster football championship Laois v Wexford Louth v Carlow Offaly v Wicklow 9 May Ulster football championship Fermanagh v Armagh Munster football championship Clare v Limerick Tipperary v Waterford 20 May Munster hurling championship Cork v Clare Limerick v Tipperary Ulster football championship Tyrone v Monaghan Leinster hurling championship Kilkenny v Offaly Wexford v Dublin 26 May Ulster football championship Down v Antrim Connacht football championship Leitrim/NY v Roscommon 26/27 May Leinster hurling championship Offaly v Wexford Leinster football championship Laois/Wexford v Westmeath Louth/Carlow v Kildare Offaly/Wicklow v Dublin Longford v Meath 27 May Munster hurling championship Tipperary v Cork Clare v Waterford Leinster hurling championship Galway v Kilkenny UIster football championship Donegal/Cavan v Derry 2 June Munster football championship Clare/Limerick v Kerry Tipperary/Waterford v Cork Munster hurling championship Cork v Limerick Leinster hurling championship Wexford v Galway 3 June Munster hurling championship Waterford v Tipperary Leinster hurling championship Dublin v Offaly Connacht football championship Mayo/Galway v Sligo/London (Sligo/Galway) Ulster football championship Fermanagh/Armagh v Tyrone/Monaghan 9 June Leinster hurling championship Kilkenny v Wexford Galway v Dublin 10 June Munster hurling championship Limerick v Waterford Tipperary v Clare Ulster football championship Donegal/Cavan/Derry v Down/Antrim Leinster football championship Offaly/Wicklow/Dublin v Longford/Meath Laois/Wexford/Westmeath v Louth/Carlow/Kildare 17 June   4pm Connacht Football Final Munster senior hurling championship Clare v Limerick Waterford v Cork 23 June 7pm Munster Football Final 24 June 2pm Ulster Football Final 4pm Leinster Football Final 1 July  2pm Munster Hurling Final 4pm Leinster Hurling Final 7/8 July All-Ireland Senior Football Round 4 14/15 July  All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals Phase 1 15 July  All-Ireland Senior Hurling Quarter-Finals 21/22 July All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals Phase 2 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Relegation Play-off (If Required) 28 July All-Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final 29 July All-Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final (Replay 05/06.08.2018) 4/5/6 August All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals Phase 3 (Group 1 & 2) 11 August All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final 12 August All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final 19 August All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final 2 September All-Ireland Senior Football Final