Leinster club finals set for Croke Park on what promises to be a busy Saturday

Leinster Council will stage both of its senior club finals at Croke Park on the evening of November 30th.
The date is set to be extremely busy for the GAA and television companies with the results of the general election being covered virtually all day and the last of Ireland’s Autumn rugby internationals, against former coach Joe Schmidt’s Australia, also taking place that afternoon at 3.10.
On the same Saturday, the GAA’s special congress to consider the proposals of Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee will also be convened in the stadium.
Michael Reynolds, CEO of Leinster GAA, confirmed the details for the football and hurling matches, which were finalised after Naas were defeated last Saturday by Cuala, thus removing the last club capable of reaching both senior finals.
“Now that we know a dual club won’t be involved, the senior finals will be played on November 30th – 5.45, the football and the hurling at 7.50 – and both will be televised, one on RTÉ and the other on RTÉ News.
“If the weather is like it is, it will be a lovely evening. If not, at least we can be sure the matches will go ahead.”
Virgin Media will broadcast the rugby live from Lansdowne Road.
Leinster have used the stadium for the past three years for finals and semi-finals, starting in 2021 during the latter stages of the Covid pandemic. The semi-finals moved back to club grounds last year but the finals continue to take place in Croke Park, its top-class playing surface unassailable by the worst of weather.
Special congress delegates convening to decide the future of football are likely to have gone home by the time the Leinster football final is played.
The recent Croke Park finals have coincided with Kilmacud winning their three-in-a-row and there is a possibility that Cuala, who brought their South Dublin neighbours’ run to a halt in the county, could qualify for this year’s decider.
Similarly, Na Fianna, who narrowly lost last year’s provincial final to O’Loughlin Gaels, could also qualify for their final. Reynolds says that there is no pushback from other counties’ clubs at these matches being played in the stadium.
“You never hear complaints about Croke Park as a venue at club level. There were clubs ringing up to ask are the semi-finals still being played there. We used to have finals at different venues but now, there’d be questions if they weren’t played at Croke Park.”
Saturday saw the television debut of the impressively refurbished St Conleth’s Park. A good crowd was augmented by the Dublin champions chartering a train to bring supporters all the way from Dalkey to Newbridge. Reynolds believes that the success of the rail venture might prompt other clubs to look into it for their own transport requirements.
“It adds to the whole thing, the atmosphere. It paid for itself but see the positivity Irish Rail got out of it, which might give someone else the idea now that it has been seen to work so well.”
The dual issue, the resolution of which allowed the Leinster senior finals to be fixed, also had an effect on the other grades. Unusually, on Tuesday evening Wexford football champions Castletown will play St Loman’s of Westmeath, who are seen as the strongest remaining challengers to Cuala in the provincial championship.
This is because Castletown is a sister club of Liam Mellows, who have a Leinster junior hurling championship semi-final next weekend.
“Castletown have eight or nine dual players,” according to Reynolds. “We planned to accommodate dual clubs with midweek matches but might look at it again next year. Had Naas won at the weekend their football semi-final would have been on Wednesday week in Newbridge.”
Liam Mellows were in action at the weekend, taking on Kildare champions Moorefield, who they convincingly defeated in Manguard Park by 6-19 to 0-5. That was on Saturday and the affected players have three days to get ready for the trip to Westmeath.
Reynolds says that the venue was moved to St Loman’s home ground because of the need for floodlights.
“The match is on in St Loman’s ground because Cusack Park doesn’t have floodlights. In fairness to Castletown they had no issue about going to Loman’s.”
Throw-in is at 7.30 on Tuesday evening.