Minor All Ireland Football Championship 2026

[Armagh18]

They run the GAA, not random anti change bucks on GAAboard

Still gobshites.

Why not play it before even a semi final?

[Rossfan]

€10 vs €55.

[onefineday]

The 2023 final had 13,754 at it, if it was before the All-Ireland Senior final that number would not have got tickets. Also, any games in double headers which are decided on the day need to be started so far ahead of the second game that it makes for a very long day if you are staying for both games. The gap between matches also means less overlap in the crowds (I have no evidence of this so don't ask for links).
At least TG4 give the teams a bit of exposure.

No, but for the players, nothing would have matched a near fill croker on all Ireland day. From memory, somewhere around 4,000 tickets tickets went to minor competing counties. This would have very limited impact on supporters of senior competing counties as you'd imagine a good portion of the 2,000 from each county would probably be going in any case.
I understand your point on double headers, they can be a long watch, but funnily enough I attended many minor and senior double headers and never had any issues - especially on finals day. Minor final played, trophy awarded, tension building before the big game, stadium filling up, I never found it a long day, nor did I find the many ulster championship double headers I attended in my young days overly arduous. And I don't ever recall seeing anyone leave an all Ireland final after the minor game and before the senior game, and since I was at the 2017 final where derry lost by 25 to David Clifford, I'd have been perfectly within my rights to walk out and drown my sorrows!!!

[onefineday]

They run the GAA, not random anti change bucks on GAAboard

It's not that random and not all change is for the best. I think many agree that u18 was a better competition than u17 and the logic for change is a little dubious.
And just because 90% of Congress votes for something doesn't mean it's a good thing, it just reflects the politics and that the people driving the change were able to secure the needed votes.
As I say, when I discuss this topic or indeed, hear commentary in the media, it is pretty unanimous that playing minor games before big senior games should have been maintained and that u17 is poorer spectacle than u18, mainly due to the physical development of players.

[clonian]

They run the GAA, not random anti change bucks on GAAboard

It's not that random and not all change is for the best. I think many agree that u18 was a better competition than u17 and the logic for change is a little dubious.
And just because 90% of Congress votes for something doesn't mean it's a good thing, it just reflects the politics and that the people driving the change were able to secure the needed votes.
As I say, when I discuss this topic or indeed, hear commentary in the media, it is pretty unanimous that playing minor games before big senior games should have been maintained and that u17 is poorer spectacle than u18, mainly due to the physical development of players.

Minor football was never meant to be a spectacle though. It should be about development of players. You can argue whether playing u17/20 or 18/21 develops them better but other sports don't use youth levels as pre-game entertainment. Most people involved in minor football agree with moving it away from the senior games.

[bennydorano]

They run the GAA, not random anti change bucks on GAAboard

It's not that random and not all change is for the best. I think many agree that u18 was a better competition than u17 and the logic for change is a little dubious.
And just because 90% of Congress votes for something doesn't mean it's a good thing, it just reflects the politics and that the people driving the change were able to secure the needed votes.
As I say, when I discuss this topic or indeed, hear commentary in the media, it is pretty unanimous that playing minor games before big senior games should have been maintained and that u17 is poorer spectacle than u18, mainly due to the physical development of players.

Minor football was never meant to be a spectacle though. It should be about development of players. You can argue whether playing u17/20 or 18/21 develops them better but other sports don't use youth levels as pre-game entertainment. Most people involved in minor football agree with moving it away from the senior games.

Yes, but we did, tradition and all that! Not all change is good or positive, some 'progressive' change is just self-defeating, this being a case in point IMO.

[Rossfan]

Self defeating??

[clonian]

They run the GAA, not random anti change bucks on GAAboard

It's not that random and not all change is for the best. I think many agree that u18 was a better competition than u17 and the logic for change is a little dubious.
And just because 90% of Congress votes for something doesn't mean it's a good thing, it just reflects the politics and that the people driving the change were able to secure the needed votes.
As I say, when I discuss this topic or indeed, hear commentary in the media, it is pretty unanimous that playing minor games before big senior games should have been maintained and that u17 is poorer spectacle than u18, mainly due to the physical development of players.

Minor football was never meant to be a spectacle though. It should be about development of players. You can argue whether playing u17/20 or 18/21 develops them better but other sports don't use youth levels as pre-game entertainment. Most people involved in minor football agree with moving it away from the senior games.

Yes, but we did, tradition and all that! Not all change is good or positive, some 'progressive' change is just self-defeating, this being a case in point IMO.

That doesn't mean we were right

[bennydorano]

Does anybody actually remember what was so wrong with it that the change had to come? I'd love someone to give us a run down and actually justify it.

Must be a decade in place and people still think it was all a load of horseshit.

[Rossfan]

People?

[Blowitupref]

On TG4 TV tonight

Good half of football

Tyrone 1-8 Kildare 1-7

[thebigfullforward]

Do our players know we are allowed to pass the ball and don't have to run through 4 men every single time and get bottled up?

[Blowitupref]

10 minutes to go Tyrone 1-11 Kildare 1-11

Result Tyrone 1-15 Kildare 1-12

[thebigfullforward]

Make the game more physical but if you hit a man shoulder to shoulder it's a foul 😂

[Onthe40]

Kildare continue their tradition of some of the best athletic footballers in Ireland but can't score