Is the earlier Championship a success or failure?

[square_ball]

"From a broadcaster's perspective, from a commercial perspective, the build-up to All-Ireland finals in August or September gives greater scope, energy and focus.

McBennett has some cheek coming out with that crap. There's so little coverage given to GAA from one week to the next on RTE you wouldn't even know the championship was on so it wouldn't matter when it was on to them.

Also world cup final is likely to be on at 8pm or thereabouts. That'll be a great day of sport to look forward to.

[Truthsayer]

I mean look at that headline:

"split season debate still rages"

How can anyone honestly write that headline? Because some gombeen is telling misty eyed lies about days of yore, does this imply there's a "rage"?

Nobody talks about the split season as it is.

In other words it's such a blinding success, nobody seems to even to notice anymore.

Apart of course, from a small group of people masquerading as journalists, issuing the same contrary "thought pieces" on an annual schedule while pretending to work.

It's a shameful thing what journalism has become, it really is.

100%. Anyone actually involved in football loves it. Maybe a tweak to get an extra week here or there but on the whole it's a huge success.

And anyone worried about the All Irelan clashing with the world cup we're better off without tbh

Totes. Am really enjoying the club championships and county was run off well too. GAA is not so stupid to have the All Ireland final on the same day as the World Cup final.. are they?

Don't think Ireland will be in it anyway.

Of course they won't be in it but it is the biggest watched sporting event on the planet or certainly up there.

[Franko]

I mean look at that headline:

"split season debate still rages"

How can anyone honestly write that headline? Because some gombeen is telling misty eyed lies about days of yore, does this imply there's a "rage"?

Nobody talks about the split season as it is.

In other words it's such a blinding success, nobody seems to even to notice anymore.

Apart of course, from a small group of people masquerading as journalists, issuing the same contrary "thought pieces" on an annual schedule while pretending to work.

It's a shameful thing what journalism has become, it really is.

Agreed.

There is no debate

Essentially everyone who matters is strongly in favour

On the other side, we've a few journos who don't like going to grounds without fancy press boxes and seafoid

[Rossfan]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/1129/1546487-watty-grahams-glen-raise-concerns-over-season-extension/

[Brendan]

Motion to extend the inter county season by 2 weeks coming up, whats the chances it will pass?

[Armagh18]

Motion to extend the inter county season by 2 weeks coming up, whats the chances it will pass?

Hopefully so.

[Rossfan]

Unlikely to if it needs 60%.

[moonster]

Motion to extend the inter county season by 2 weeks coming up, whats the chances it will pass?

Won't go through

[Goals_Will_Come]

And hopefully doesn't pass either.

[gallsman]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0224/1560161-split-season-hawks-have-floor-as-nostalgics-tune-out/

Good article here

The views of the players hold the greatest weight. They certainly should trump the opinions of maudlin sentimentalists who still haven't been able to reconcile themselves emotionally to the idea of an All-Ireland final before September.

[Armagh18]

Would be no harm pushing it out a week or two, championship feels very rushed and at times you feel the quality suffers if teams have to put in big performances week in week out.

Doesn't the new format which is replacing the groups leave an extra weeks break in there?

[Rossfan]

His Excellency John Prenty (Connacht CEO) totally opposed.
"Insult to Club players"

[twohands!!!]

The final two lines of that RTE article give a good insight into how likely this motion is to pass I think.

When you have two counties opposed to the motion hoping it isn't withdrawn so that it can fail and kill the idea long-term, you have to think that the odds of it passing seem fairly remote.

I'm not one for media conspiracies in the GAA but this definitely feels like an area where a lot of the GAA media/press and columnists are out of touch with the reality among ordinary GAA club folk on the ground.
I'm convinced that a number of those in the national media are opposed because it reduces their pay package.
Any and all players I know (both club and interounty) are pretty much unanimously in favour of the split-season. If there was any sort of serious effort to switch the All-Irelands back to September for instance I reckon it would unleash absolutely huge protests countrywide.

Cork and Galway - two big dual counties with well-attended club championships to run off - are especially anxious to kill the proposal to expand the season, even by a fortnight.

So confident are they of success that they are keen that the motion isn't withdrawn this Saturday, so they can bury it once and for all.

[Blowitupref]

His Excellency John Prenty (Connacht CEO) totally opposed.
"Insult to Club players"

The FBD become no more if the motion was voted in tomorrow so he was always going to be totally opposed.

The main people in charge including director general Tom Ryan have endorsed All-Ireland finals back into early August in the future, adding that such a move "would be no bad thing."

"There is a gathering mood to shuffle the finals back by a week or two, and that may well transpire in the future,"

"Stretching the season out a little would be no bad thing – but I don't foresee a return to September.

"A further opportunity to stretch the season might well present itself at the other end of things, in January. Perhaps the suspension of the provincial pre-season competitions could point to starting the Allianz Leagues a little earlier in future?

__________________

For me not a hope it's going to get close to a successful vote tomorrow, I won't be surprised if it's withdrawn but going on how Congress works and what those in power want they'll be back again with a more compromising motion to vote on next year.

[twohands!!!]

For me not a hope it's going to get close to a successful vote tomorrow, I won't be surprised if it's withdrawn but going on how Congress works and what those in power want they'll be back again with a more compromising motion to vote on next year.

Agree - that's the likeliest outcome but it depends on how stubborn those behind the motion are.