Galway star Conor Whelan is urging the GAA to move both the football and hurling All-Ireland finals back to August. Currently, both finals are scheduled to conclude this month, but Whelan believes returning to the traditional end-of-August date would be more favorable for GAA fans across the country.
The Galway man argue that having both finals within a week of each other diminishes the spectacle and doesn't allow enough time for fans to fully absorb the excitement of the games.
Whelan stated, "People are almost digesting the semi-final and then the final is on," expressing his concern about the quick succession of the two major events. He suggests that pushing the hurling final to the beginning of August and having the football final in mid-August would be a fairer and more balanced approach.
“I could see how it [the hurling final] kind of gets lost in it, especially because it's week on week between the two finals.
“Personally speaking I’d probably like to see the hurling pushed out until the start of August. I think it would be fair and have the football mid-August.
Despite potential challenges with the split season model, Whelan believes extending the timeline by two or three weeks wouldn't make a significant difference and could provide the necessary breathing space for players and fans alike.
“There’s obviously challenges there in terms of the split season and stuff like that. I know in Galway our club championship is scheduled to finish in the middle of October," he added
“Is it much difference if it went another two or three weeks? I don’t think so to be honest.”
Having lost to @KilkennyCLG in the Leinster Final and @LimerickCLG in the All-Ireland semi-final, Galway hurler Conor Whelan is in a good position to run the rule over Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC finalists. #GAABelong
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 21, 2023
As the weekend approaches, Kilkenny and Limerick are preparing to compete for the Liam McCarthy Cup. Limerick, under the guidance of John Kiely, aims to achieve their first-ever four-in-a-row victory, while Kilkenny is determined to secure their first All-Ireland crown since 2015. Whelan, who has faced both teams in the past, refrains from picking an outright winner for the Croke Park Finale, acknowledging that both sides are formidable.
They’re two very, very good teams. Limerick are going for four-in-a-row, they have different players stepping up different days.
He also praised Limerick's depth of talent, with various players stepping up on different occasions, and particularly highlighted the impressive form of Aaron Gillane He also commended Kilkenny's ability to find a way to win matches, highlighting key players such as Eoin Cody, TJ Reid, and Martin Keoghan, who perform exceptionally well in the forward positions. Anticipating a highly competitive game, Whelan expects it to be even tighter than the final from the previous year.
“Obviously Aaron Gillane is flying it. Not too sure of the injury situation. It doesn’t seem to bother them really and they’re just an absolutely outstanding team and then you have Kilkenny who just always seem to find a way and they have Eoin Cody and TJ [Reid] and Martin Keoghan and all these boys up front as well so, yeah, I see it as being a very, very tight game.
“I see it as being even tighter than the final last year and very much looking forward to it.”
The final showdown is scheduled to begin at 15:30 this Sunday and will be broadcast live on RTÉ2, providing fans with the opportunity to witness the thrilling contest.
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