LAST UPDATE | 3 Jan

The 42

THE GAA WILL monitor pitches ahead of this weekend’s All-Ireland club football semi-final action after Met Éireann issued snow-ice warnings around the country.

One fixture change has already taken place with Kerry’s Austin Stacks and Derry’s Ballinderry now set to play in the intermediate semi-final tomorrow in Parnell Park at 2pm. The game had originally been fixed for Tullamore.

There have also been throw-in time changes for two inter-county charity hurling games that are taking place tomorrow.

Waterford will now play Cork in Dungarvan at 2pm, while Tipperary will now play Clare in Templemore at 2.30pm. Both games had initially been fixed for Saturday evening throw-in times.

***NOTE: TIME CHANGE***

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Time Change - Senior Hurling Challenge Tipperary v Clare.
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Other football fixtures at senior, intermediate, and junior level have been pencilled in for venues in Longford, Roscommon, Cavan, and Portlaoise this weekend.

The two high-profile senior semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday afternoon with  Dublin’s Cuala taking on Sligo’s Coolera-Strandhill in Cavan, while Kerry’s Dr Crokes are set to face Tyrone’s Errigal Ciarán in Portlaoise.

At present the games are set to go ahead, but the GAA have confirmed this afternoon that “due to the current weather forecast, the GAA will monitor the pitches over the weekend, (and) any changes will be notified as soon as possible”.

Kingspan Breffni in Cavan. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

The counties that are due to host the club games have all been issued with a status yellow or orange ‘snow-ice’ warning, that is due to come into effect at 5pm tomorrow and covers the following 24 hours.

The club fixture schedule allows little room for postponements as the intermediate final is down for Sunday 12 January at 4.30pm, the senior final is on Sunday 19 January at 3.30pm, while the junior final is on Saturday 25 January.

Elsewhere in horse racing, Sunday’s Grade One card at Naas will have to pass an inspection at 7.30am on race day if it is to go ahead.

The fixture is highlighted by the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle, a top-level contest won by the likes of Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger in recent years, with able support from the Grade Two Racing Post Novice Chase.

Action from Naas Racecourse (file photo). Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan reported the course to be raceable on Friday despite an overnight frost, but with snow a possibility on Saturday night, he felt it prudent to assess conditions on Sunday.

He said: “The ground at Naas is currently soft and fit for racing. There is a grass frost at present but that will clear quite quickly today.

“Having spoken with Met Éireann this morning, the forecast for Saturday night into Sunday morning is for rain, sleet or snow. There is an uncertainty at present what will fall so in light of that forecast we will have a 7.30am inspection here at Naas on Sunday morning.”

Munster Rugby have also today announced that due to the adverse weather conditions forecasted over the coming days, all domestic fixtures scheduled to take place in the province this weekend have been postponed.

Due to the adverse weather conditions forecasted over the coming days, all domestic fixtures scheduled to take place in the province this weekend have been postponed.

More info ⤵️#SUAF 🔴

— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) January 3, 2025

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GAA Fixtures

Saturday 4 January

All-Ireland intermediate club football semi-finals

• Crossmolina Deel Rovers (Mayo) v Caragh (Kildare), Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford, 1pm – Spórt TG4 YouTube.

• Austin Stacks (Kerry) v Ballinderry (Derry), Parnell Park, 2pm – Spórt TG4 YouTube.

*****

Sunday 5 January

All-Ireland senior club football semi-finals

• Coolera-Strandhill (Sligo) v Cuala (Dublin), Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 1.30pm – TG4.

• Dr Crokes (Kerry) v Errigal Ciarán (Tyrone), Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 3.30pm – TG4.

All-Ireland junior club football semi-final

• An Cheathrú Rua (Galway) v Ballinagar (Offaly), King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 1pm – Spórt TG4 YouTube.

Junior football twinning final

• Tara (London) v Naomh Pádraig Muff (Donegal), McGovern Park, Ruislip, 12pm – Ulster GAA TV.

- Additional reporting by PA

Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.