Papal visit may delay All-Ireland final
June 21, 2017
Pope Francis is set to visit Ireland in 2018.
The likelihood of a Papal visit may mean that next year's All-Ireland football final will not be played in the month of August after all.
Sunday, August 26th was the date that the 2018 Sam Maguire Cup decider was to be played but The Irish Independent reports that it is expected that a Mass on that day will bring the curtain down on a six-day visit of Pope Francis to Ireland.
Croke Park would be the ideal venue for the Mass having hosted 80,000 for the Eucharistic Congress in 2012.
Pope Francis' visit is to coincide with the World Meeting of Families which the Archdiocese of Dublin is hosting.
At Central Congress last February, GAA delegates passed a motion to move the All-Ireland finals from their traditional dates in September to August.
The GAA are, apparently, hoping to accommodate the Mass so that could mean the football decider will take place a week later on Sunday, September 2nd.
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