Replying To brianb:  "Reading through a lot of these posts have me thinking if we have the season the right way around? To accommodate more certainty for club fixtures we've moved the All Ireland finals by 2 months to July. Should we have instead pushed them the other way - 4-6 weeks to the end of October to free up space within the Calender.

This could leave the calendar looking like this:

Dec/Jan - off season
Feb/Mar/April/May - National Leagues / Collages / Club Leagues / Club Provincial Semi Finals, Finals and Club All Ireland (St Patricks Day) - Players availability as follows - 1 - Club All Ireland; 2 Collages; 3. National Leagues; 4. Club Leagues
Jun/July- Club championships early rounds and InterCounty Provincial championships
August/September - Club Championships knockouts and All Ireland up to 1/4 finals
October - Club finals; All Ireland Semi Finals and Finals
November - Club finals for All Ireland Counties and Early provincial championships rounds

By pushing out the All Ireland Finals - there is more space in the year to play the club and county game alongside each other. You'd end up with the majority of championship games for both Club and County played in the best conditions.

At the start of the year - a full fixture reservation list could be produced by the central fixtures committee allowing county boards to give certainty of fixtures to the clubs."

Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Was not the "split season" brought in because it was proving impossible in practice to run County and Club Championships at the same time?"

Replying To joeteor:  "it was in Donegal anyway, couldn't say in other counties, all county players were not allowed to play club which I dont agree with, which ended up with all club championship getting delayed until Donegal were finished. and youd have a mad rush some years to get it ran off in time for Ulster club."

Replying To joeteor:  "so each senior club championship will have 2 teams straight in to the quarter finals before a ball is kicked? The defending champions and the promoted intermediate winners?"

Replying To brianb:  "It should be the other way around. Club players should get called up to play for the county rather than be county players getting released to play for their club."

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "It doesnt have to be q finals it would depend on the club championship structure-
The point is that the Club championships have more time (August to November) to be played instead of running them off week on week in a big hurry.

Lets use Dublin as an example - Generally likely to be effected most - 15 teams - 3 groups of 5
Group 1 - Na Fianna, Ballyboden, St Vincents, Ballinteer, Kilmacud
Group 2 - Lucan, Raheny, Thomas Davis, Clontarf, St Sylvesters
Group 3 - Ballymun, Templeogue, Whitehall, Castleknock, St Judes
Round 1 on 24th August
Round 2 on 31st August
Round 3 on 14nd September
Round 4 on 28th September
Round 5 on 12th October
Play off round 26th October (Cuala and 3d place teams open draw for 2 spots in q finals)

Leinster Championship (seeded based on county performance in Tailteann and Sam Maguire)
Round 1: 10th August
1 Carlow v Laois
2 Louth v Longford
3 Wexford v Offaly
Quarter-Finals: 17th August
4 3 v 2
5 Meath v 1
6 Westmeath v Kildare
7 Wicklow v Dublin
31st August : Provincial Semi final
14th September : Provincial final
28th September : All Ireland club semi
12th October : All Ireland final

2nd November : County Championship Q finals
9th November : County Semi finals
23rd November: County Final


All very easily done, with more space between games and more games in the Club championship

In Kerry
Club Championship (Crokes with a bye)
Group A - Laune Rangers, Stacks, Dingle,
Group B - Kenmare, Miltown, Na Gaeil
Group C - Rathmore, Templenoe, Spa
10th August : Round 1
17th August : Provincial qfinal
24st August : Round 2
31st August : Provincial Semi final
County Championship (8 districts and 6 clubs) play off to produce 4 districts and 3 clubs in q finals
7th September : Round 1 (4+ 3 matches)
14th September : Provincial final
21st September : Round 2A (2+1 match + 1 bye) & 2B (2 + 1 matches + 1 bye) Round 2A winners (3 teams into q finals)
28th September : : All Ireland club semi
05th October : Round 3 matches (3x2A losers + 1 bye) v (3x 2Blosers +1bye) = 4 teams to round 4
12th October : Round 4 matches (2 progress) : All Ireland club final
19th October : Round 5 (losers of rd 4 play off) - 1 to progress
26th October : County Championship Q finals (previous years senior and intermediate champions enter)
2nd November : County Semi finals
16th November: County Final
23rd November: Senior Club quarter finals (top 6 from group stage + senior and intermediate county champs)
30th November : Senior Club semis
7th December : Senior Club finals"

Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Not in the real World I'm afraid."

Replying To brianb:  "Why not? In this scenario a rule needs to be set that club players are available for the club championship games. A rule could be passed that if a player had not played the latest round of the club championship they would be ineligible for inter-county action.

A big issue before was with intercounty games going to a replay and full rounds of club action being moved because of it. Without replays this certainty can be given."

Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Was not the "split season" brought in because it was proving impossible in practice to run County and Club Championships at the same time?"

Replying To Viking66:  "When do you plan to play the hurling championships?"

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "I assume you mean the county hurling championship - the likelihood of a club winning their own county club and champoinship in the same year is so slim, you dont have to consider that - therefore the below is possible

Hurling rd 1 on 17th August
Round 1 on 24th August
Round 2 on 31st August
Hurling rd 2 on 7th September
Round 3 on 14nd September
Hurling round 2 on 21st September
Round 4 on 28th September
Hurling Rd 4 on 5th OCtober
Round 5 on 12th October
Hurling Round 5 on 19th October
Play off round 26th October
Hurling play off round on 2nd November

Leinster Championship (seeded based on county performance in Tailteann and Sam Maguire)
Round 1: 10th August
1 Carlow v Laois
2 Louth v Longford
3 Wexford v Offaly
Quarter-Finals: 17th August
4 3 v 2
5 Meath v 1
6 Westmeath v Kildare
7 Wicklow v Dublin
31st August : Provincial Semi final
14th September : Provincial final
28th September : All Ireland club semi
12th October : All Ireland final

2nd November : County Championship Q finals
9th November : County Semi finals
16th NOvember: Hurling q finals
23rd November: County Final
30th November ; hurling semis
7th Dec : hurling final"

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "I assume you mean the county hurling championship - the likelihood of a club winning their own county club and champoinship in the same year is so slim, you dont have to consider that - therefore the below is possible

Hurling rd 1 on 17th August
Round 1 on 24th August
Round 2 on 31st August
Hurling rd 2 on 7th September
Round 3 on 14nd September
Hurling round 2 on 21st September
Round 4 on 28th September
Hurling Rd 4 on 5th OCtober
Round 5 on 12th October
Hurling Round 5 on 19th October
Play off round 26th October
Hurling play off round on 2nd November

Leinster Championship (seeded based on county performance in Tailteann and Sam Maguire)
Round 1: 10th August
1 Carlow v Laois
2 Louth v Longford
3 Wexford v Offaly
Quarter-Finals: 17th August
4 3 v 2
5 Meath v 1
6 Westmeath v Kildare
7 Wicklow v Dublin
31st August : Provincial Semi final
14th September : Provincial final
28th September : All Ireland club semi
12th October : All Ireland final

2nd November : County Championship Q finals
9th November : County Semi finals
16th NOvember: Hurling q finals
23rd November: County Final
30th November ; hurling semis
7th Dec : hurling final"

Replying To KillingFields:  "That's madness.
Some players may never get a proper off season then or a very small off season. Not good for long term health"

Replying To Viking66:  "When are the Provincial Club Championships? Also you have for example a Provincial Football semifinal on the same weekend as round 2 of the club football championship. 14/9. That's just not possible ."

Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Sure they're only dying to bring back replays - for Provincial Finals firstly, then it will be AI semi finals....
We had Club and County together for years, the problems with it led to the CPA fix the fixtures etc until the clean "split" came in.
I'd say 90% of players prefer the current set up.

In Roscommon we now finish Club Leagues before the Championship starts - League Finals all divisions in July.
Previously a League might get finished in December, you could have a Final as late as the following March....or maybe never played."

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "You missed it. If your in the provincial club championships, you get a by to your own county club championship qfinal.

The current system has successful club players playing and training 22 months straight. Wait until the all irelands are delayed into August - see what the squeeze is like then"

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Some players dont get a proper season as it is - Do any of the junior, intermediate and senior provincial club winners get an off season at the moment. At least the above means no one is training through christmas."