The All-Ireland senior football final will return to August in 2027 if a motion is passed at Congress in February.
The proposal, which would also entail the hurling final moving to the last weekend in July, was supported in principle by Central Council on Saturday.
Should it receive 60% support from delegates next year, the football decider will take place on the second weekend in August with a gap weekend between the two finals. The recommendations of the group commissioned by GAA president Jarlath Burns were presented by former director general Páraic Duffy.
Tied into the idea is pre-seasons being discontinued permanently from 2027 – although they return next year after being suspended this year – and abandoning the possibility of All-Ireland finals drawn at the end of normal time going to replays. A motion proposing such a move was withdrawn earlier this year pending further discussion as tied into it was provincial finals level after extra-time going to replays.
To compensate for the impact on their club championships, the representatives of the All-Ireland SHC and SFC finals will receive byes in the provincial club championships. Semi-final byes will be given in Connacht and Munster and those in Leinster and Ulster will avoid first or preliminary round matches.
As pre-season competitions are back in January, the return to training date will be early November although protocols relating to it have to be confirmed. The Gaelic Players Association had insisted on the eight-week run-in to the early January start of the provincial competitions.
Meanwhile, the GAA’s ethics committee is engaging with National Leagues sponsors Allianz regarding the multinational insurance company’s ownership of Israeli treasury bonds.
Hundreds of current and former inter-county players have called for the association to end its link with its longest-standing sponsor as Israel continues its military actions in Gaza.