The prospect of Dublin playing their first Championship game outside of Croke Park since 2006 increased last night after the completion of the 2016 Leinster Championship draw.
The defending All-Ireland football champions were drawn to play the winners of the preliminary round tie between Laois and Wicklow in next year’s Leinster Championship quarter-finals with John Horan, the Leinster council chairman, admitting he is considering scheduling the game in Nowlan Park. If so, it would represent Dublin’s first road trip since 2006, when they defeated Longford by two points in Pearse Park.
“It has never been an issue, taking Dublin out of Croke Park,” Horan said. “That hasn’t been the problem. People have looked at it in terms of the total practicalities. Go back and look who Dublin drew on previous occasions – taking them out of Croke Park would have put them into Tullamore or Portlaoise and those grounds just don’t have the seating capacity to deal with the demands.
“Nowlan Park, however, has been mentioned [as a possible alternative to Croke Park]. We have explored the financial aspects and while it hasn’t been put to a full council meeting, we will look in a serious way at playing a Dublin match in that ground.
“Playing outside of Croke Park has never been an issue for the Dublin county board, Jim Gavin [the Dublin manager] or the players. I actually think, having talked to some of the Dublin players, they would love the novelty of it.
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“That to me would create a whole energy about it and would be a marketing tool in itself for the game. There isn’t a doubt we would fill Nowlan Park. We just have to look at the economics of it.”
Should Dublin, the defending All-Ireland football champions, see off Laois or Wicklow then their path to an 11th Leinster title in 12 years would involve a likely reunion with old rivals, Meath, in the semi-finals. The 2010 Leinster champions face the winners of the Carlow-Louth preliminary round game in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, there are no stand-out ties in the football championship although the prospect of Galway and Mayo meeting at the semi-finals stage in Connacht is considerable given how Mayo only have London’s challenge to overcome to reach the last four. Meanwhile, Monaghan and Donegal are on course to meet in the semi-finals of the Ulster Championship, providing they win their quarter-finals ties.
Tyrone, the 2015 All-Ireland semi-finalists, meet neighbours Derry in the Ulster quarter-finals and, if successful in that game, will play either Armagh or Cavan, who produced a feisty encounter when they met in the 2014 Championship.
However it is the clash between Tipperary and Cork in the Munster hurling Championship quarter-finals that stands out. The traditional powers of Munster hurling have a treacherous route to an All-Ireland semi-finals given that the winners of their quarter-finals tie must subsequently meet Limerick in the semi-finals. Waterford and Clare meet in the other Munster semi-final.
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In the Leinster hurling Championship, Kilkenny, the All-Ireland champions, will face the winners of the quarter-finals clash between Dublin and Wexford.
GAELIC FOOTBALL 2016 PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW
2016 Leinster SFC draw
Preliminary round
Louth v Carlow
Laois v Wicklow
Longford v Offaly
Quarter-finals
Louth/Carlow v Meath
Laois/Wicklow v Dublin
Wexford v Kildare
Longford/Offaly v Westmeath
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Semi-finals
Laois/Wicklow/Dublin v Louth/Carlow/Meath
Longford/Offaly/Westmeath v Wexford/Kildare
2016 Ulster SFC draw
Preliminary round: Fermanagh v Antrim
Quarter-finals: Donegal v Antrim/Fermanagh; Monaghan v Down; Derry v Tyrone; Cavan v Armagh
Semi-finals: Donegal/Antrim/Fermanagh v Monaghan/Down; Derry/Tyrone v Cavan/Armagh
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2016 Munster SFC draw
Quarter-finals: Waterford v Tipperary; Clare v Limerick
Semi-finals: Clare/Limerick v Kerry; Waterford/Tipperary v Cork
2016 Connacht SFC draw
Preliminary round: Roscommon v New York; Mayo v London
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Quarter-finals: Leitrim v Roscommon/New York; Galway v Mayo/London
Semi-finals: Sligo v Roscommon/New York/Leitrim
HURLING
2016 Leinster SHC draw
Qualifier group: Offaly, Westmeath, Carlow, Kerry
Quarter-finals: Dublin vs. Wexford; Group winner vs. Galway; Group runner-up vs. Laois
Semi-finals: Kilkenny vs. Dublin/Wexford; Group winner/Galway vs. Group runner-up/Laois
2016 Munster SHC draw
Quarter-final: Tipperary vs. Cork
Semi-finals: Tipperary/Cork vs. Limerick; Waterford vs Clare