Portlaoise may host Leinster SFC semi-final amid major provincial shake-up

Leinster GAA has made a significant decision to move both provincial Senior Football Championship semi-finals outside of Croke Park, marking the first time since 1995 that both last-four encounters will not be held at GAA headquarters.

The decision, reported by Damian Lawlor on the RTE website, comes after declining attendance at recent Leinster semi-finals, including last year’s doubleheader, which saw just over 21,000 spectators, the lowest turnout for this stage of the competition in 14 years.

The fixtures, set for the end of April, are expected to be played in provincial grounds, with Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise among the potential venues. Thanks to its excellent transport links via the M7 motorway and train connections, Portlaoise offers a convenient location for supporters traveling from across the province. With capacities ranging from 14,000 to 22,000, regional grounds are expected to provide a better atmosphere than the under-populated stands of Croke Park.

“We looked at the last number of semi-finals and the emptiness of the Croke Park stadium,” Leinster GAA Chair Derek Kent explained. “There was less of an atmosphere and teams were traveling to be there, so we took the decision as a council to move to provincial grounds.”

This shift follows a wider trend of declining attendances, a factor that Kent acknowledged in his comments. Last year’s Leinster SFC semi-finals attracted disappointing crowds, and the same was true for the recent football league finals, which drew just 21,596 spectators for the Division 1 final between Kerry and Mayo.

However, Kent emphasised that the decision to move the semi-finals was not a direct response to the disappointing attendance at the league finals. "This was spoken about in the council some weeks back," he said. "It didn’t make any difference what happened at the weekend."

The decision to shift the semi-finals is also aimed at better catering to regional support. “We are all aware of how good the provincial grounds are,” Kent added. “And my own preference is for a single, standalone fixture for both semi-finals. With the capacity of our provincial grounds, a single game should fill that.”

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Leinster GAA’s initiative is seen as a move towards creating more regional matchups, where local fans can attend without the long travel times associated with Croke Park. Portlaoise, with its central location and strong footballing tradition, could be a prime venue for this new approach.

In addition to the semi-final move, Leinster GAA has also reduced adult stand ticket prices for this weekend’s opening SFC fixtures, dropping them from €25 to €15 for games including Wexford v Laois, Meath v Carlow, and Longford v Wicklow. Kent hopes the price reduction will encourage greater attendance and overall engagement from supporters.

"Most teams are out almost every weekend," he said. "By charging €15, we could maybe learn something. With a lower price, our attendances might go up."

Laois will get their Leinster Senior Football Championship underway this Saturday, April 5 in Chadwicks Wexford Park from 6pm.