When Antrim were drawn first out of the hat to play Armagh in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Ulster SFC, they were in line to receive home advantage.
But when fixture details were finalised late last week, the game had been fixed for Newry, and not in Corrigan Park in Belfast, in five weeks’ time.
Ulster GAA made this call because, as they said, when they originally announced that Corrigan Park would be unsuitable last month, “the minimum number of tickets required to accommodate this fixture (including, players charter, match officials, multi-sponsors, media, season tickets etc) will exceed the venue capacity”.
Antrim reacted predictably to that announcement, saying their intent was to play the game in Belfast, or not at all. The statements, from players and management, seemed to brook no argument. But Ulster GAA proceeded to fix it for Newry anyway.
The GPA released a statement last Thursday saying they are “fully behind the Antrim senior football squad’s position that their Ulster championship opening round fixture against Armagh must be played at their designated home ground”.
“We acknowledge Corrigan Park will not accommodate all Antrim and Armagh supporters but the integrity of the competition and the fundamental principle of home advantage take precedence.
“Financial and logistical concerns should not be prioritised over sporting fairness.”
These are not new arguments.
In 2018, pretty much the most exciting thing to happen in that entire rather dour football season was Kildare refusing to play Mayo anywhere other than their home ground of Newbridge. That led to an extraordinary evening of football, culminating in the beaten All-Ireland finalists of the previous two years going out to the home team.
In 2022, the Cork footballers were moved out of Páirc Uí Chaoimh when their own county board fixed an Ed Sheeran concert for the weekend before they were supposed to be playing Kerry. But Cork stood up to the Munster Council when that game was subsequently fixed for Killarney. The Munster Council backed down and the match was played at Páirc Uí Rinn.
In March of that same year, Cavan brought a motion to an Ulster GAA meeting requesting that their first round game against Antrim be moved out of Corrigan Park. It was passed, with only three counties voting against - Antrim, Tyrone and Derry. Antrim were extremely annoyed by the suggestion that they would be denied a first home Ulster championship game since 2013. They stood up for themselves, the Ulster Council backed down, and the game was duly played in Corrigan Park.
Almost three years later, to the day, and the Ulster Council find themselves in a similar quandary. Only this time, instead of Cavan’s loyal but modest following potentially missing out, it is the best fanbase in the country, on the back of only Armagh’s second ever All-Ireland title.
The current capacity of Corrigan Park is approximately 4,000 people. The current capacity of Páirc Esler in Newry is closer to 20,000. Antrim v Armagh would not be a sell-out in Newry, but it wouldn’t be far off. You would certainly be looking at a crowd in Newry of 14,000 or 15,000 people . . . and a difference of 10,000 tickets left unsold is too many disappointed customers for the Ulster Council to countenance.
It has been reported that Antrim brought a motion to last week’s Ulster Council meeting saying the game must be played in Corrigan Park - which was not supported by any other county. They were left entirely alone.
The incident in 2022 is instructive, but it is worth taking an even wider look at this from Antrim’s point of view. Corrigan Park is their home ground due to the continuing slow-moving car crash that is the redevelopment of Casement Park.
The Ulster Council’s argument is that the GAA needs a flagship stadium in the second-biggest city on the island. Surely that argument is weakened when you try to move only the second Ulster championship game to be played in Belfast in 12 years.
Antrim themselves are not planning to make Corrigan Park their long-term home. Their stationing there is not of their own making. Some understanding of their situation would be expected.
People will be left unhappy at not being able to attend, as may well happen with Donegal against Derry in Ballybofey, and, who knows, for the Ulster final in May as well. But no one (not even Armagh season ticket holders, who are informed of this possibility before they buy) is guaranteed a ticket.
The only argument put forth for this game to be played in Newry is financial. Some 10,000 unsold tickets, at €25 a pop, is a quarter of a million quid. Even taking into account concession tickets, which would make up a proportion of that difference between the crowds in Belfast and Newry, it would be a sizeable financial hit.
From Newbridge onwards, these controversies have ended with the team being denied home advantage refusing to budge and coming out on top. Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney, to his credit, has already said he sympathises and agrees with Antrim’s position.
If Ulster GAA decide to try to hold firm this time, nothing that’s emerged from Antrim GAA on this issue would suggest that they’ll be in attendance to fulfil the fixture in Newry on April 12th. And if that happens, Ulster GAA will have lost a lot more than pounds, pence, euros and cents.
