County GAA Fixtures Plan broadly unchanged for 2026
By Shane Brophy
The Competitions Controls Committee of Tipperary County Board have confirmed their fixtures calendar for the 2026 season.
The schedule is broadly similar to the initial plan for last year, although it was altered when Tipperary qualified for the All-Ireland Hurling Final which saw the start dates of the county championships put back by two weeks.
The 2026 plan is again based on Tipperary not reaching an All-Ireland Hurling final with the group stages of the FBD Insurance County Hurling Championships in senior, premier intermediate & intermediate beginning on the weekend of July 26th, a week after the All-Ireland Hurling Final. The dates will be deferred if Tipp reach a second consecutive All-Ireland.
The hurling and football championships will run every second weekend, with all hurling finals fixed for the weekend of 11th October, with the football finals a week later.
The club season will begin with the adult football leagues getting underway on the weekend of March 8th with the hurling leagues beginning a week later. Both leagues will alternate every second week, with the football finals set for the May Bank Holiday weekend, with the hurling finals a week later.
The under 21 hurling finals are fixed for the weekend of December 6th with the football finals the week later, while the return of the under 18 minor grade will see its hurling finals on the weekend of September 20th with the football finals the following weekend.
The scheduling of the divisional championships at senior, premier intermediate and intermediate have yet to be determined as they depend on Tipperary’s progress in the inter-county championships, with a June start again likely if the county senior teams fail to progress deep into their respective championships.
KEY DATES
County Football Leagues: 8 & 22 March, 5 & 19 April, 4 May, 17 May (semi-finals) & 31 May-1 June (finals)
County Hurling Leagues: 15 & 29 March; 12 & 26 April, 10 & 24 May (semi-finals), 7 June (finals)
County Hurling Championships: 24-26 July – Round 1; 7-9 August – Round 2, 21-23 August – Round 3; 5-6 September – Preliminary quarter finals; 12-13 September – quarter finals; 26-27 September – semi-finals; 10-11 October - Finals
County Football Championships: 31 July-3 August - Round 1; 14-16 August – Round 2; 28-30 August – Round 3; 19-20 September – quarter finals; 3-4 October – semi-finals; 17-18 October – Finals.