Connacht SFC final to be held in Croke Park

Despite being originally fixed for Elverys MacHale Park at the end of this month, the Connacht SFC final between Galway and Mayo will be played at Croke Park.

The final has been switched to HQ on Sunday 25 July with an early throw-in of 1.30pm.

Although both counties have a lengthy tradition of home and away arrangements, the game has been moved to the Dublin venue to allow a bigger crowd, of up to 18,000, to attend.

If the match had gone ahead in Castlebar, just 10% of MacHale Park's capacity (3,509) could have attended.

While this is the first time that the Connacht decider has been held outside the province, the Ulster senior football finals were held at Croke Park for a three-year period in the mid-noughties.