Football switched to Sunday as Offaly league final fixtures announced

THE Division 3 National Football League final between Offaly and Kildare has been switched to this Sunday, March 30 in Croke Park.

Initially pencilled in for Saturday evening as a double bill with the Division 4 final between Wexford and Limerick, the change has been made to facilitate a request by Roscommon. Roscommon are meeting Monaghan in the Division 2 final but looked for the game to be a day earlier as they are travelling to London for their Connacht championship opener a week later.

Offaly and Kildare will be a curtain raiser to the Division 1 final between Kerry and Mayo and will have a 1.45pm throw in.

The Division 1B National Hurling League final between Offaly and Waterford has been fixed for the following Sunday, April 6 in Cork. It will have a 1.45pm throw in and is a curtain raiser to the Division 1A shootout between Cork and Tipperary.

It had been expected over the weekend that this double bill in Cork would emerge – with Cork and Tipperary in the Division 1A final, it made sense for that game to be played in either Cork or Thurles and the Offaly v Waterford renewal is an obvious curtain raiser for it.

Offaly football fans won't be one bit put out at the switch of their game to Sunday. A 1.45pm throw in on Sunday is way more palatable than a 7.15pm one on a Saturday evening and Offaly will now have a much bigger support in Croke Park.