Two of this weekend’s All-Ireland quarter finals to be shown exclusively on GAAGO

Niall McIntyre

Two of this weekend’s big All-Ireland quarter finals will be shown exclusively on GAA GO.

Sunday’s meetings of Dublin-Mayo and Derry-Cork will be shown live on RTÉ Two but Saturday’s double-header will be broadcast exclusively on the streaming platform.

Kerry-Tyrone and Armagh-Monaghan will not be on terrestrial television and will be behind the paywall instead. Strangely, despite having played five championship games, Kerry’s clash with Clare was the only time the Kingdom have been broadcast on live tv in this series which is certainly something of a head-scratcher.

This turn of events has breathed new life into the complaints and debate surrounding GAAGO.

Famously, Donal Óg Cusack criticised RTÉ and the GAA in relation to GAAGO earlier in the year.

“You’d have to question, are RTE and the GAA exploiting hurling?” asked the Cork-man on The Sunday Game.

“It looks very like they’re using hurling to get this joint-venture (GAA GO) off the ground.”

Former Dublin player Conal Keaney summed up the frustration surrounding GAA GO earlier this year on The GAA Hour.

“I bought it there the last day, I spent £70 or whatever it is, to try and get all of the games. I wanted to watch the games, couldn’t figure out how to get it on the telly, so ended up watching it on the laptop,” said Keaney.

“Then I was trying to get it for my parents at their house, and it was just a nightmare so my parents didn’t see the game, and I think that just summed it up.

“But I watched the game, and there’s this little green outside of our house, and I went out with my young lad and was just pucking around.

“This green was full of kids pucking about, and playing football, and I thought they were all out after the match, and I said ‘lads, did you watch the match?’ and they were like ‘no, what match? There was no match on telly.’

Meanwhile, two All-Ireland ladies football group stage clashes will be shown on TG4 this Saturday with Meath-Donegal and Mayo-Laois being broadcast.

All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals (Saturday)

Armagh v Monaghan, Croke Park, 6pm – GAAGO
Kerry v Tyrone, Croke Park, 3.45pm – GAAGO

Sunday

Dublin v Mayo, Croke Park, 4.00 – RTE
Derry v Cork, Croke Park, 1.45 – RTE

All-Ireland champions Kerry will have played 6 championship matches this season – only one live on RTE – four on GAAGO – and one not shown at all – it beggars belief

— Sylvester Hennessy (@Slyone1069) June 26, 2023

My mother (83) said F*ck It last night. That’s rare and unusual. It happened when I told her @Kerry_Official v @TyroneGAALive was not on television Saturday. Think she was pretty exasperated.

— Tony Leen (@tonyleen) June 27, 2023