Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Donegal take on Monaghan in Croke Park this Saturday afternoon.James Crombie/INPHO FreePlayer Welfare 'Not a new issue' - GPA supports Donegal's frustration at short quarter-final turnaround Donegal face Monaghan in the All-Ireland quarter-final, six days after defeating Louth. 10.41am, 24 Jun 2025 Share options THE GPA SAYS it “fully supports” Donegal’s frustration regarding their six-day turnaround for their All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Monaghan in Croke Park on Saturday afternoon. In a statement released to The 42, the GPA says that this is “not a new issue” and that they have “repeatedly raised concerns” to the GAA’s Central Council about short periods between games. Advertisement Donegal GAA released a statement last night, expressing their disappointment that a request to arrange the Monaghan game for Sunday rather than Saturday was denied. The Ulster champions also claimed that player welfare “was not adequately considered in the decision making process.” Jim McGuinness’s side is the only county with a six-day break between their preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final win over Louth, and their Croke Park clash with Monaghan. The 42 has contacted the GAA for comment but did not receive a response at time of publication. The GPA statement reads: “The GPA fully supports Donegal’s concerns regarding the six-day turnaround for their upcoming championship fixture. We have consistently communicated to the GAA that player welfare must be the primary consideration in the scheduling of all games. “This is not a new issue. The GPA has repeatedly raised concerns at Central Council about the burden of short turnarounds between high stakes matches, particularly in the wake of National League finals and the start of provisional competitions. It is also a key reason why we have lobbied for the removal of the current group stage format, which creates a 24-game structure to eliminate just four teams — an excessive load that places undue strain on amateur athletes. It’s positive that the GAA has addressed that for 2026. “However, it is disappointing that Donegal’s formal request — based on legitimate player welfare grounds — could not be accommodated. “We will continue to advocate for player welfare to be at the heart of all fixture decisions. That principle must not be compromised.” Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here Related Reads How will eliminated teams reflect on 2025 Sam Maguire exit? 'Very disappointing' - Donegal hit out at six-day turnaround for All-Ireland quarter-final 'The body can only take so much' - Long-serving Down hero Mooney hints at retirement Sinead Farrell View 3 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'Not a new issue' - GPA supports Donegal's frustration at short quarter-final turnaround ”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'Not a new issue' - GPA supports Donegal's frustration at short quarter-final turnaround ”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion All-Ireland SFC All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Final Donegal GAA Gaelic Football Player Welfare News in 60 seconds FreePodcastThe 42FM Could you get in trouble for using a dodgy box? FreeQualifier RTÉ to show Champions League first leg between Shelbourne and Linfield FreeRespect 'I am sad to see him leave... He's a good manager and a good person' FreePursuit Man Utd make improved bid in excess of €70m for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo Freefine print Joe Schmidt rejects Lions’ demands to release Australia stars for tour games '€25, you're having a laugh' - Season-low Cork City crowd takes aim at club owner Usher FreeClub World Cup Messi to face PSG as Inter Miami and Palmeiras advance after draw Tyrone to face Dublin, Meath v Galway in All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals High demand Cork v Dublin All-Ireland hurling semi-final a virtual sell-out Offaly teenager Alex Dunne to get McLaren F1 shot at Austrian Grand Prix 'It was the Lions or Star Wars' - Van der Flier raring to go in Perth more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account