EirGrid, the state-owned company charged with securing the transition of Ireland’s electricity grid to a low carbon future, has officially launched the 2023 EirGrid GAA Football U20 All-Ireland Championship in Dublin today.
Tyrone U20 football manager Paul Devlin, 5-time All-Ireland winner, 5- time All-Star and new Kerry U20 manager, Tomás Ó Sé, and last year’s EirGrid Player of the Year and current Tyrone U20 captain, Ruairí Canavan, attended the launch.
The EirGrid U20 Football Championship is part of EirGrid's wider commitment to supporting local communities and investing in the future of Ireland. As the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid, EirGrid plays a vital role in ensuring that the country has a reliable and sustainable source of energy, so communities can prosper, and the economy can grow.
The 2023 season marks the ninth year of EirGrid’s sponsorship of the U20 Football Championship, where the country’s most exciting and talented young footballers compete across all four provinces through to the All-Ireland Final on Saturday, 13th of May.
Speaking at the event, EirGrid chief executive Mark Foley said “At EirGrid we are delighted to launch the EirGrid U20 Championship today, in what is our ninth year of sponsorship of the competition. This competition has provided a strong platform for the country's young and talented footballers to showcase their skills and develop their potential, powering forward into the senior county ranks. We would like to wish all the players, teams and management every success in the 2023 season and look forward to many exciting encounters.”
Speaking on behalf of the GAA, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Larry McCarthy commented: “The EirGrid GAA Football U20 Championship has proven to be extremely entertaining in recent years. Tyrone were the worthy winners in 2022 and we are looking forward to the 2023 Championship offering similar levels of drama and entertainment in the coming weeks. The EirGrid U20 Championship provides a fine opportunity for young players to showcase their talents and take their first steps towards becoming the next generation of senior intercounty Gaelic footballers. I also thank EirGrid for their continued support of this wonderful competition.”
The EirGrid Munster U20 Championship gets underway on the 10th of April at the quarter final stage with Tipperary facing rivals Clare and Limerick coming up against Waterford. Last year’s Munster champions and All-Ireland semi-finalists Kerry will meet the winners of Tipperary vs Clare, while last year's provincial finalists and 2019 winners Cork will battle it out against the winners of Limerick and Waterford.
In Ulster, the provincial Championship throws in on Wednesday, the 22nd of March with a preliminary fixture between Monaghan and Armagh. The quarter finals start on Wednesday, March 29th with a bumper day of action, featuring Fermanagh vs Derry, Donegal vs Antrim, current defending champions Tyrone vs Down, and Cavan facing the winner of Monaghan vs Armagh.
The EirGrid Leinster U20 Championship is split into three competitive groups with the opening game scheduled for the 21st of March. The opening round will see a number of exciting matches, with Longford taking on Meath and Carlow facing Laois in group one. In group two, Wicklow will face Dublin while Louth take on 2021 Championship winners Offaly. In group three, Wexford will receive a bye into the next round, while 2022 Leinster Champions and All Ireland finalists Kildare coming up against Westmeath.
The EirGrid Connacht Championship commences on the 5th of April with an exciting game expected between last year's Connacht champions Sligo and 2021 All Ireland finalists Roscommon. The semi-finals will then take place on April 14th with Leitrim facing Galway and Mayo taking on the winners of Sligo and Roscommon.
