Dublin GAA is delighted to announce that, following the resounding success of the 2011 Dublin Spring Series initiative, the Series will return to GAA Headquarters again in 2012. This year’s Spring Series will once again see the Dublin footballers and hurlers play their home Allianz League matches in Croke Park.

The Spring Series will open with a mouth watering contest and a repeat of the 2011 GAA All Ireland Football Championship final with Dublin taking on Kerry under-lights on Saturday, February 4. This will be preceded by a very attractive Division Two Allianz Leagues football fixture between Kildare and Tyrone.

A second attractive double header will take place on March 11 when the Allianz League Champions Dublin take on Jimmy Barry Murphy’s Cork in hurling and the footballers will face Armagh. The Tipperary hurlers and the Ulster Football Champions Donegal will travel to Croke Park for the third and final night of the campaign on March 24.

Once again GAA fans will be treated to a feast of entertainment at the matches with Irish bands The Rubberbandits, Ham Sandwich and another very special act to be announced shortly performing at the three events.

Adult tickets for a single match are priced at just €€13 while admission for a child is just €€5. The bundled Spring Series tickets to include all three events in the Spring Series will cost €€30 for an adult and €€10 for a child.

Dublin GAA has also embarked on an innovative revenue share initiative with all clubs in the capital so that Dublin clubs will also benefit from the sales of these tickets with €1 for every €3 earned from ticket sales being returned to clubs.

Andy Kettle, Chairman of the Dublin GAA County Board, said, “We are delighted to be building on the success of last year’s Spring Series by holding our home matches for the Allianz Leagues in Croke Park once more.

“Value for our fans is extremely important to us and we believe we’re certainly offering this with our ticket pricing schemes and our revenue share scheme with our 91 clubs.

“We’re giving GAA supporters the chance to see some of Ireland’s most talented sportsmen in action as well as fantastic music acts in what should be a great few evenings. Where else would you get six games and three music acts in the magnificent setting of Croke Park under lights for €€30?

“This promotional activity is a great example of how County Boards, sponsors and the GAA can be proactive in promoting our national games. After a superb 2011 campaign which saw Dublin win the Allianz League in hurling and reach the Allianz Leagues football final and well over 100,000 fans attend over four nights, we are hoping for a repeat of this success on and off the field.”

Speaking today, John Costello chief executive of the Dublin County Board said; “We wanted to add something extra to this year’s Allianz Leagues home games and really create a great carnival event that will appeal to families as well as those Dublin fans who regularly attend games. We would like to thank the GAA, Croke Park, Allianz and Vodafone for helping us make this happen.”

“We understand that money is tight for many people at the moment so we have priced tickets as competitively as we possibly can so everyone has the opportunity to come along and enjoy themselves, watch our great national games and soak up the atmosphere,” he concluded.

Commenting on the Dublin GAA Spring Series Uachtarán Chumann Luchleas Gael Criostoir Ó Cuana, said; “The Spring Series was a resounding success in 2011 and it was hugely encouraging to see football and hurling supporters coming to Croke Park in such big numbers last year for what turned out to be superb spectacles.

“The added entertainment line up also helped to make a connection with a young audience and the Dublin County Board should be lauded for seizing the initiative once again by bringing top class action back to Croke Park during the 2012 Allianz Leagues.”

Tickets for the Dublin GAA Spring Series are available from St. James Gaels by texting Eoin Darcy at 086 8286543 by Monday 23rd January

The Dublin GAA Spring Series
Saturday, 4th February
Kildare v Tyrone (Football)
The Rubberbandits
Dublin v Kerry (Football)

Sunday, 11th March
Dublin v Cork (Hurling)
Ham Sandwich
Dublin v Armagh (Football)

Saturday, 24th March
Dublin v Tipperary (Hurling)
Musical act - to be confirmed
Dublin v Donegal (Football)

TICKET PRICING INFORMATION
3 Match Deal: Adult €€30 Child €€10
Single games: Adult €€13 Child €€5

See the Official Poster below

See the slide show below for some pictures from the occasion and many thanks to the Walk with You foundation for organising Santa's trip.

All 13 club teams will be present as their achievements in 2011 are recognised. BE THERE and support your team & club.

7PM - 8:30 - Awards Night
8:30 to late - Christmas drinks with Sam and a couple of lads who brought it home!

Austerity cutbacks and financial woes will be put to one side in the Iveagh Grounds this Christmas time. In their place will be the best of Dublin’s Under 10 footballers battling for glory at the home of St James Gaels.

While Dubliners are getting ready to decide how best to celebrate Christmas, St James Gaels are making plans to ensure we will have a feast of Christmas football in the Iveagh Grounds on 27 and 28 December next.

On those dates the Crumlin Road venue will showcase the cream of under 10 talent in Dublin football in the annual John Humphrey memorial cup hosted by St James Gaels.

The competition is held in memory of John Humphrey, a young St James Gaels player, who died tragically some years ago.

Generously sponsored by John’s family the tournament is a fitting tribute to the memory of a young boy for whom sport played such a major part in his short life.

Gaels Chairman Noel Thompson said that the event is “the most special event in the club’s calendar” and he paid particular tribute to Paul Flanagan and the Humphrey family for all the time and effort they put into making it such a prestigious competition.

“We hope that all of the young players will enjoy their time with us at the competition. While every team likes to win the most important thing about this event is that everybody approaches it in a spirit that makes sport a winner.”

Fixture details will be announced in the coming weeks.

In the 2010 final Whitehall Colmcilles powered their way past Cuala with a display of exceptional work rate and team work which won the admiration of everyone in the grounds.

Cuala simply could not match the exceptional talents of the crew from Whitehall and for the third year in a row the boys from Foxrock were runners up in the competition. They certainly will be hoping to go one better in 2011.


There is every reason to believe that this year’s competition, which also helps to raise funds for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, will culminate in yet another exciting finale on 28 December.

Aside from hosts St James Gaels the competition will include :

Castleknock, Cuala. , Lucan Sarsfields, St. Anne’s , St. Vincents, Templeogue/Synge Street, Thomas Davis, Whitehall Colmcilles and Parnells.

With an impressive range of facilities in the Iveagh Grounds on the Crumlin Road and its well appointed playing fields in the grounds of Drimnagh Castle St James Gaels welcomes anyone with an interest in Gaelic Football with open arms.

St James Gaels currently fields two mens adult Gaelic football teams, a Ladies team and juvenile teams from Under 8 to Under 18 age levels. In addition, for 5 to 8 year olds, we run our Gaels All-Stars Academy in the grounds of Drimnagh Castle school which introduces boys and girls to Gaelic football in a friendly and fun atmosphere. We also have a Girls only training session – St James Gals – to help in ensuring that girls participate more fully. A developing section for Girls teams is currently fielding girls teams at Under10, Under 12 and Under 14.

Further information Contact:

Paul Flanagan 087 2412886

Billy Hannigan 087 2371611

The match will be in Saggart V St. Mary's and throw-in is at 11.

All support welcome as the lads seek to go one better than our Adult Men and Ladies teams who were both beaten in their respective semis.

Admission €2 kids; Adults and toddlers free

Parents Welcome – Bring your friends
The bar will be open