Cork’s dual demands pose dilemma

MUNSTER GAA chairman Jimmy O’Gorman admitted that provincial council chiefs may have to tweak their fixtures next year to accommodate Cork’s dual demands.

Ticket sales in the Rebel County ahead of Sunday’s Munster SHC showdown with Tipperary are reported as “slow” but O’Gorman believes there are a number of contributory factors.

Chief among them is the fact that for the second successive weekend, a Cork senior team is in action while the footballers are due in Killarney on Sunday week for the glamour Munster semi-final clash with old rivals Kerry.

The Munster Council has been pushing next Sunday’s hurling encounter hard with a number of family incentives on offer but privately, provincial top brass have conceded that an attendance of 30,000 would now be satisfactory.

O’Gorman said: “When Cork played Tipp last year, while there might have been some nervousness, people were still working away and we had 40,000.

“Up to now, with our minor, U21 and senior football last Sunday, we have been happy with the crowds. Cork’s senior footballers were in Dungarvan last week and maybe Cork playing one Sunday after another is something that we should look at going forward.”

Brisk ticket sales have been recorded in Tipperary ahead of the clash but while Cork remain somewhat apathetic at this point, O’Gorman believes that could change.

He added: “With the good forecast, we could have a good walk-up crowd. Two years ago, when Cork played Clare in Thurles, I think we had only 15,000 tickets sold but we wound up with close to 30,000.

“We can’t forget the recessionary times that we are in. People are out of work and people with jobs are monitoring their situation closely.”

nTickets for the Munster SHC clash between Cork and Tipperary in Thurles on Sunday will be on sale at Páirc Uí Rinn today between 11am-7pm.