Walsh: Na Piarsaigh to blame for venue
The decision to fix the decider in Semple Stadium has been heavily criticised and resulted in a paltry attendance of 2,893 at the showpiece clash. The board were slammed for taking the game to Tipperary which meant a round trip of 153km (95 miles) for fans of the Limerick side and 247km (154 miles) for their Clare counterparts.
But Walsh last night hit back and insisted that Thurles was not the Munster Council’s first choice.
“I’m delighted to get a chance to put a few things straight,” Walsh said.
“Very simply, we asked both clubs if they’d toss for venue. Crusheen said they’d come back to us the next day but Na Piarsaigh were back almost immediately and refused point blank.
“They said there was no way they’d agree to a toss. We were fairly confident Crusheen would have agreed but there was no point then in waiting on their reply, we had to go ahead and choose a neutral venue.
“We’re getting a lot of flak for that decision but it’s totally out of our control. We can’t force anyone to toss; under rule, if either club refuses to agree we then nominate a neutral venue. That’s as much as we can do.
“The problem here is that if it were someone from outside the city representing Limerick we could nominate the Gaelic Grounds and neither side could have objected, but we can’t do that in this instance because Na Piarsaigh are only around the corner from the Gaelic Grounds, which wouldn’t be fair to Crusheen.
“We wanted to play the match in either Ennis or Limerick. In fact we still want to play the match in either of those two home venues, but Na Piarsaigh were adamant that they wouldn’t agree.”
What of the claim by Na Piarsaigh manager Seán Stack then after the drawn game that: ‘it was not our (Na Piarsaigh) doing to be in Thurles’?
Walsh replied: “It was Na Piarsaigh’s doing that it wasn’t in Limerick or Ennis, and he’s well aware of that. We couldn’t get through to the Na Piarsaigh secretary but Timmy O’Connor, their chairman was the man who told us they wouldn’t agree, under any circumstances. We were left with no choice then but to go for a neutral venue. We spoke to Timmy O’Connor again today (Monday) and he is still adamant — Na Piarsaigh will not toss for choice of venue. We’d love to go to a smaller ground but it would have to be a ground fitting for a Munster senior club final. Kilmallock would qualify but then you’re bringing Crusheen all the way through Limerick.
“It’s crazy, absolutely crazy; we’re very conscious of the economic circumstances that many people find themselves in nowadays, and it’s also taking from the gate. It makes no sense to play this in Thurles.”
However the Na Piarsaigh chairman last night said the club officers made the decision, in discussion with ‘some of the team management’, and it was based on the condition of Cusack Park for the Clare county final.
O’Connor said: “We’re not willing to toss. Look at the Clare county final, we couldn’t take a chance on the ground conditions being as bad as that again. You want to play on the best surface possible at this time of the year, and we felt Thurles was the best location.”
However Walsh confirmed that the price of admission will be reduced for the final.
“It’s €15 for next week (€5 cut), with all U16s free, and pensioners and students getting a concession.”
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