PRO: Cork victims of their own success
The Cork footballers are in fourth round qualifier duty on Saturday evening in Thurles against Kildare, while the hurlers will step inside the Semple Stadium whitewash on Sunday afternoon for their quarter-final meeting with Galway.
This is the second championship weekend where the Cork hurlers and footballers are both in action, and while a double-header wasn’t possible on the weekend of July 4/5 - their respective games were scheduled at Wexford Park and Fitzgerald Stadium, the Cork executive were keen to avoid a situation where the two teams will line out at the one venue, but on different days.
“We made representations to Croke Park to synchronise where possible, the fixtures of the Cork hurlers and footballers,” revealed Cork PRO Edmond Forrest.
“We made our representations earlier this year in the event of a situation like this weekend as we do appreciate the football and hurling games are mapped out from much earlier in the year.
“In essence, we are the victims of our own success. There is a predicament for our supporters as to who do they support if they cannot attend both games, but it is a predicament we would rather have, as opposed to be sitting at home this weekend watching others teams in our place. Cork supporters are passionate people and I have no doubt they will be there in great numbers on both days.”
Rebel supporters hoping to attend Thurles on both Saturday and Sunday face an expensive weekend. Stand tickets for the football qualifier are priced at €20, rising to €30 for Sunday’s hurling quarter-final double-header. U16’s go free on Saturday, €5 on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the All-Ireland football quarter-final draw is subject to provincial final winners avoiding defeated finalists from their own province and the avoidance of repeat pairings where possible. On the A side of the quarter-final draw, Cork cannot meet Kerry, while Dublin can meet neither Dublin nor Westmeath.
On the B side, Mayo are prevented from locking horns for a second time with either Sligo or Galway, as are Donegal and Monaghan.
(A)
Fermanagh v Kerry, Cork v Dublin.
Fermanagh v Dublin, Kildare v Kerry.
Westmeath v Kerry, Cork v Dublin.
Westmeath v Kerry, Kildare v Dublin.
Donegal v Mayo, Tyrone v Monaghan.
Galway v Monaghan, Tyrone v Mayo.
Donegal v Mayo, Sligo v Monaghan.
Galway v Mayo, Sligo v Monaghan
Antrim v Dublin, Kingspan Breffni Park, 3pm, (J Keane, Galway)
Fermanagh v Westmeath, Kingspan Breffni Park, 5pm, (P Hughes, Armagh) (Sky Sports); Kildare v Cork, Semple Stadium, 7pm, (Marty Duffy, Sligo) (Sky Sports).
Wexford v Kerry, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 2pm, (J Bermingham, Cork); Kilkenny v Mayo, O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 2pm, (F Barry, Kildare).
Limerick v Galway, Semple Stadium, 12pm, (T Carroll, Offaly).
Dublin v Waterford, Semple Stadium, 2pm, (J Ryan, Tipperary) (RTÉ Two); Galway v Cork, Semple Stadium, 4pm, (J Owens, Wexford) (RTÉ Two).
Donegal v Tyrone, Celtic Park, Derry, 6pm, (K Brady, Louth).
Sligo v Tyrone, Croke Park, 4pm (Sky Sports); Donegal v Galway, 6pm, (Sky Sports) Electric Ireland MFC quarter-final: Longford v Derry, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2pm.
Kerry v Round 4A winner, Croke Park, TBC.
Dublin v Round 4A winner, Croke Park, TBC.
Kildare v Cavan, Kerry v Connacht runner up (Galway/Sligo), Connacht winner (Galway/Sligo) v Tipperary.
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