O'Connor Park gets the thumbs up

Health and safety officers have given the go-ahead for Tullamore's O'Connor Park to host the Leinster SFC quarter-final between Longford and Laois on Saturday, June 2.

A delay to construction work on a new terrace at the Tullamore venue had GAA officials planning to switch the game to a different ground.

But following a second visit to O'Connor Park yesterday, the provincial council's grounds committee gave the venue the all-clear with the capacity set at 14,500.

The new terrace, which will have space for 3,500 spectators in a fortnight's time, replaces a grass bank that was once a feature of the ground. The stand at O'Connor Park holds 7,000 fans, while the areas behind the goals bring the capacity up by another 4,000.

Had the redeveloped venue failed the inspection, Pearse Park in Longford would have hosted the game after a coin toss saw Longford win home advantage against Liam Kearns' Laois side.

The throw-in time for the Longford-Laois game will be 7pm.