County champs to kick off summer of live Cork GAA Championship broadcasts with the Irish Examiner

The Irish Examiner's media commentery team of Patrick Kelly, John Hayes, Mark Landers, Seanie McGrath and Patrick Mulcahy at the launch of the Irish Examiner's Club Championship streaming service at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. with Gemma Kelleher, Media Solutions Director, Irish Examiner, Sinead O’Keeffe, Commercial Director Cork GAA, Paul Montgomery, Clancy's Cork, sponsors and Sam Ryan, Cork and St. Finbarr's. Picture Dan Linehan

As one season winds down, another explodes into life, energising communities in each of the 32 counties. Whatever your opinion about the GAA’s split season, no one should quibble that the club championships finally get elbow room to light up the grassroots of the game.

Each a little All-Ireland.

It was in Cork, in these Irish Examiner offices, that the phrase was coined in reference to the Cork hurling championship, and we are proud as the exclusive streaming partner of Cork GAA to broadcast the very best of both codes in the Rebel County over the course of the next 14 weeks.

Over the past two years, we have been thrilled and humbled by the public response to our Cork GAA Championships coverage during an unprecedented and difficult time in our lives when restrictions prevented, then limited, followers from attending matches.

What has helped, for sure, is the reformatted county championship structure in Cork, injecting energy and unpredictability into the group phase, and simultaneously keeping dead rubbers to an absolute minimum.

Tommy O'Connell, Cork and Midleton and Sam Ryan, Cork and St. Finbarr's at the launch of the Irish Examiner's Club Championship streaming service at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, also included are the Irish Examiner's Sports Editor, Tony Leen, Kevin O'Donovan, CEO of Cork GAA, Michael Sheehan, Managing Director of the Irish Examiner & The Echo, Cork, and Karen O'Donoghue, Marketing Director, Irish Examiner. Picture Dan Linehan

The Cork football championships kick off next weekend, and what an enticing opening weekend is on offer across the grades. The county and Munster football champions St Finbarr’s opening the Irish Examiner’s summer spectacular of live action with a juicy Premier SFC opener against arguably the most improved side in the football championship – Eire Óg.

Next Sunday’s All-Ireland football final in Croke Park brings the curtain down on the men’s inter-county season, but two hours after the Sam Maguire is lifted, the football hotbed of west Cork will be heaving as last year’s beaten finalists Clonakilty, meet Castlehaven in Rosscarbery at 7pm.

In the Senior A Football Championship, the perennial nearly men of St Michael’s will be one of the teams to beat. But they’ve drawn a dangerous opener in John Fintan Daly’s Knocknagree at Carrigadrohid and our cameras will be in the mid-Cork venue on Saturday evening with commentary from Liam Aherne and Brian Cuthbert.

We are pleased to have Clancy’s of Cork and J.J. Walsh’s as the official commercial broadcast partners for this year’s Club Championships. Paul Montgomerie, the proprietor and a well-known GAA figure and supporter describes it as “a very exciting partnership for our venues, both of which have a long and rich history with the GAA.” 

He added: This is a fantastic opportunity for us to show our support for Cork GAA, while celebrating our roots: Clancy’s has been at the heart of sport and GAA in Cork for nearly 200 years, and J.J. Walsh’s - a venue soon to open - is one that will pay homage to a fascinating history and its namesake. We are really looking forward to a busy Club Championship season, and to welcoming friends old and new to celebrate all that is great about Cork GAA."

JJ Walsh was a key figure in the establishment of the Irish Volunteers of Cork, and was chairman of the Cork County Board and a veteran of the Rising. Walsh was married to Sheila Turner, of Turner’s Hotel - the location of JJ Walsh’s on Oliver Plunkett St, that will open in the coming weeks.

Our new streaming service will allow Irish Examiner digital subscribers - new and existing - to watch all our streamed games as part of their subscription package - which can be purchased right now for just €5 per month. (link to irishexaminer.com/liveevents/) Viewers who are not yet part of our subscriber community will still be able to access our unbeatable coverage but will have to pay for individual matches on a pay-per-view basis at a cost of €8 per match.

Check out the details

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If you still have any doubts just look at what we have on offer in Week 2 of our Cork Championship coverage, as the hurling competitions throw in. Again, we start with a Friday night special as county champions Midleton meet one of the biggest threats to their title, Douglas. Then on Saturday, July 30, we have the heavyweight clash of Sarsfields and Blackrock from Pairc Ui Rinn.

Irish Examiner’s live broadcast schedule: 

Friday, July 22: Cork Premier SFC: St Finbarr’s (champions) v Eire Óg, Pairc Ui Rinn, 7.30 pm; Saturday, July 23: Senior A: St Michael’s v Knocknagree, Carrigadrohid, 7pm; Sunday, July 24: Cork Premier SFC: Clonakilty v Castlehaven, Rosscarbery, 7pm.

Fri July 29: Premier SHC Midleton (champions) v Douglas, Páirc Uí Rinn, 7.30pm; Sat July 30: Premier SHC Sarsfields v Blackrock, Páirc Uí Rinn, 7pm.