Provincial hurling finals may be played on different days

REIGNING CHAMPS: Limerick captain Declan Hannon lifts the Mick Mackey cup. Munster officials believe logistical difficulties stand in the way of them organising a likely sell-out game in FBD Semple Stadium, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or LIT Gaelic Grounds on a Saturday evening. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Next year’s Leinster and Munster senior hurling finals may yet be played on different days.

The two provincial deciders have both been pencilled in for Sunday, June 11 as part of the draft master fixtures calendar for 2023. However, the date has yet to be confirmed and there is a growing possibility one could be moved for promotional reasons.

It had been mooted that an agreement had been reached between Leinster and Munster about staging their final on a Saturday evening every second year. This year’s Leinster showdown between Galway and Kilkenny took place on a Saturday evening in Croke Park.

However, Munster officials believe logistical difficulties stand in the way of them organising a likely sell-out game in FBD Semple Stadium, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or LIT Gaelic Grounds on a Saturday evening. Thurles has hosted five of the last 10 finals.

If the Leinster final is rearranged for a Saturday, fixtures chiefs will be loath to slate it in for a late evening throw-in should Galway been involved for a second year running. The 7pm start last June was cited by county chairman Paul Bellew as a primary reason for the disappointing crowd at Croke Park.

“From a supporters’ point of view, it’s a disappointing time,” he said prior to the game. “From a team perspective, it makes no difference. They’re happy to play at whatever time but in terms of supporters and Galway supporters especially with the demands from a dual perspective it is difficult.

“The day we play our Leinster final will be our 27th inter-county game in 22 weekends between football and hurling. I think the crowd will be impacted from Galway for a 7 o’clock throw-in. Families and kids are the ones who are impacted the most.” 

A decision has yet to be made regarding the All-Ireland senior club hurling semi-finals, which are scheduled for December 17/18, the same weekend as the World Cup final in Qatar. The football semi-finals have been moved to January and the hurling matches, given the proximity to Christmas, could follow suit.

Meanwhile, several provincial hurling championship games are expected to be pushed from TV to streaming next season as part of the GAA’s new media rights deal. Last season, Sky Sports televised four Leinster and one Munster SHC matches, but there are major doubts they will all be picked up by RTÉ.

The national broadcasters’ total live championship game packages remains 31 games and with additional All-Ireland senior football last 16 round-robin games to factor in it is anticipated GAAGO will broadcast more of the early championship hurling matches.

Elsewhere, Kerry All-Star Gavin White expects Tyrone will be challenging for the All-Ireland SFC in 2023. 

“I’ve no doubt Tyrone will be back - they are a fantastic team,” he told Belfast Live. “They were unbelievable last year and we had a fierce battle with them in the All-Ireland semi-final. They’ll be back up at the top next year.

“It is up to us to hit the ground running again in January with the McGrath Cup starting up early on.”