Crowd of 35,000 expected at Páirc Uí Chaoimh for Cork vs Tipperary

Both terraces will be in operation on Saturday for the crucial game in the Munster Senior Hurling championship

FAN-TASTIC: A supporter in the terrace studies the match programme before the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 2 match between Cork and Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

A crowd of 35,000 is expected at Páirc Uí Chaoimh for Saturday’s Munster SHC fixture between Cork and Tipperary.

Just shy of 30,000 watched Cork overcome Waterford in their Munster hurling championship opener last Sunday. But with both terraces in operation this weekend - only the Blackrock End was in use for Cork-Waterford - Munster GAA is predicting an attendance of around 35,000.

If such a bumper crowd materialises on Saturday evening, it would represent the third biggest attendance at a Munster SHC round-robin game - behind the 40,000 that watched Cork-Limerick in Páirc Uí Chaoimh last year and the 39,115 at Tipp-Limerick at Thurles in 2019 - since the current system was introduced back in 2018.

After his team’s opening round win over Waterford, Cork manager Pat Ryan said the county’s large hurling following are looking for “something to grab on to”.

“There will always be a good Cork support. We have huge people who are interested in Cork hurling and follow the team. They’re just looking for something to grab on to.

“I’d like to think the lads represented the jersey the way it should be represented today and that’s what we’re insisting the lads do. In fairness, when fellas see that Cork players will represent the jersey in the right way, they’ll follow that team.”

Munster GAA coffers have enjoyed a very handsome start to the provincial round-robin. The combined attendance from last weekend’s Clare-Limerick and Cork-Waterford games came to 59,664.