Cork football postponements puts hurling teams in limbo

Four Cork football championship game, including three Premier Senior fixtures, which were due to take place on Sunday were postponed due to an orange weather warning.

Sun, 29 Sep, 2024 - 14:22

Eoghan Cormican

Certainty for Cork club footballers, less so for their hurling counterparts.

The decision of the Cork executive to opt against midweek, floodlit fixtures when rescheduling the four county football championship games postponed on Sunday because of an orange weather warning has thrown a raft of hurling teams into limbo.

The two Premier Senior football quarter-finals have been refixed for this Sunday, October 6. Nemo Rangers and Clonakilty will meet in Bandon’s Charlie Hurley Park at 3.30pm, with Mallow and Muskerry heading to Macroom, also for a 3.30pm start.

A day earlier, on Saturday, October 5, Éire Óg and Carbery Rangers joust for top-tier survival at Enniskeane (4pm). The Intermediate A quarter-final between Gabriel Rangers and Mitchelstown will take place in Kilmurry at the same time.

Where the Nemo, Mallow, and Ballygiblin hurlers were initially penciled in for county hurling semi-final action this weekend, all those games have now been pushed back to the following weekend, October 12/13.

But if either of Nemo or Mallow were to win their rescheduled football quarter-finals this weekend coming, their football semi-final would take priority the following weekend, and so the hurling semi-finals would be pushed back another week to the weekend of October 19/20, at the earliest.

In explaining their decision, Cork GAA said that “due to the Munster football championship deadline preceding the hurling equivalent, county football championship fixtures will be given priority for the remainder of the championships”.

Also discommoded by the rescheduled fixtures and prioritising of football games are Nemo’s Premier Junior hurling semi-final opponents Russell Rovers, Ballygiblin’s Intermediate A hurling semi-final opponents Lisgoold, and Mallow’s Premier Intermediate hurling semi-opponents Watergrasshill.

The Lisgoold-Ballygiblin IAHC semi-final will go ahead on Saturday, October 12, irrespective of how Mitchelstown, whose dual players line out for Ballygiblin, fare against Gabriel Rangers this Saturday. A Mitchelstown win would mean their intermediate football semi-final, against Glanmire, would be pushed further back into October.

Cork GAA fixtures weekend of October 4/5/6

Friday

PJHC semi-final: St Catherine’s v Ballygarvan, Páirc Uí Rinn (7.30pm)

Saturday

PSFC relegation play-off: Éire Óg v Carbery Rangers, Enniskeane (4pm)

IAFC quarter-final: Mitchelstown v Gabriel Rangers, Kilmurry (4pm)

IAHC semi-final: Midleton v Erin’s Own, Cobh (4pm)

PIHC semi-final: Ballincollig v Carrigaline, Ballygarvan (4pm)

PIHC relegation play-off replay: Aghabullogue v Kilworth, Glantane (4pm)

SAHC semi-final: Glen Rovers v Castlelyons, Páirc Uí Chaoimh (5.45pm); Bride Rovers v Blarney, Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7.30pm)

Sunday

PSFC quarter-finals: Nemo Rangers v Clonakilty, Bandon (3.30pm); Muskerry v Mallow, Macroom (3.30pm)