Kerry clubs Dingle and Ballymacelligott express disappointment with Munster final venues

Limerick’s TUS Gaelic Grounds hosted Dingle’s previous provincial final against Castlehaven in 2023 and would have been a more reasonable location than FBD Semple Stadium. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Kerry’s senior and junior champions, Dingle and Ballymacelligott, have expressed disappointment with the venues of their respective Munster finals next month.

Dingle face a six-hour plus return journey to Thurles for Sunday week’s Munster Club SFC final against St Finbarr's, while the Mallow GAA Sports Complex is just 12 kilometres from Buttevant compared to the 76km trip Ballymacelligott face.

Dingle said they were happy to toss a coin for home advantage, which would have been Austin Stack Park or SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but their opponents St Finbarr's, were not in favour of it.

Limerick’s TUS Gaelic Grounds hosted Dingle’s previous provincial final against Castlehaven in 2023 and would have been a more reasonable location than FBD Semple Stadium. 

Dingle to Limerick is 149km, 50km and an hour less than it is from Cork, whereas Dingle to Thurles is 222km, over 100km and approximately two hours more than the one-way journey facing St Finbarrs.

However, the Ennis Road venue has not been made available as Limerick want to preserve it for their forthcoming National League games.

Revealing the Dingle players and management will likely break up the trip with an overnight stay before the final, club chairman Seán Ó Súilleabháin said: “We’re disappointed that we have to travel three and a half hours to Thurles when our opponents can shoot up the motorway in an hour or so.

“There are no sour grapes here, we will go where we’re told to go. We wanted to toss for it, Tralee or Cork. Killarney is an hour from us and Cork but I don’t think it was an option because of lights.

“We’re a small club and it means a lot of expense now. It wouldn’t be too far off four hours going to Thurles, so we have to strongly consider the team going up the night before.” 

Two years ago, Dingle faced Clonmel Commercials in Thurles but the Tipperary champions had home advantage. 

A couple of weeks later, the club football final in Limerick was played in a storm, and the damage to the field contributed to the Gaelic Grounds being unavailable for Limerick hurlers' Division 1A fixtures. 

“We’re told it’s out now because of the state of the pitch,” added Ó Súilleabháin.

Ballymacelligott chairman John Rice admitted the decision to fix Mallow for their decider on Saturday week has not gone down well in the club. 

“There is disappointment in the club that it isn’t a neutral venue. The way I see it, it’s something against us, another obstacle that we have to face. We don’t have an alternative.

“There is a lot of dissent within the club but we just have to see it as a reason to try harder. We’re conceding home advantage there and we’re newbies in this competition. Last weekend was the first time Ballymac left the county. We’re going to give this final everything we have.” 

In contrast, the disparity in commute for the competing teams in the Munster intermediate club football final in Rathkeale’s Mick Neville Park on Saturday week is not as significant. From Aghabullogue, the Limerick pitch is 88km and for An Ghaeltacht (Gallarus) it is 127km.