What’s that you ask? The smell of championship Sundays, that’s what that is.
The darkness is behind us, ahead, there is light. Society is slowly but surely beginning to open up here in Ireland, with golf on the way back, with restaurants and hairdressers not far off but for many of us, it won’t be until a sliotar or a Gaelic football is thrown in at 3.00 of a summer Sunday when the changing of the seasons really dawns.
The Munster championship draws, for both Gaelic football and hurling, were made on Morning Ireland on this Monday morning and though the games are a while away yet, a bop of excitement is forgiven.
In the football, it was Colm Collins’ Clare team who pulled the short straw with a daunting date with Kerry on the horizon. Seeing as the Gaelic football championship will be run on a straight knock-out basis, that is a first round of nightmares for the Banner, who must be sick of the sight of Kerry, having played them six times in the last eight years at this stage. Tipperary will play the winners of that game with Cork on the more favourable side of the draw.
Munster SFC draws
Clare v Kerry (winners play Tipperary)
Waterford v Limerick (winners play Cork)
Meanwhile in the hurling, Clare and Waterford will meet in the quarter final with the winners to play Tipperary. On the other side, All-Ireland champions Limerick have drawn Cork, one of the few teams to have given the Treaty cause for concern in recent times, having memorably beaten them in the Gaelic Grounds in the 2019 championship. The hurling championship does have a backdoor.
Munster SHC draws
Quarter finals
Clare v Waterford
Semi-finals
Limerick v Cork; Tipperary v Clare/Waterford
