These are the type of occasions the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh was built for.
All eyes will be fixed on the Ballintemple grounds next Sunday. It’s set to be a feast of action for all followers of the GAA in Cork.
Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s went down to the wire in the senior football final there on Sunday, and they will have to go at it again next weekend in a replay.
There was over 9000 spectators present for the Sunday’s stalemate, with the new stadium rocking to the competitiveness of it all. Next Sunday, the cream of both senior hurling and football will play their deciders in the home of Cork GAA, so just imagine the carnival atmosphere that will bring.
The senior hurling final, between Imokilly and Blackrock, was already fixed next Sunday at the prime-time of 4:00.
County Final 2017. Rockies V Imokilly. Sunday October 22nd 4.00pm.@OfficialCorkGAA @BigRedBench pic.twitter.com/MN9e060Red
— Blackrock Hurling (@RockiesCork) October 14, 2017
The Rebel county board has decided to go ahead with the county finals of both codes next Sunday, with the football final acting as a curtain raiser to the hurling, beginning at 1:00.
The announcement of this fixture was met with plenty of criticism from some Cork football fans, who claimed that it was disrespectful to the footballers that their game appears as second fiddle to the hurling.
Some bemoaned that it would “Only happen in Cork,” others said it was a “discredit” to the football final.
Only in Cork could you have a senior football final as a curtain raiser.
— Noel Early (@noelearly) October 15, 2017
Discredits the football final having it as a curtain raiser and at 1pm to rub salt in!
— Killian O'Leary (@Mardyke12) October 15, 2017
Could at least give both clubs 2 weeks to recover and not play it before a county hurling final! Total disrespect!!
— Ken Murphy (@Kenm7Ken) October 15, 2017
It was bad enough today for parking!! Ye really are a joke!! 3 huge teams now next Sun trying to get down a bottle neck!!
— Ken Murphy (@Kenm7Ken) October 15, 2017
Sums it up fuck the clubs
— pat cotter (@patcotter5) October 15, 2017
In reality, the Cork county board didn’t really have another option. The hurling was already fixed for 4:00, so there was no way that was going to be changed. If it was changed to accommodate the football, just imagine the uproar.
Some argued that the one week break wasn’t enough for the teams. Well if it was put back for another week, the winner would then be going into a Munster quarter final with only one week of rest, so this is much of a muchness.
Anyway, modern GAA teams are well equipped to play two games in seen days, which is nothing compared to some of the horror stories from Galway the weekend gone by of players playing two county finals in two days.
As well as this, next Sunday will now be one of the best days of the Cork GAA calendar. Most hurling fans have an interest in football, and vice versa, so what an occasion it will be.
The city will be hopping, excitement levels will be roof-raising. The new stadium won’t be filled to the rafters but the atmosphere will still be class.
Even Clare lads looking in were jealous of the whole thing and want to have it that way in the Banner, with Clooney/Quinn and Sixmilebridge drawing in the hurling final yesterday.
Cork SHC and SFC Final will be a double header in Pairc ui Chaoimh next Sunday.
Could Clare SFC and SHC Finals be doubled up on the 29th?
— Derrick Lynch (@DLynchSport) October 15, 2017
That tells it all.
