Today has been a weird day in the GAA.
Another icy blast forced every second National League game and a host of club games all over the country into postponements on Sunday morning.
Many of them have been rescheduled for the Bank Holiday Monday with GAA players from Cork to Derry unable to socialise on one of the most social weekends of the whole year.
Waterford and Cork’s National Hurling League Division One relegation decider was the only hurling game not to fall victim to the unaccommodating weather.
After some magnificent work by the ground staff in Páirc Uí Rinn, the snowy covering was cleared off the surface and this game was given the green light to go ahead.
Really, the ground staff deserve serious credit. The pitch’s transformation in only one hour didn’t happen without plenty of elbow grease.
What a difference an hour & a lot of hard work makes! Fair play to the team here in Pairc Ui Rinn ahead of @OfficialCorkGAA v @WaterfordGAA
Watch the action later on @GAA_BEO @SportTG4 pic.twitter.com/q47VTQmN0N— Television Mobiles (@TVM_ie) March 18, 2018
So the game went ahead, but Waterford would have to do without defender Conor Gleeson for the first half anyway. He was snowed into his house in Fourmilewater and would be a late arrival to the game.
Hardly ideal preparation for a crucial relegation clash, Derek McGrath took the decision not to throw him into the action cold.
He was replaced by Kieran Bennett in one of three changes for on the Déise men. A sick Kevin Moran and injured Austin Gleeson were replaced by Tommy Ryan and Colin Dunford respectively.
Word in Páirc Uí Rinn is that Waterford will start without three big players – Austin Gleeson is injured, Kevin Moran is sick and Conor Gleeson was snowed in earlier and is a late arrival
— RedFM Sport (@BigRedBench) March 18, 2018
Conor gleeson may not start for Waterford. Was snowed in this morning #dogatemyhomework
— Michael Moynihan (@MikeMoynihanEx) March 18, 2018
Have you ever heard the likes of it?
