Hurling qualifier heads for Killarney

GAA/ SHC All-Ireland Qualifier: Killarney will host its first major hurling event in 17 years next Saturday week when Cork and Tipperary meet in the second round of the All-Ireland qualifier series. This surprising development came about when Tipperary decided against tossing for home venue with their opponents.

"We consulted with the team management," said Tipperary PRO Ed Donnelly, "and they decided they didn't want to toss. We proposed Limerick as an acceptable compromise venue but that was ruled out, I can only presume because the Munster football final is being played the next day.

"Once you rule out Cork, Thurles and Limerick, there's no other ground in Munster capable of taking a big crowd."

In fact the Limerick-Kerry football match wasn't a factor. Killarney was simply chosen on a vote.

This won't come as bad news to Tipperary. The county has a long and happy association with the picturesque Fitzgerald Stadium. "We have an excellent record there," according to Donnelly.

He's right. Tipperary are unbeaten in championship hurling in Killarney and have chalked up some significant victories there. In 1987 the county ended their long running Munster championship famine, defeating All-Ireland champions Cork in the provincial final replay.

That match was Tipperary's third visit to the venue that year, as they had previously beaten Kerry and Clare. Historically, Tipperary have also won Munster hurling finals in Killarney, back in 1971 when they pipped Limerick by a point, 4-16 to 3-18, on the way to that year's All-Ireland final and 1950 when they also defeated Cork 2-17 to 3-11 in the middle of their three-in-a-row run.

And most notably of all the county won the 1937 All-Ireland in Killarney when the Cusack Stand was being rebuilt and Croke Park closed. That final holds happy memories, being achieved on a massive 17-point margin, 3-11 to 0-3, against Kilkenny.

All counties in the hurling draw were given the option of tossing for venue but just as Tipperary didn't agree, neither did Kilkenny and Galway.

Both counties turned down the chance of playing at home and both wanted to play in Thurles. The throw-in is at 6.15 in order not to clash with the Munster football final, which is being televised.

There was some Kilkenny unhappiness at the fact that the county was prevented from being drawn against the beaten Leinster finalists. This was because the Wexford-Offaly final isn't yet played and the Games Administration Committee had to plan on the basis that Kilkenny can't play Wexford again, having lost the Leinster semi-final to them, even though Offaly may be the runners-up this Sunday.

That match between the defeated Leinster finalists and Clare has been put back to the weekend after next in order to give Offaly or Wexford a 13-day break before the qualifier. This means that whoever emerges from the fixture will have only a week before the All-Ireland quarter-finals on July 25th. GAC took into account that a one-week gap for a winning team isn't as severe a burden as a six-day gap for a side that's lost.

The football qualifiers were decided on the grounds of designated counties, those allowed play at home if drawn against a non-designated side. That explains the venues for Derry-Cavan, Leitrim-Dublin, Clare-Cork and Fermanagh-Meath. Louth-Galway will be played at Parnell Park in Dublin because although Louth are designated, their nominated venue in Drogheda wasn't considered big enough to accommodate the crowd.

Where both or neither of the drawn counties is designated, the GAC tossed to decide venue. Longford, for instance, have home venue against Waterford on this basis. Tyrone and Down is scheduled for Newry after Down won the toss. The time of the throw-in is 6.30, which is intended to accommodate Tyrone who are hosting this weekend's Féile na nÓg.

The later start means that more Tyrone people involved in the Féile can attend the match, which should be over in time for those attending the Féile dinner on Saturday night.

Cavan and Derry was fixed for the Sunday because there are three fixtures featuring Ulster counties on at the weekend and it was decided to break them up as far as possible.

The throw-in time of 2.0 leaves open the option of a live broadcast although with the Leinster hurling final starting at 3.30, there would be no margin to broadcast extra-time should it be required at Celtic Park.

Wexford and Offaly will be in Wexford Park on Saturday week. The reason for the delay is that Offaly have a dual player Neville Coughlan, who will be involved in Sunday's Leinster hurling final. As Offaly's football qualifier is on Saturday, the county's hurling qualifier against Clare, should it arise, will go ahead the following day.