Leinster finals may well be put off again

GAELIC GAMES:THE LEINSTER Council will hold a crunch meeting around lunchtime today to decide whether or not to press ahead with this weekend's AIB club finals fixtures – some of which have already been postponed by two weeks due to the freezing conditions.

It was hoped to confirm the refixed times and venues yesterday morning, but with no apparent let-up in the big freeze, it was decided instead to make the decisive call later today.

The Leinster senior football final between Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes and Offaly’s Rhode was set for Portlaoise last Sunday, only to be postponed as the icy conditions worsened, while the Leinster senior hurling final between O’Loughlin Gaels of Kilkenny and Oulart-the-Ballagh of Wexford, originally set for Dr Cullen Park in Carlow, has been twice postponed over the last two Sundays.

It is still hoped these games can go ahead at their original venues, but even if there is a thaw closer to the weekend, there is no guarantee the pitches will be playable due to waterlogging. The Leinster Council will inspect Portlaoise and Carlow today and make a call on the whether to confirm the games, with the greater likelihood the games being put off again, this time until the new year. Other Leinster matches set to be decided this weekend are the intermediate football finals, as well as the junior and junior “special” hurling finals.

The Munster Council have for now confirmed the refixing of their football final between Dr Crokes from Kerry and Nemo Rangers of Cork; the game is set to go ahead on Sunday at its original venue, the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, at 2pm. They’ve also announced the refixing of their junior club hurling and football finals, which will be played as a double-header in Mallow on Sunday. The hurling clash between Meelin of Cork and St Patrick’s of Tipperary is the curtain-raiser (2pm) to the football clash between St Mary’s of Kerry and Bruree from Limerick.

The Ulster football final between Crossmaglen of Armagh and Naomh Conaill of Donegal, postponed twice over the last two Sundays, is set to take place in Clones on Sunday, at 1.45pm. The junior final between Corduff and Swanlinbar has also been fixed for Clones at 12pm. The intermediate final between Lisnaskea and Doohamlet has been scheduled for a 2pm start on Saturday.

However, the postponement of the Ulster final means Croke Park must rearrange the All-Ireland quarter-final, as the winners of Crossmaglen/Naomh Conaill were due to travel to Ruislip to play London champions Neasden Gaels on Sunday. Obviously that’s not going to happen.

Crossmaglen’s joint-manager Tony McEntee said: “We have young guys who will be playing in their first Ulster final and this waiting game is frustrating for them. But they will have to be patient. We cannot afford to take our eye off the ball even though things are at a standstill.”