No Leinster rematch possible until final

GAELIC GAMES:ANTHONY DALY'S Dublin hurlers cannot meet Kilkenny again until the All-Ireland final on September 4th and will be kept away from Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final, should the Tribesmen overcome Cork this Saturday at the Gaelic Grounds.

GAA hurling regulations clearly state that provincial champions do not meet “the defeated finalists from their own province and, where feasible, the avoidance of repeat pairings”. This also applies to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The losing provincial finalists in Leinster and Munster play the winners of Saturday’s phase three qualifier fixtures – Galway versus Cork and Limerick against Antrim – and a draw is only required if there are no possible repeat meetings. The winners of Sunday’s Munster final between Tipperary and Waterford go straight into the All-Ireland semi-final on August 14th. Kilkenny’s semi-final is on August 7th.

Waterford have already faced Limerick in Munster and Tipperary have played Cork so these pairings will also be avoided in an All-Ireland quarter-final.

So, if Tipperary beat Waterford on Sunday and Limerick beat Antrim, Limerick will face Dublin in the next round because they cannot be drawn against Waterford again. The same also applies to the avoidance of Cork and Tipperary in a quarter-final.

Regardless, should Dublin progress to the All-Ireland semi-final they will face the Munster champions.

The Central Competitions Control Committee yesterday confirmed the venues and dates for the hurling qualifiers this Saturday with the eagerly-anticipated meeting of Galway and Cork taking place at 4pm at the Gaelic Grounds, while Antrim play Donal O’Grady’s ever-improving Limerick team in Parnell Park at 7pm.

This immediately forces Limerick’s dual players Stephen Lucey and Mark O’Riordan into choosing a sport as the football team are also out at the Gaelic Grounds against Offaly at 2pm in round two of the qualifiers.

O’Riordan is expected to stay with the hurlers as he featured off the bench last weekend, scoring a point, in the defeat of Wexford.

The Limerick County Board did request that their football and hurling teams not be scheduled on the same day but the CCCC were unable to accommodate them. Nor could they assist a similar wish from Galway as their footballers face Meath in Navan at 7pm.

“It has provided difficulties for the Limerick County Board as the majority of officers will have to work at the Gaelic Grounds for both matches on Saturday as we expect 12-14,000 to attend,” said a county board spokesperson.

The CCCC also confirmed Cavan’s Joe McQuillan will take charge of the Leinster final between Dublin and Wexford, while in Saturday’s footballer qualifiers Martin Sludden is in charge of Down and Leitrim, David Coldrick is in charge of Laois and Kildare’s meeting in Portlaoise while Pat McEnaney has the Longford versus Tyrone match in Pearse Park.

All-Ireland SHC qualifiers, Phase Three – Saturday: Antrim v Limerick, Parnell Park, 7pm, Referee: J Owens (Wexford); Cork v Galway, Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 4pm, Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath).