LAST UPDATE | 3 Feb 2022
FORMER CORK GOALKEEPER Anthony Nash says moving the Rebels championship clash against Clare to Semple Stadium “looks terrible” and should not have happened.
On Monday, Cork GAA confirmed their Munster championship games in football and hurling against Clare and Kerry respectively, have been moved from Páirc Uí Chaoimh due to the Ed Sheeran concert taking place at the ground.
The Munster hurling round-robin game against Clare will take place in Semple Stadium on the weekend of 30 April-1 May.
Speaking on the first episode of The42 GAA Weekly of the new season, Nash said he understands why manager Kieran Kingston was happy to go to Semple Stadium rather than Páirc Uí Rinn, but it should be played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
“We love playing in Thurles, absolutely. Thurles is class. But if you were offering a Cork player a game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh or Thurles, the straw poll wouldn’t be 50/50.
“As a player, I’d prefer to take Clare to Thurles than Páirc Uí Rinn. Páirc Uí Rinn is similar to Ennis. That setting is a better alternative. If you offer me Páirc Uí Rinn or Thurles, I’d take Thurles.
“For the simple reason, more spectators. Cork are used to playing Clare in Thurles so that is not a big deal. What we are getting away from here is if they had a choice between Páirc Uí Chaoimh or Thurles.
“I am hopeful the county board had no clue whatsoever the championship would be moved because losing a home game in a competition that is so tight is massive.”
The two-time All-Star went on to stress that he hopes it was an unforeseen issue.
“Cork could beat Clare in Thurles and all of this could be swept under the carpet but the idea of it is shocking.
“They built this massive stadium that we weren’t allowed to train on. We had a match organised there two years ago. The match was pulled so we were going to train there. ‘No, you are not allowed to train there you have to go to Páirc Uí Rinn.’ They had issues with the surface. I can’t remember how many times I got to train there after it was finished in 2017, only 10 or 15 maybe.
“Cork people love going to Thurles but what about the local community, the bars and the pubs banking on a good weekend. I understand Ed Sheeran will bring some of that as well but you can’t lose a home game for a concert. It just looks terrible.
“I am hopeful, I haven’t seen or heard, that they hadn’t a clue the championship would be on that day. Clare will be delighted. Clare will be delighted to go to Thurles. I’ve no issue with them having concerts. But have concerts when it is guaranteed there will be no matches there.”
When ye think of the controversy they made of the match for liam miller and now they let ed sheeran in when there is gaa matches supposed to be on.
@Brian Dunne: hit the nail on the head there. Not to mention selling the rights to sky and denying the dedicated supporter opportunity to watch matches on free to air. Complete hypocrisy, they play the amateur card when it suits the story.
Back in the 70s when I was a kid me Ma called them as the Grab All Association and she was an intercounty Camogie player who lived thru many a decision where players were put to the back of the line!
@CARMODY Neil: $$$$$$.The
G$$
The concert was probably pencilled in before the fixtures for the championship were confirmed. Even so the Cork county board could have approached the Munster council about having the fixtures arranged so that the game and concert don’t clash. Did they do that?
What about the footballers they must play Kerry in Pairc Ui Rinn. They have no choice and have lost out as well
@Diarmuid: Could the football not have gone to Killarney, similar arrangement to when PUC was being redeveloped?
They should have got Garth Brooks to play 96 nights, 1 for each million the white elephant that nobody wants to go to cost.
If indeed it was 96m, give or take a good few million…
Season ticket holders for cork stadium not be happy
Words fail me. No soccer wanted there but sure tis grand to have Ed. You really couldnt make it up.
All championship games should be played in neutral venues, anyway.
Unless in the case of Dublin, where all games should be played in Dublin
@Dan Duggan: yet another anti -dub
Any opportunity to practice your fetish
@Dan Duggan: yet another anti -dub
Any opportunity to practice your bigotry
More money grabbing by the gaa. Never mind the extra cost to thier loyal supporters.
To be fair, the concert was pencilled in last year. Nobody knew the format that the hurling championship would take this year up until later on in 2021 due to covid etc. It would cost a hell of alot more to cancel/change a concert than to change a match and logistically it is alot easier. Think the important thing here would be to get the players opinions – Clare certainly would have no qualms about going to Thurles. Cork obviously would like a home game but Thurles is as close to a second home, indeed probably more of a home than Pairc Ui Chaoimh over the years to the Cork hurlers. Therefore I wouldn’t think it’s an issue. If the game was in PUC, you’d have Clare people and others giving out about access, travel etc. Just get on with it now.
@Jonathan Tuohy: What about the Cork supporters, particularly those that have to travel from west Cork.
How do people expect them to pay for the stadium? Concerts sell out, matches dont.
Money talks and there’s a big bill to be paid for the stadium
What’s the biggest crowd that they’ve had in PUC since the renovation completed? Thurles would have a better atmosphere.
@GrumpyAulFella: Vaccinations?
@GrumpyAulFella: It has not yet had a capacity attendance for a GAA match since its redevelopment, the only time it has had a capacity crowd for a sporting event was for the Liam Miller soccer charity game.
@GrumpyAulFella: Ed Sheeran sold it out for 3 nights in a row in 2018. 120,000 people attended over the course of the May bank holiday weekend. 43,000 attended the Liam Miller tribute.
@Leonard Barry: Pandemic has had something to do with that too in fairness