IT’S BEEN THE most unusual of hurling championships this summer and it’s set to end in a most unusual manner: on a Saturday evening.
The GAA announced to those filing out of Croke Park on Sunday that the All-Ireland SHC final would be replayed on 28 September. And yesterday, Croke Park chiefs pencilled it in for a 5pm throw-in.
“It is very unusual,” agreed Rebels boss, Jimmy Barry-Murphy at the team hotel in Dublin yesterday.
“I would have preferred a Sunday personally. An All-Ireland final should be on a Sunday but that is another decision that has been taken that we have no control over. These things are nothing to do with me, when a match is fixed as far as I am concerned you get on with it.
“We are going for a recovery session this morning, a pool session and then we will take a break for a couple of days and regroup after the weekend and start the whole process again.”
‘Unusual’ was again the adjective Barry-Murphy reached for when asked for the atmosphere amongst the Cork panel on Sunday night in the wake of the draw with Clare.
“People were all in good form,” the St Finbarr’s clubman added. “There was a general feeling that we could have played better overall, that we could have got into our stride earlier. That is the main thing but it is a case of trying to regroup now and trying to find out what went wrong yesterday. But there are plenty of positives as well from our point of view, there was great passion and great spirit I thought. We hung in there there and we needed to.”
Supporters of both counties may have felt that their side left a title after them. A point up in garbage time, does JBM look at it like the one that got away?
“I wouldn’t say it is gone from us at all. We didn’t play well [on Sunday] in general, we were chasing the game from the start and we did not get into our stride as quickly as Clare. From that point of view, I certainly don’t think it is lost, it is there to be won the next day. There is plenty of time to regroup and that is what we are going to do,” he says.
Asked if he felt wronged by the referee’s time-keeping in the dramatic finale to the contest, Barry-Murphy said: “I am not going to start carping now about that because as I said a couple of decisions went our way that could have gone the other way and I think it is bad grace now to moan about that. Referees in general tend to give a team one chance if they are a point down, don’t they, and that is what happened yesterday.
The Cork boss went on: “We have to look now and see where we can strengthen, but as I said we did not play as well as we would have liked. But that is finals, they take on a life of their own. There are days when it doesn’t happen for you. It was a great game and our players played with fantastic spirit and they had to hang in there and they hung in there tough. I was very, very proud of that, I would have to say.”
Originally published 07.30
I’m sorry but getting two Munster teams up to Croker again and making it later in the evening is just beyond ridiculous. It was 1am by the time I got home on Sunday night with traffic. Imagine cork and Clare families with children. The gaa really don’t think stuff through at all!
Probably easier not to bother going to the replay so, I always hate the inconvenience of an All Ireland final!!
Seriously though, you have a long trip ahead of you regardless, that’s not going to change. But for the majority of people ie with work on Monday morning, would it not be more preferable to arrive home at 2.30am on a Saturday night, than 1am on a Sunday?
Did you not read my comment? Gaa is supposed to be family friendly! If you saw the traffic I did on Sunday you wouldn’t have just said that, bumper to bumper until the portlaoise toll all the way from the quays! It’s just an unnessecary timing!
Diarmaid,
But when do you want it? 12pm? 1pm? You will have people complaining that is too early to make the trip from Munster? That’s all im saying. I’m not saying its an easy trip to make with kids, but at the end of the day your traveling from Cork, it’s gonna be a tough round journey in a day
Just leave it in the middle of the day, what’s the point in changing the time. No one complains about throw in at 3.30? What is the purpose in changing it? It’s utterly pointless!
But that’s my point, all this giving out and complaining over and hour and a half? I don’t get it.
The guards have advised them to push the game to 5pm for whatever reason, presumably because of traffic, so they are going on that advice.
I honestly can’t see what the big issue is over and hour and a half.
Best of luck on Sunday
It’s the difference between 1am and 2.30 am for families with children, maybe nothing to you and I but a lot to them! That’s all I’m saying! Cheers!
Just a suggestion Dermo, next time why not park at the Red Cow Luas stop and get the Luas into Connolly station thus avoiding the Quays and Inchicore which is always bedlam after a big match especially when most of the fans are heading for the M7. You’ll save 90 minutes easily.
Did that for the Donegal cork game last year and with a 1/4 of the crowd it nearly took us longer to get out such were the queues for the luas!
Was home in cork for half 10 and went for a few pints after the game. Left at half 6 and had time to stop for food. Stop complaining its another all Ireland day out.
Diarmaid it was 4am when I got back to Manchester after the game & in work for 6am. Do you suggest not playing the all Ireland in croker. As a fellow Cork man even I find that a little naive. Maybe the late throw is a small issue but I have no problems with Saturday. If you love this game with a passion as some of us do time & distance are no issue. If I thought we would get a game like last Sunday I would go to. New York to see it.
Your boss should give you a raise.
The fact that ye don’t get to an all Ireland final that often in recent times I wouldn’t be complaining about the time and appreciate the occasion. Most counties would kill to get to one.
All matches should be on Saturday! Agree 3.30 allows people get home earlier but at least the following day is Sunday. With the games on Sunday many can’t even have a pint because we have to get home for work on monday morning. I much prefer the option to stay over night and drive home on Sunday.
Can everyone read where I said it’s NOT AN ISSUE for me, I just think the GAA should think of both sets of fans with young children! Like you Mjhint I didnt care that it took us 5.5 hours to get home with traffic etc (to the person who was home at 10.30, perhaps you had a helicopter but a cursory glance at the AA will show you the tolls and a crash by Portlaoise caused massive tailbacks). I am just suggesting that not every fan is 29 with no kids like me and perhaps the GAA should consider them no? I spoke with many fans also (mostly from Clare) after who wanted the match to be moved to Semple! I am not alone in this and I am not taking a final for granted, seems you cant even make a suggestion these days!
Dairmaid your always giving out about something
That’s fresh from you Nelly, really fresh indeed
Take no notice Tom, he’s stalking me at this stage!
Quite Jason stop telling everyone
I can understand people with kids although my 5 year old was with me but sempel could not cope with this event. I love going to croker it’s a credit to the gaa & the supporters that paid for it. It really is Ireland’s collisium & to play the all Ireland anywhere else would only devalue the event.
I agree Mjhint, I love Croker and would hate to play the final in Semple to be honest although I can see the appeal! Croker is where you want to be, but my point is just putting it later again isnt fair on families! Thanks Jason, I’ll try that on the 28th :-)
You wish dairymaid
Diarmaid who cares the cats are not in the final those langers will be fine sure you’re the only fecking eegit complaining next well you’ll be complaining about the grass not been short enough for the ball to roll. Oh holy moses!
don’t go so!
Dairmaid do all cork people think the worlds against cork or just you
Bit of a weird time I agree, possibly trying to push people into staying the night, and bringing more revenue to the hotels/b&b’s in Dublin?
Jaysus diarmuid what’s your obsession with families! Relax…it’ll all work out. I would say its much handier for parents with kids goin to the game to have it on a Saturday.
Many people work on a Saturday, it would give those people a chance of even working a half day, so as not to miss out on too much wages
Lots of people work on a Saturday….
What about all the road safety warnings about driving when you’re tired being the same as driving over the alcohol limit?
And it’s ‘you’re’ Nelly.
One gets the feeling killkenny and cork people irritate one another !
Only one ‘L’ in Kilkenny. Just sayin’
I think all games should be in aSaturday. You get a night out at the end of it. And the day off the next day to recover. If you have kids and you are home late you and the kids have Sunday to rest.
The cheek of him complaining “it should be on a sunday”. Ridiculous. Women aren’t second class citizens. Why should their final be moved? I’m delighted that it’s been put on the saturday instead. It’s at least a step towards getting rid of the sexism that was so apparent last year.
No need to move the ladies final again this year. People will still travel whether it be a Saturday or a Sunday.
Some people are of the thinking it would be better to move the ladies final again, asked why but no one seems to be able to tell me why?
Just move the ladies final out of croke park altogether. You wouldn’t even get 20000 at that match and most of them will be children which are cheaper tickets. I remember reading somewhere that the gaa need at least 35000 just to cover the cost of opening the stadium. Play it in parnell park or somewhere nearer the two teams base.
Would you have schools finals played in other parks too? Everyone who reaches a final whatever their code, age or gender deserve their day in Croke Park. The GAA make enough money from bigger matches to warrant giving great memories to others of less popular codes etc and encouraging them to keep playing GAA games.
Pity they couldnt play the ladies all ireland and the hurling as a double header..Dont the ladies deserve to play in a packed croke park?
Would you go away out of that, if an event is costing money to hold logic would tell you, you hold it somewhere else. I’d apply that to all codes Out of interest without googling it does anyone actually know who’s playing in the ladies final? I suggest 90% of gaa supporters don’t.
I thought the same thing! That’d be great like, they could all head to coppers together after ;)
@Nigel. While it would be interesting to see the men and women both play on a Sunday I doubt many would be happy for a 6pm throw in for the Men’s final. 3 games are due to be played on the Sunday starting at 12. @galwaybay there will easily be 20,000 in Croke Park for the Sunday. There was an attendance of over 17,000 last year and attendance have gone up over the last few years. Yes I know who are playing on the Sunday. Do you?
Would it not have been handier just 2 play the extra time last sun and be done with it, this thing that neither team deserved 2 loose it, prob not but that’s the way it’s goin 2 end up any way so just play it out last sun and that would stop all the whining about throw in times.
“A point up in garbage time ” ??? What ????!!!
A stupid American phrase, shoehorned into the article with the meaning of the phrase completely misunderstood. It’s actual meaning, for Yanks, is the period at the end of the game where the game has become meaningless and the benches are emptied. Think Mayo v Donegal last month in the football.
Does he want to wait another week until the first week in October or move the ladies final again?
Move the ladies final again
Why?
Ask him sure?? I was answering your question?
Just a question, relax.
I actually haven’t even red thumbed your comment, I got you were answering like. Sozzz
Stop trying to create something that’s not there Emma
Ok Tom, thought I was asking a question but sure! Let’s be honest, it could played on a Tuesday morning and it’d still be unreal.
I have been a regular the last few years to all Ireland’s with tipperary been in them and I get away in no time! Park just down a side street off the north circular road not far from jones’s road and bang away you go! I never ever get caught in heavy traffic
Coppers is going to make a fortune!!!
why did he have to do it. Pull him to the ground and him in on goal. We would have won that game and now Monaghan have no All Ireland to look forward too.
@ diarmuid Didnt get home untill 1am ? I had a car like that before aswell, had to get rid of it
Would extra time at the end not help? And if its a draw then go on and have a replay. Just a thought…
Wouldn’t I love to have the worry about times and replays and traffic ! Fear of your &&€) Most Counties starved of an All Ireland win.. As for moving the ladies football , it does not even warrant or deserve an answer it should not be open for discussion ..
There is parking opposite porterhouse north on cross guns bridge , the offices there are closed on Sunday , handy walk down withworth road to croker ,then back out to m50 and home
The difference between an hour and a half is flights