PÁIRC UÍ CHAOIMH stadium manager Bob Ryan has played down concerns over the poor state of the pitch following the weekend’s league double-header at the venue.
The Cork footballers faced Cavan in Sunday’s Division 2 curtain raiser, before the county’s hurlers hosted Waterford in Division 1A, with the surface of the sandy-heavy field the subject of much criticism.
Ryan says the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch needs time before the grass will grow properly, while the scheduling of double-headers in January and February did not help.
“The issue is very simple. It’s a new pitch with a lack of growth and we can’t do a huge amount about it,” Ryan told The42.
“It takes time for a new pitch to become established, it was the same when the new pitches went into Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium.
“There’s also a shading issue with the South Stand.”
A shadow caused by the South Stand contributed towards the sandy terrain on that side of the field on Sunday, as did the recent lack of rain.
Ryan expects the surface to improve over the coming weeks and confirmed that grow lights will be put in place at the end of the inter-county season.
“Putting in grow lights has to be done,” he continued.
“We’ll wait until the autumn to do that as we’re coming into the growth season now.”
Ed Sheeran is due to play three concerts in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at the beginning of May, with Ryan having previously stated that parts of the pitch will be re-turfed following those shows.
John Meyler’s hurlers will open their Munster campaign against Clare on 20 May, two weeks after the last of Sheeran’s concerts.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Fair play to Leinster ,and to heaslip , who’s balls I have broken for a while now , he was top shelf lately when they needed him.
Agree totally about Heaslip. I put my hand up as a Heaslip basher too. Eating humble pie now and gladly admit it. But as to turning a corner, stillthink there is a lot of work to be done.
I know every coach has his own style but why in the name of god did O’Connor go in the complete opposite direction to what Schmidt was doing at Leinster. He has turned ye from one of the best ball handling sides in the world to a side that now can’t string 5 passes together without someone dropping it or putting boot to ball. The sooner he goes the better it will be for Leinster and Irish rugby.
From all his soundbites and the evidence of past games, MOC seems to be a guy who tells his players to try Plan A, and if that doesn’t work, to try Plan A harder
Plan b is a fallacy. There’s the gameplan and there’s playing heads up when the opportunity arises. Coming up with one gameplan is hard enough, getting 23 guys on the same page about two gameplans is a waste of time.
I guess so, mate. It depends on the way you look at it. Maybe what I mean is that Leinster are pretty one-dimensional under MOC. Coaches should be able to tweak things at half time. Plus Leinster are lacking technically in a lot of areas, hence my suggestion that MOC just tries to get the players to try the same stuff with more intensity
Leinster were great to watch under Schmidt now they are a bore.
When Schmidt landed he could do no right , look at him now “loike”
That lasted for all of a few weeks though. We’re a season and a bit in and they’ve still only been impressive twice. Northampton away and the Pro12 final. Every time they win there’s the feeling that it was unconvincing and a bit jammy. I don’t get anything like the enjoyment from watching them play that I used to. Still just as big a supporter but there are too many ugly wins.
Your turnip stew is going cold buddy.
Ya not alone I’ve felt like that since kidney left Munster :)