Dublin set to take to road for first championship match

Dublin football supporters are to be handed a championship road trip for the first time in a decade next summer, according to county chairman Seán Shanley.

Dublin’s top official has suggested it is a “done deal” that the Leinster Council will confirm a provincial venue for Dublin’s opening championship game of 2016 when they meet on Wednesday night to confirm arrangements.

Jim Gavin’s All-Ireland holders have been drawn to play Laois or Wicklow in the Leinster quarter-finals and Shanley said it was his understanding that Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park or O’Moore Park in Portlaoise will be chosen to stage the game.

Dublin haven’t played a championship match outside of Croke Park since 2006, when they narrowly overcame Longford at Pearse Park.

A growing mood for change has been evident, however, particularly in light of Dublin’s latest Sam Maguire win, their third in five seasons, which followed their 10th provincial title since 2005.

Laois are favourites to meet Dublin in that last eight tie next summer, and new manager Mick Lillis recently called on the Leinster Council to show some "moral courage" by bringing the tie to a provincial venue.

Decision

It seems Lillis has got his wish, with Shanley saying the only decision now is whether Dublin travel to Kilkenny or Laois next summer.

However, Leinster Council sources were last night insistent that talk of a “done deal” was premature and that Wednesday evening’s crucial vote could still go either way.

“Dublin certainly have no objection to it. There are obviously issues about the gate receipts and the dividends that will be available afterwards and what capacity the other stadiums have. Those are things that a lot of people don’t often think about,” said Shanley. “But as a decision, Dublin has no problem with it. We’re happy to leave Croke Park and go down the country to wherever they send us. My understanding is that it’s going to happen for the first round, and wherever it is, it will be a great day out.

“I remember myself watching Dublin teams in places like Navan and those were great occasions. So no problems, no.”

Shanley agreed a desire to take Dublin out of Croke Park has been noticeable and has been increasingly driven in recent weeks. “People maybe think it will make a difference Dublin not playing at Croke Park,” he continued. “And that may be a fair argument, but I don’t think it will make much of a difference. They won their fair share of league games away and I think they’re a seriously experienced group of players at this stage and they’ll cope with whatever the change is.”

Meanwhile, Shanley said it was his understanding there would only be a single double- header of Allianz league games at Croke Park next spring involving both county teams. That’s likely to be the March 5th meeting between Dublin and Cork in both codes.

Munster Council

Elsewhere, the Munster Council has confirmed Killarney Legion will advance to represent Kerry against Cork champions Nemo Rangers in Sunday's AIB provincial club semi-finals.

The news has come as a frustration to Kerry club champions Dingle, who hoped to represent the county in Munster after the stalemate in last weekend’s Kerry county final between South Kerry and Legion.

Divisional sides aren’t permitted to compete in the Munster championship and with the replay not taking place until the weekend of November 22nd, Dingle seemed likely to step into the breach and meet the Cork champions. But the Munster Council confirmed Legion are entitled to represent Kerry.

Dingle manager Paul Fitzmaurice hit out at Kerry's county board for not running off the championships sooner and leaving such a tight deadline.

“The whole system is just wrong in the county,” Fitzmaurice told Radio Kerry. “And in this fiasco I’m afraid the county board have been shown up.

“It’s very frustrating. They can blame the Munster final replay [between Cork and Kerry] and everything, but there’s been several free weekends this season where games could have been played.”

In hurling, five-time All-Ireland winning Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity, who retired after the Cats' 2014 triumph, has joined the Dublin camogie management team.