Two club finals off and others not certain

GAELIC GAMES:TWO OF the four AIB provincial club finals re-fixed for this Sunday have once again fallen victim to the weather – and there's no guarantee the other two will go ahead.

The Leinster Council took the decision yesterday to postpone their senior football and hurling finals until January on the basis that, even if there is a significant thaw in the coming days, waterlogged pitches are still likely to be an issue.

It was hoped the football final between Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes and Offaly’s Rhode could go ahead in Portlaoise this Sunday – having being postponed a week – and the hurling final between O’Loughlin Gaels of Kilkenny and Oulart-the-Ballagh of Wexford be played Dr Cullen Park in Carlow – having being postponed twice.

However, after pitch inspections at both venues yesterday, the fresh snowfall and failure of the land to thaw convinced the Leinster Council that the wise decision was to defer both games until the New Year.

A mid-January date is now likely, although this will be confirmed by the Leinster Competitions Control Committee (CCC). There will inevitably be some clash with the O’Byrne Cup and Walsh Cup pre-season competitions, but both finals will be played well before the start of the national leagues.

Leinster’s junior hurling and football finals, and the intermediate football finals, are also postponed but only until Sunday week, December 19th – again, weather permitting.

This latest postponement of the football final will come as little consolation to Kilmacud Crokes manager Paddy Carr, who had called for the game to be put off until the New Year when originally cancelled last Sunday.

As a result, several Kilmacud players, including Rory O’Carroll and Cian O’Sullivan, missed out on the Dublin team holiday to Dubai this week, as clearly their club commitments came first. O’Loughlin Gaels manager Mick Nolan also called for the hurling final to be put back until the New Year after it was cancelled for a second time, and he too now gets his wish.

The Ulster football final between Crossmaglen of Armagh and Naomh Conaill of Donegal, also twice postponed over the last two successive Sundays, remains re-fixed for Clones this Sunday, with a 1.45pm start.

However, the Ulster Council have arranged a pitch inspection for Friday morning, at which stage a decision to further defer the game until January could also be made. The intermediate final between Lisnaskea of Fermanagh and Doohamlet of Monaghan, which had been arranged for a 7pm throw-in in Cavan on each of the last two Saturdays, has now been scheduled for a 2pm start this Saturday.

“The temperature is expected to be six to eight degrees on Thursday,” explained Ulster press officer Oliver Galligan, “so we’re hopeful we’ll be able to play them. But we will be inspecting the pitches on Friday at Clones and Cavan.”

Ulster are under slightly more pressure to get their senior final played before the end of the year as the winners of Crossmaglen-Naomh Conaill were to travel to Ruislip this Sunday to play London champions Neasden Gaels in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Obviously that’s not going to happen now, meaning the quarter-final date remains undermined.

So to Munster, where at least their senior football final between Dr Crokes from Kerry and Nemo Rangers of Cork looks set to go ahead this Sunday at its original Gaelic Grounds venue in Limerick, with a 2pm start.

“Right now it’s all systems go here as far as we’re concerned,” said Munster Council press officer Jim Forbes.

Weekend Fixtures

Saturday

Ulster IFC Final– Lisnaskea (Fermanagh) v Doohamlet (Monaghan), Kingspan Breffni Park, 2pm.

Sunday

Munster SFC Final– Nemo Rangers (Cork) v Dr Crokes (Kerry), Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 2pm.

Munster JHC Final– Meelin (Cork) v St Patrick's (Tipperary), Mallow, 2pm.

Munster JFC Final– St Mary's (Kerry) v Bruree (Limerick), Mallow, 3.30pm.

Ulster SFC Final– Crossmaglen (Armagh) v Naomh Conaill (Donegal), St Tiernachs Park, Clones, 1.45pm.

Ulster JFC Final– Corduff (Monaghan) v Swanlinbar (Cavan), St Tiernach's Park, Clones, noon.