Limerick
may yet get home advantage for their
football qualifier against Cork on Saturday week, depending on how two hurling results go this Saturday.
Although first out of the bowl in yesterday’s draw, a home-and-away agreement with opponents Cork meant Limerick had to surrender that home advantage: their last championship meeting in the 2010 qualifiers was played at the Gaelic Grounds.
However, should the Limerick hurlers beat Westmeath and likewise the Cork hurlers beat Dublin, that would set up a Limerick-Cork tie that would most likely be played as double-bill in the Gaelic Grounds, along with the football tie.
“As of now our football qualifier is fixed for Páirc Uí Rinn in Cork,” said Limerick secretary Mike O’Riordan. “We have that home-and-away agreement with Cork in football and hurling and it’s their turn to host it.
“But if it turns out that we play Cork in the hurling qualifiers as well then that might change. There may be an issue with the capacity of Páirc Uí Rinn, and with Páirc Uí Chaoimh unavailable, that could bring those games to the Gaelic Grounds. But that will only come up for discussion after this weekend . . but it is possible those two games could be played in Limerick, yes.”
The other three football qualifiers will see Mayo host Fermanagh and Kildare host Offaly, while the losers of the Donegal/Monaghan Ulster semi-final replay will host Longford – all those games set for Saturday week.
This evening at Páirc Uí Rinn (7.30) Cork host All-Ireland champions Limerick in the Munster U-21 championship, the visitors include 10 survivors from last years'swinning team.
