Gaelic Games News: The venue for the Cork versus Clare Munster SHC semi-final next May is the only one outstanding from next year's proposed championship calendar.
The Munster Council yesterday announced their dates and venues, which are straight forward enough as all the opposing counties have a home and away arrangement in place due to the regularity of meetings.
However, no such agreement exists between Cork and Clare so the debate is set to go before the next council meeting.
Clare PRO Des Crowe has already indicated that Clare would be keen to play the match at Limerick's Gaelic Grounds, while Cork are expected to be more comfortable with Semple Stadium in Thurles. Either way, the game will take place on May 25th.
Tipperary and Limerick will meet in Thurles in the preliminary round on May 14th. Should Limerick progress to the semi-final, they will play Waterford in the same stadium on June 4th but a venue is yet to be announced for a Waterford/Tipperary encounter. The final is set for June 25th.
In Munster football, Kerry face Waterford on May 21st in Killarney with the winners playing Tipperary, in the case of Kerry, back in Killarney on June 11th.
The other first-round match sees Limerick host Clare at the Gaelic Grounds on May 21st with the winners facing Cork on June 11th. Limerick would have home advantage once more but were Clare to progress they would have to travel to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, again, on June 11th.
The final is provisionally set for July 9th.
The Games Administration Committee met in Croke Park yesterday to put finishing touches on the 2006 master fixture list.
The main problem this year is the All-Ireland finals have both been shifted back a week to September 3rd (hurling) and 17th (football), respectively, to accommodate the historic first staging of the Ryder Cup on these shores.
However, the provincial finals will be played off in their usual slots of early to mid-July. The biennial Europe against America golf tournament takes place at the K Club between September 22nd and 24th.
"It was more a case of dotting the i's and crossing the t's," said chairman Tony O'Keeffe.
"Little problems, like if New York beat Roscommon there will be 17 teams in the qualifiers and making sure the qualifiers fit in with the provincial finals were the kind of issues we attended to."
Meanwhile, after the GAA Central Management Committee endorsed initial plans for building a new 42,000-seater stadium on the site of the Maze Prison, the British government are still awaiting a reply from the Ulster Branch of the IRFU and the Irish Football Association (IFA).
The project came under threat this week when two separate sites in Belfast were mooted for development of a soccer stadium.
Tony Whitehead, of the British government-sponsored SIB, which is involved in the stadium project, has ruled out funding for any project that does not include all three sporting bodies.
"First of all, the GAA endorsed the plan in principle last weekend so we are still working with soccer and rugby until the end of the year. The problem is mainly the IFA, as rugby will only be using it for two, maybe three, games a year so they are very much a junior partner, and their contractual agreement with Linfield football club."
The IFA entered into a 104-year lease at Windsor Park in 1984 but if they cannot get out of this agreement the whole project may fall through.
"If they are not committed in principle by the year's end or at least close to an agreement, the government will pull the plug," added Whitehouse.
MUNSTER
Senior Hurling Championship
May 14th: Tipperary v Limerick, Thurles
May 25th: Cork v Clare, TBC
June 4th: Limerick/Tipp v Waterford, Thurles,
TBC (if Tipperary win)
June 24th: Final
Senior Football Championship
May 21st: Kerry v Waterford, Killarney
May 21st: Limerick v Clare, Gaelic Grounds
June 11th: Kerry/Waterford v Tipperary, Killarney/TBC (if Waterford)
June 11th: Limerick/Clare v Cork, Gaelic Grounds/Páirc Uí Chaoimh
July 9th: Final.
