Cork GAA: All you need to know ahead of football clash with Kerry and hurlers' trip to Waterford
Declan Dalton of Cork in action against Matthew O'Hanlon of Wexford. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
WITH the new split-season format, Cork fans have a double bill of Munster championship action on the horizon.
The footballers face Kerry in a Munster semi-final in an unusual Saturday afternoon slot of 4pm on April 20 in Fitzgerald Stadium before the hurlers begin their campaign in Walsh Park on Sunday, April 21, at 4pm.
The closest the Rebels came to beating Kerry on their turf in the last decade was the 2015 provincial final, which finished Kerry 2-15, Cork 3-12 after a speculative late effort from Fionn Fitzgerald split the posts. Manager Brian Cuthbert's tactic of using Nemo's Barry O'Driscoll as a raiding wing-back paid, as he hit the net along with Colm O'Neill and Donncha O'Connor.
A superb display by Eoin Cadogan curbed Kieran Donaghy for the most part while Alan O'Connor dominated midfield.
However, a controversial penalty, converted by James O'Donoghue, proved pivotal for Kerry, who won the replay the following weekend. Cork haven't beaten their rivals in Killarney since 1995, though they have drawn five times.
In the new system, seeding for the All-Ireland group stages is based on a combination of provincial success and league position, so Cork would need a first Munster crown in 12 years to move up the pecking order. With Bruce Springsteen rocking Páirc Uí Chaoimh in mid-May, Páirc Uí Rinn will be used for the footballers' home match in the Sam Maguire series.
Terrace tickets for the clash in Killarney are available here at €20 for adults, and the game is streaming on GAAGO.
Whatever about the footballers, Pat Ryan's hurlers are hot favourites to beat Waterford. Davy Fitzgerald's team were relegated in the league but were off-form in the early stages of 2023 as well and nearly beat Limerick in the championship opener.
Cork concluded the league with dominant displays away to Offaly and Wexford where Alan Connolly's successive hat-tricks grabbed the headlines. Since then Shane Kingston has been ruled out with a hamstring tear but Mark Coleman is due back from a jaw break, even if he might be held in reserve.
There's strong competition for attacking places but the defence, outside of whether Coleman starts, has a settled look to it.
Veterans Patrick Horgan, Seamus Harnedy and Conor Lehane are still expected to lead the line in Walsh Park, where Cork won on their last visit in 2022.
Due to the small capacity at the venue, tickets were distributed via clubs in both counties. A limited number of stand and terrace tickets are on sale on Friday, April 12 at 3pm via Ticketmaster here.
That match is on GAAGO as opposed to being screened by RTE. The hurlers' games at home to Clare, April 28, and Limerick, May 10, are also on the streaming service.
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