Cork sides to receive byes to Munster club hurling semis
Sarsfields captain Conor O'Sullivan lifts the cup after his side's victory over Ballygunner in last year's AIB Munster Club SHC final at FBD Semple Stadium. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Cork’s representatives in the Munster club hurling championships will again receive bye to the semi-final stages of the three competitions.
Due to the custom of the Munster Council giving such byes when counties reach an All-Ireland final, Cork have been rewarded as they were last year, as are Tipperary, while Kerry sides will similarly benefit in the football championships.
The draws took place at the recent Munster Council meeting where the change to the seeding for the Munster SFC was also decided upon.
In the AIB Munster Club SHC – in which Sarsfields last year before the first Cork champions since Newtownshandrum in 2009 – the team representing Cork will have a last-four tie against the winners of the quarter-final between the Limerick and Waterford champions. With just five teams involved, the other semi-final will be contested by teams from Clare and Tipperary.
The Kerry senior champions take part in the Munster club intermediate championship and so there are two quarter-finals – Abbeydorney, who won the title in the Kingdom last month, will face the Clare champions in one while the Waterford and Limerick sides meet. In the semis, the two quarter-final winners will clash while Cork’s premier intermediate champions face the winners of the second tier in Tipperary.
In the Munster junior competition, Kerry’s intermediate champions meet the Limerick representatives and the winners of that will advance to take on the Cork premier junior champions. The junior winners in Waterford and Clare will clash in the other quarter-final and the winners will progress to meet the Tipperary victors.
All of the hurling semi-finals are scheduled for the week ending November 16, with the finals taking place a fortnight later.
In contrast with the hurling, none of the Cork premier senior, premier intermediate or premier junior champions will receive a quarter-final bye.
In the Munster Club SFC, the winners of the Andy Scannell Cup will be up against their Tipperary counterparts and the winners of that will face the side that wins the other quarter-final, which is between the Waterford and Clare champions.
At intermediate level, Cork’s third-tier champions will also have Tipperary opposition, with the successful side then advancing to a semi-final against the Limerick champions.
In the provincial junior championship, the draw has pitted the Cork premier junior champions with Waterford’s representatives. As with intermediate level, there are Limerick opposition lying in wait at the semi-final stage.
The football quarter-finals are slated for the week ending November 9, with the semi-finals two weeks later and the finals down for decision on the first weekend in December.
Limerick v Waterford; Clare v Tipperary, Cork v Limerick/Waterford.
Tipperary v Cork, Waterford v Clare; Kerry v Limerick, Tipperary/Cork v Waterford/Clare.
Waterford v Limerick, Clare v Abbeydorney (Kerry); Waterford/Limerick v Clare/Abbeydorney, Cork v Tipperary.
Tipperary v Cork, Clare v Waterford; Kerry v Clare/Waterford; Limerick v Tipperary/Cork.
Kerry (intermediate champions) v Limerick, Waterford v Clare; Tipperary v Waterford/Clare, Cork v Kerry/Limerick.
Waterford v Cork, Clare v Tipperary; Kerry v Clare/Tipperary, Limerick v Waterford/Cork.
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