Time and date for Canon O'Brien Cup game confirmed
UCC's Brian Keating, shadowed by Shane Barrett of Cork, scores a point during the Canon O'Brien Cup game at the Mardyke in January of this year. Picture: Jim Coughlan
It will be a high-noon showdown as Ben O’Connor takes charge of the Cork senior hurling team in front of the public for the first time.
As per tradition, the Rebels’ opening outing of the new season will be the annual Canon O’Brien Cup game against UCC at the Mardyke – and the time and date have now been fully finalised.
The clash with the college side had already been pencilled in for Sunday, December 28 and confirmation of that slot has come, along with a throw-in time of 12 noon.
It will actually be the second Canon O’Brien Cup game of 2025, with the sides having met on January 10 of this year as well – special permission had to be sought for the fixture to take place prior to the commencement of 2026. There were also two editions of the Canon match in 2023, with none taking place in the calendar year of 2024.
The match on Sunday week will be the 12th occasion that the cup has been contested – since the inaugural meeting in 2013, the only seasons where it was not played were 2018, when it was postponed due to bad weather and not refixed, and 2021, when Covid-19 restrictions prevented it from taking place.
Cork have won eight of the previous 11 clashes with UCC victorious on three occasions, most recently in December 2023.
Following the Canon O’Brien Cup, Cork will then be involved in the Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League and the Munster Council have confirmed the venues for the group fixtures in that competition.
Cork have been drawn in Group B with Clare and Limerick and the mid-west rivals clash in the opening game, with Tulla the venue on the afternoon of Saturday, January 3. Four nights later, O’Connor’s side make the journey up the N20 to take on the Shannonsiders at TUS Gaelic Grounds (7.35pm) – incidentally, that game is the night before UCC take on MTU Cork in the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup, so the Rebels’ deck may have to be shuffled.
Mallow will host Cork’s second group game, against Clare on Monday, January 12 with a 7pm throw-in.
Were Cork – the winners of the competition the last time it was completed, in 2023 – to reach the final, they would be in action again on Saturday, January 17, eight days before the Allianz Hurling League opener against Waterford at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Tipperary v Waterford, Clonmel Sportsfield.
Clare v Limerick, Tulla.
Waterford v Kerry, Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field, 7pm.
Limerick v Cork, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 7.35pm.
Kerry v Tipperary, Austin Stack Park, 1pm.
Cork v Clare, Mallow, 7pm.
Winner Group A v Winner Group B, 3.15pm.
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