Cork dual player Diarmuid O'Sullivan must decide between his hurling and football commitments after yesterday's decison of the GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC) to stage the Cork v Galway third-round All-Ireland hurling qualifier as part of a double-header with the Munster football final in Thurles on Sunday week, July 14th. In yesterday's fixtures, the GAC said it was no longer able to make fixture adjustments to accommodate dual players. Ian O'Riordan reports

O'Sullivan, full back for Cork's hurlers for the last few years and a football panellist this year, will clearly be unable to play against Tipperary at 2.40 in the football final and follow that up with a full match against Galway at 4.30. O'Sullivan lined out at corner forward for the first meeting of Cork and Kerry in the Munster football semi-final, but was replaced at half-time and named as a substitute for the replay. He was, however, introduced and scored a point in Cork's three-point victory. As a result of the fixtures clash, it is almost certain he will opt play for Bertie Óg Murphy's hurlers.

According to a spokesperson for Croke Park yesterday, the Munster football final was not expected to draw a major crowd, and with the Cork hurlers also involved in the doubler-header, it was decided that the Semple Stadium capacity of 55,000 could comfortably accommodate the fixture.

Tipperary's Brendan Cummins has also been playing both codes this season, and faces doubling up on the same weekend. The hurlers play Offaly, in what is the first ever championship clash between the counties, in a third-round qualifier on Saturday 13th in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise at 6.15. The next day, Tipperary's footballers play Cork in the Munster final in Thurles. Hurling goalkeeper Cummins played at centre forward in the football semi-final and semi-final replay against Clare.

The final third-round hurling qualifier, between Clare and the losers of next Sunday's Leinster final between Kilkenny and Wexford, will be played, like the Tipp-Offaly clash, on Saturday week at 6.15. The game is fixed for Thurles.

The three successful teams from round three of the hurling qualifiers will be joined by Ulster champions Antrim in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, set for July 28th. The two winners there join the Leinster and Munster champions (in the latter case Waterford) in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

The GAC also confirmed the dates and venues for the third round of football qualifiers. Three of the four games are set for next Saturday.

Two of the games will be played as a double bill in Portlaoise. After cruising past Wicklow last Sunday, Kerry take on Fermanagh in the opening game at 3.30. That will be followed at 5.15 by the meeting of Laois and Meath.

The all-Ulster affair of Derry and Tyrone will take place at Casement Park in Belfast at 6.15. Both teams enjoyed convincing wins in the second round, over Longford and Leitrim respectively.

The fourth game will involve Mayo and the winners of Offaly and Limerick, who still have to play their second-round game (set for the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday evening, at 6.15).

As a result, the remaining third-round game will be played in Hyde Park, Roscommon, on either the following Saturday, July 13th, or the Sunday, July 14th. If Limerick emerge, then they will play Mayo on Saturday at 6.15; alternatively, if Offaly win they will play Mayo on the Sunday at 3.30.

The four winners from round three will emerge to meet the four beaten provincial finalists in round four, set for July 27th.

Sligo are already waiting to enter that round, having fallen to Galway in the Connacht final last Sunday, and they will be joined by either Dublin or Kildare, Cork or Tipperary and Donegal or Armagh.

The four successful teams from round four will join the four provincial champions in the All-Ireland football quarter-finals. Those four games have been tentatively set for Sunday, August 4th.

All-Ireland Qualifiers: Fixtures

Football (Saturday)

Round Two

Limerick v Offaly Gaelic Grounds, 6.15

Round Three

Kerry v FermanaghPortlaoise, 3.30

Meath v Laois Portlaoise, 5.15

Derry v Tyrone Casement Park, 6.15

If Mayo v Limerick: Saturday, July 13th, Hyde Park, 6.15.

If Mayo v Offaly: Sunday, July 14th, Hyde Park, 3.30.

Hurling

Round Three

Offaly v Tipperary Saturday, July 13th, Portlaoise, 6.15.

Cork v Galway Sunday, July 14th, Thurles, 4.30

Clare v Kilkenny/WexfordSaturday, July 20th, Thurles, 6.15