Kerry have agreed to play their Munster SFC semi-final on May 7th against Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn, a statement released by the county board on Friday morning has announced. Páirc Uí Chaoimh was supposed to host the provincial clash but that ground is unavailable due to concerts being played by Ed Sheeran.
The statement confirmed that the county board has decided to accede to a request from Cork to set aside for one year only (2022) the home and away agreement between the counties.
The venue switch is still subject to approval from the Munster council.
The announcement from Kerry looks to have ended a standoff over the venue of the clash. Initially, Munster GAA switched the game to Fitzgerald Park in Killarney once Páirc Uí Chaoimh was known to be unavailable. This was due to concerns for the capactiy of Páirc Uí Rinn which only holds 11,000.
However, the Cork senior football panel threatened to not fulfil the fixture if it was in Killarney, leading to the possibility of the county being out of action until 2023.
Kerry’s statement appears to offer a solution to the problem, provided the switch gets the required approval. “The present agreement would recommence in 2023 with a return to Fitzgerald Stadium and on the understanding Cork’s home venue would be confined to Páirc Uí Chaoimh thereafter,” the statement reads.
“Kerry county board acknowledges the close relationship that exists between both boards, the importance of protecting the integrity of the Munster Senior Football Championship and the priority now for the team management and players to prepare for the game without further distraction.
“It is now a matter for the competitions control committee of the Munster council to confirm the venue for this game and Kerry county board will not be making any further comment on this matter until such time as that process is completed.”
