For the many who had travelled through the deluge to reach Castlehaven's picturesque ground, it must have seemed like divine intervention. Blue skies canopied the roads between Castletownsend and Unionhall and the sun appeared in a radiant splendour that even Pollyanna would chalked at long odds.

In this case, however, God proposes and man - in the forbidding guise of the Munster Council - disposes. Despite the converging crowds, including a reported six buses from Killorglin, and the willingness of both teams to play, yesterday's Munster club football semi-final between Laune Rangers and Castlehaven was postponed less than an hour before the scheduled time for the throw-in.

The decision was made by referee Kevin Walsh from Clare and Declan Moylan, treasurer of the Munster Council.

"It was a very difficult decision to take," said Moylan in an interview with County Sound radio station, "but in conjunction with the referee and representatives of both sides, we walked the pitch and considered it to be in a dangerous condition and, under the circumstances, we had no option but to call it off.

"I was on the pitch yesterday evening and it was in excellent condition. Last night was a wet night, I understand. I left Limerick at nine o'clock this morning and checked on the way down had there been any calls - there had not.

"When I got here the chairman of the local club told me that the pitch was fairly bad and that I'd want to walk it, which I did. Immediately I walked it, even before the referee arrived, I knew in my heart and soul that it was unplayable.

"But there was no more I could do about it. I am very sorry, especially for the Kerry supporters who travelled in such large numbers today and who will have to come again."

Players and supporters from both clubs were unhappy with the last-minute decision, particularly in light of the bad weather forecast.

"I had concerns," said Castlehaven chairman James O'Neill, "and I rang Donie Nealon, secretary of the Munster Council this morning, but I wasn't able to get him. I wanted to voice my concerns but it was in the hands of the referee and he didn't arrive until about halfone - I don't know exactly.

"What should have happened is that the referee should have been told when there was such a bad forecast to come down here last night and inspect early in the morning and if it was to be called off, then it could have been called off early."

Did he believe that the pitch was playable? "I've no comment to make on that."

On both sides of the playing divide there was a conviction that the match could have been played. Cork manager and Castlehaven player, Larry Tompkins said that he had played on worse pitches before: a Munster club match against Kilrush sprang to mind as did this month's county final replay.

"You could run on that pitch (Castlehaven's). In the Pairc (Ui Chaoimh) a couple of weeks ago, you couldn't; players were sinking in the mud."

Laune manager John Evans was in agreement. "I'm very, very disappointed as I know all our players are. They were ready to go, they wanted to play and we've sunshine and blue skies, but the Munster Council has decided not to play the game.

"The one point I would make is that these are amateur players who were wound up for a game - they come down and you don't just switch off the engine.

"It's the end of November. We expect a bit of water on the field, we expect a bit of muck on the field, we expected no hop there today but we were willing to play it. The players are bitterly disappointed and have to come down here again another 80 miles, it's a lot of expense for our club. A lot of family arrangements, personal arrangements and a lot of sacrifices were made and it's just not good enough."

No decision has yet been made on a new date, although next weekend is a certainty. Sunday features a full National Football League programme, with Cork due to travel to Down and Kerry at home to Sligo. Additional problems crop up in the shape of the Cork intermediate football final replay between Douglas and Castletownbere, scheduled for next Sunday in Skibbereen - only 10 miles away from Castlehaven's ground.

The Munster Council must also cope with the postponement of yesterday's hurling semi-final between Clarecastle and Ballygunner. It is understood that Semple Stadium is being considered as a venue for this game. The Munster Council meets tonight.

Next week's scheduled staging of the provincial hurling final goes by the board.

One club football match did go ahead, as a result of which Fethard of Tipperary, victors over Clare champions Cooraclare, await the winners of the Laune-Castlehaven tie. The final can still go ahead as planned on December 7th, but that will entail a clash with the hurling final, and consequently the Munster Council may have to extend the club championship by a week.