THE ALL-IRELAND U20 hurling final between Cork and Offaly has been pushed back a week to Sunday 4 June to avoid a fixture pile-up.
This year’s final had originally been pencilled in for Saturday 27 May — the same day as Offaly’s senior hurlers take on Carlow in the Joe McDonagh Cup final, and the day before the Cork senior hurlers play Limerick in their final Munster Championship round-robin match.
The GAA confirmed today that the U20 game has been rescheduled for Semple Stadium on 4 June with a throw-in time of 3pm.
The change also frees up key players on both sides to feature in both games.
The original date clash would have likely seen Offaly’s Charlie Mitchell forced to choose between his senior and U20 commitments with the two games scheduled for the same day.
Meanwhile, Cork full-back Eoin Downey would also have been faced with a difficult decision ahead of the Rebels’ games as the current eligibility rules prevent him from lining out at both senior and U20 level in the same seven-day rolling period.
The eligibility rule only applies to teams competing in the Liam MacCarthy Cup, and has already seen Downey miss U20 matches against Limerick and Clare this season.
The Joe McDonagh Cup final between Offaly and Carlow has been fixed for Croke Park on 27 May with a throw-in time of 4.45pm.
