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Páirc Uí Chaoimh ruled out as venue for Munster finals as Fitzgerald Stadium to host Cork-Kerry clash

The stadium will not be completed in time.

Updated 15.45pm

PÁIRC UÍ CHAOIMH will not host either of this year’s Munster senior finals as the stadium redevelopment will not be completed in time and that has paved the way for the football clash of Kerry and Cork to take place in Fitzgerald Stadium next month.

A view of ongoing redevelopment at Pairc Ui Chaoimh A view in May of the stadium redevelopment. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO

The Cork county board confirmed today that the handover date of Sunday 18 June will ‘not now be met’ and instead the project will be finished on Friday 7 July.

It means that the Cork footballers will not have home advantage for their clash with Kerry on Sunday 2 July and it’s been announced this afternoon that Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney will host the match.

That means Kerry will then have to concede home advantage to Cork for their next three football championship clashes after the 2015 Munster drawn final and replay were held in Killarney.

Anthony Maher and James Loughrey Kerry's David Moran and James Loughrey of Cork in action in the 2015 Munster final replay Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

The venue for the hurling final on Sunday 9 July will depend on the outcome of next Sunday’s semi-final clash between Cork and Waterford.

Clare await the winners in the decider but Semple Stadium in Thurles would seem the front-runner to host either pairing.

The full statement explaining the Páirc Uí Chaoimh decision read:

“The new Pairc Ui Chaoimh stadium will not host either of the Munster Finals scheduled for July, as originally planned.

“Cork County Board was informed this morning that the scheduled handover date of June 18th would not now be met. There are still some commissioning works to be completed and these will be finished by July 7th. The first game in the new stadium will take place in mid July.

“Cork County chairman, Ger Lane said: “Clearly we are disappointed but we want everything to be pristine before the stadium hosts its first major games. We want to be certain that all the expectations for this tremendous new facility will be fully met and we are satisfied that this will be the case by mid July.”

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