TIPPERARY GAA CHIEFS have opted to postpone club fixtures due to their progression to next month’s All-Ireland hurling final.

Sunday’s win over Wexford propelled Tipperary into the decider against Kilkenny on 18 August, their fifth time this decade contesting the battle for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

As a result the Tipperary CCC have opted to put the start of their county championship back until late August at least and some fixtures could be delayed further until the first weekend of September if the Tipperary U20 side reach their All-Ireland final.

Liam Cahill’s team recently won Munster honours and if they triumph in their All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford in Nowlan Park this Sunday, they will set up a final on 24/25 August against Cork or Kilkenny.

Tipperary have had difficulties in the past in completing their county championships before the start of Munster club action. The multitude of dual club players has proved problematic and in 2014 when they contested an All-Ireland hurling final replay against Kilkenny, that year’s senior football decider was held on St Stephen’s Day between Loughmore-Castleiney and Cahir.

The move to an earlier hurling final date should help the completion of the Tipperary championship programme. The county’s senior hurling representatives, a title won last year by Clonoulty-Rossmore, are not due to feature in Munster until the semi-final stage against the Cork champions on 10 November while the winners of the county senior football decider, claimed in 2018 by Moyle Rovers, take on the Clare or Waterford champions on 17 November.

* The headline of this article has been amended to ‘county championship’ instead of the earlier phrase ‘club championship’

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