Updated at 9.46pm

MUNSTER COUNCIL OFFICIALS have tonight rejected a request from the Waterford county board seeking for next month’s provincial senior hurling final against Tipperary to be moved from Páirc Uí Chaoimh to Semple Stadium in Thurles, TheScore.ie has learned.

The Competitions Control Committee of the Munster Council convened in order to deliberate on the venue for the clash on July 15th. The Munster Council had earlier this month confirmed that in the eventuality of Waterford and Tipperary qualifying from their respective senior semi-final ties, the game would be played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

A statement released by Munster GAA this evening confirmed the decision. It read:

“The venue permutations for the Munster Senior Finals in Hurling and Football are decided annually in advance of the semi-finals of each competition. The Munster Controls Competition Committee (CCC) met on Thursday June 7th and decided on all permutations for both the hurling and football finals. It is normal practice that a neutral venue would be decided upon in the event that no agreement was in place between the competing counties. In the case of a possible Tipperary v Waterford Munster SHC Final, as no agreement was in place between Tipperary and Waterford ahead of that June 7th CCC meeting, Pairc Ui Chaoimh was agreed as the proposed venue, a decision made with the consent and knowledge of all CCC delegates of the Munster counties.

“Once a fixture decision has been made by the Munster CCC, any subsequent change requires a two-thirds majority. As a result of correspondence received this afternoon (Monday) from Waterford County Board requesting a change to the original venue for the Muster Senior Hurling Final fixture, a specially convened meeting of the Munster CCC was held tonight and reaffirmed the decision made on June 7th (to fix the Munster Senior Hurling final for Pairc Ui Chaoimh) on a vote of 8 to 2.”

The Leeside venue was the location for last year’s decider between the counties when Tipperary won by a convincing 7-19 to 0-19 margin. But Waterford have expressed the desire to see the game played in Thurles, despite the fact that this would ensure Declan Ryan’s Tipperary side would enjoy home advantage. The counties did meet in Semple Stadium for the 2009 final when Tipperary emerged victorious by 4-14 to 2-16.

“Waterford have indeed requested a venue change and it’s a decision for the CCC of the Munster Council now to make tonight,” revealed provincial council chairman Sean Walsh to TheScore.ie earlier today. “They want the game moved from Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the match to be played in Thurles. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s a case they have unhappy memories from the 2011 final in Cork. But they didn’t specify, they just said they wanted the venue to be changed. It’ll definitely need at least a two-third’s majority in order for the venue to be changed.”

Waterford’s prospects of being granted a venue change had always seemed unlikely to be ratified given that they required the backing of two-thirds of the CCC.

Walsh confirmed that the pairing for the minor final, the traditional curtain-raiser for the Munster senior decider, would have no influence on the venue. The finalists in that competition will be determined this week with Tipperary facing Waterford on Wednesday night while Clare and Limerick square off on Friday night.

Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that the Munster Junior Football Championship Final between Kerry and Clare would take place on July 11 at 7.30pm in Miltown-Malbay, while Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship Final between Tipperary and Clare has been set for July 25 in MacDonagh Park Nenagh at 7.30pm.

Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy

What do you think of this decision? Let us know in the comments section below.

Murph’s Sideline Cut: Haunted by Enda at McHale Park

Davy and Daly set to go head to head in hurling showdown