LIMERICK-BOUND

Munster final to be staged at Gaelic Grounds despite Clare’s bid to play at home

The Munster Senior Football Championship final between Kerry and Clare will be played at Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds after Clare failed in their late bid to move the game to Ennis.

The last seven provincial finals between the teams dating back to 1936 have been held in Limerick. Prior to that, Clare-Kerry finals had taken place at a variety of locations including Cusack Park in Ennis, the Tipperary Sportsfield in Tipp Town, Markets Field in Limerick, and the Killarney Sportsfield (now Fitzgerald Stadium).

After Clare’s semi-final victory over Limerick on April 22, manager Colm Collins confirmed that he would like to see the final being held at Cusack Park. “We'd be delighted to be play there,” he said. “Hopefully. We'll see.”

It is understood that Clare officials made contact with Kerry GAA and the Munster Council about the prospect of removing the neutral venue arrangement that exists between the counties and replacing it with a home and away arrangement.

A number of observers (including some within Kerry) noted that the match would likely be more competitive if it was staged in Ennis, and this might stand to the reigning All-Ireland champions in the long run. Kerry would be strong favourites to win their 10th Munster title in 11 years regardless of the venue, but their odds would naturally be longer in an away match than at a neutral venue.

However, a short statement from Munster GAA on Tuesday night brought the speculation to an end.

“Following a meeting tonight (Tuesday) of the Munster GAA CCC, it was agreed that the TUS Gaelic Grounds Limerick will be the venue for the Munster Senior Football Championship Final between Clare and Kerry on Sunday, May 7 at 4pm.”

Kerry may have been reluctant to hand Clare home advantage on this occasion when there is no guarantee that the sides will meet in another final in the immediate future, or even in the medium-term. The last Kerry-Clare final was

23 years ago.

It would also be understandable if Kerry were not prepared to make a concession to a direct opponent in a third consecutive season. In 2021 they agreed to postpone the All-Ireland semi-final to give Tyrone more time to recover from their Covid outbreak, and in 2022 they agreed to play Cork in their alternative home venue Páirc Uí Rinn, even after the Munster Council deemed it unsuitable.

Clare will be seeking their first Munster Championship win against Kerry since 1992 when the sides meet next weekend. Since that famous upset 31 years ago, their record against The Kingdom reads: P12 L12.