These are the type of occasions the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh was built for.
All eyes will be fixed on the Ballintemple grounds next Sunday. It's set to be a feast of action for all followers of the GAA in Cork.
Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr's went down to the wire in the senior football final there on Sunday, and they will have to go at it again next weekend in a replay.
There was over 9000 spectators present for the Sunday's stalemate, with the new stadium rocking to the competitiveness of it all. Next Sunday, the cream of both senior hurling and football will play their deciders in the home of Cork GAA, so just imagine the carnival atmosphere that will bring.
The senior hurling final, between Imokilly and Blackrock, was already fixed next Sunday at the prime-time of 4:00.
https://twitter.com/RockiesCork/status/919315047846940673
The Rebel county board has decided to go ahead with the county finals of both codes next Sunday, with the football final acting as a curtain raiser to the hurling, beginning at 1:00.
The announcement of this fixture was met with plenty of criticism from some Cork football fans, who claimed that it was disrespectful to the footballers that their game appears as second fiddle to the hurling.
Some bemoaned that it would "Only happen in Cork," others said it was a "discredit" to the football final.
https://twitter.com/noelearly/status/919622147642884102
https://twitter.com/Mardyke12/status/919621360888008704
https://twitter.com/Kenm7Ken/status/919636377905647616
https://twitter.com/Kenm7Ken/status/919621256948998145
https://twitter.com/patcotter5/status/919626403112419329
In reality, the Cork county board didn't really have another option. The hurling was already fixed for 4:00, so there was no way that was going to be changed. If it was changed to accommodate the football, just imagine the uproar.
Some argued that the one week break wasn't enough for the teams. Well if it was put back for another week, the winner would then be going into a Munster quarter final with only one week of rest, so this is much of a muchness.
Anyway, modern GAA teams are well equipped to play two games in seen days, which is nothing compared to some of the
horror stories from Galway the weekend gone by of players playing two county finals in two days.
As well as this, next Sunday will now be one of the best days of the Cork GAA calendar. Most hurling fans have an interest in football, and vice versa, so what an occasion it will be.
The city will be hopping, excitement levels will be roof-raising. The new stadium won't be filled to the rafters but the atmosphere will still be class.
Even Clare lads looking in were jealous of the whole thing and want to have it that way in the Banner, with Clooney/Quinn and Sixmilebridge drawing in the hurling final yesterday.
https://twitter.com/DLynchSport/status/919618124701487105
That tells it all.
