Final nail in Semple Stadium’s coffin? Longford & Limerick on the horizon for league; player welfare at third level.
Of the ten possible Munster senior hurling final permutations for 2026, FBD Semple Stadium will only be used for one pairing – a June 7th decider between Tipp and Limerick. With all of the other potential clashes which can possibly be thrown up by the results of the round robin system in the championship, SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh will be the chosen venue for seven of them.
This means that if Tipperary are to make it to the Munster Final against anyone apart from Limerick, that final will be played by the banks of the Lee. The only other pairings for the final which will not be fixed for Cork or Thurles, will be a final featuring Cork and Clare, or Cork and Waterford – both of these games would be fixed for TUS Páirc na nGael.
For any of these finals, an adult stand ticket will set you back €50 . An adult terrace ticket will cost €35; an U16 will be €10; and a student/OAP discount of €5 will apply. Ticket prices for the final will remain the same as last year as will ticket prices for the round robin – adult stand -€35 ; adult terrace:-€30 : U16:- €5 ; student/OAP discount of €5.
So, if a Tipperary family of two adults and two children are to get stand tickets for all of the Premier County championship games including – hopefully – a Munster Final, tickets alone will set them back €440. Then, by reaching a Munster Final – or coming third in the province, the team will be out into the All-Ireland series and a different set of costs apply there. Suffice to say, getting to an All-Ireland will add very significantly to the overall costs for families.
Yes, following your county team is an expensive occupation and while there were a limited amount of season tickets available to purchase prior to Christmas, not everyone is in a position to shell out such a significant amount of cash at a very expensive time of the year.
Of course ticket costs are only part of the overall story and when you throw in travel, food and accommodation perhaps, it is very easy to see how the bills mount up. Planning the championship budget is certainly advisable if the intention is to get to all of the games.
Is it any wonder that supporters are sometimes having to make difficult decisions about which games they will attend. How many Tipp folks will decide that they will not make the trip to Limerick or to Waterford for the championship this year in order to keep their overall costs down – the home games are certainly more attractive one would think. But then, TUS Gaelic Grounds, or Walsh Park Waterford could be closer to many west or south Tipperary supporters than Thurles might be. So, there is a lot to weigh up.
Going back to the venue options for the year, FBD Semple Stadium is presently guaranteed only two championship games which might get above 35,000 in attendance. That’s not going to be enough to help build up a financial war chest for the refurbishment of the ailing stadium. In fact, it would barely keep the place ticking over for the year.
Longford and Limerick on the horizon for leagues.
With the senior footballers faltering in the Allianz NFL this week losing to Carlow in their third round tie at FBD Semple Stadium, the focus will turn fairly sharply to next weekend and their away trip to Longford. Not quite as long a spin as their opening game against London, Tipp will be hoping to get back to point-securing ways, but it will be no easy feat on their travels.
The senior hurlers have no such journey to make this weekend with Limerick crossing the border on Saturday evening for an under-lights spectacle which is eagerly anticipated. Limerick were shocked in the first round to lose to Waterford, but regained their mojo in round II. Tipp have two wins but lost their last outing against Cork. So, all this means that the scene is set for a mouth watering contest in Semple which will most certainly bring a big attendance.
We are likely to see a few more familiar faces returning to the fray and the hope will be that Tipp can secure a rare enough victory over John Kiely’s men. A third collection of league points would set Tipp up for a right tilt at the concluding stages of the campaign, but as always., Limerick will be so obliging. Turning Semple Stadium into a fortress has been something Liam Cahill has spoken about in the past – Saturday evening will be the time to begin that process where Limerick are concerned.
We have suffered a few reverses against them at home in recent times, though the Shannonsiders last visit didn’t yield victory or defeat – that championship first round tie last year was quite the game and saw Tipperary display a resilience which was to become one of their hallmarks for the season. Let’s see what Saturday night will bring.
Third level colleges competitions.
There was a flurry of third level colleges activities last week with Fitzgibbon, and Sigerson Cups up for grabs as well as other similar trophies in lower grades. The college teams put enormous effort into these championships and the prestige and allure of the games seems to be growing and growing – playing the Fitzgibbon final in Croke Park is a lovely touch for the players, but does little for atmosphere with small attendance in an enormous amphitheatre.
Considering the popularity, why then is the whole thing so condensed that many players are forced to play two games in one day, and for the successful teams, two games in two days? Surely, an accommodation could be found to ensure that player welfare remains at the top of the agenda? The fact that many of those players are also involved with county panels only adds to the workload on a group which , let’s face it, attends college to study for their future careers.
Of course the games are important and indeed central to the whole college experience for many of the exponents of our games, so let’s try to treat them as such. Let’s give the championships space to breathe; let’s relieve those players of their intercounty duties for a few weeks and allow them to concentrate on their college activities. By doing that, non-colleges players can be tried out in the league campaigns. Player welfare matters and a jaded player is of no use to anyone.