Postponed county hurling final is fixed for Athenry

Date Published: 17-Nov-2010

Dara Bradley

 FOR the first time in nine years the Galway senior hurling final will be played outside of Pearse Stadium.In a surprise decision, the Hurling Board has fixed the county final rep lay between Clarinbridge and Loughrea for this Sunday (1.45pm) in Kenny Park, Athenry.

The fixtures committee, comprising the six officers of the Hurling Board plus one club delegate, Tom Curran (Barna/Furbo), agreed following a meeting on Monday night that the county senior and minor final replays would be separated this coming weekend. The minor final will now proceed on Saturday in Duggan Park, Ballinasloe (2pm) when the teenagers of Gort and Loughrea battle it out for the title again.

The last time the senior county final was held outside of Pearse Stadium  was in 2001 when the decider between Clarinbridge and Athenry went ahead in Ballinasloe – the superstitious will point out that Clarinbridge won on that occasion on a 0-18 to 2-11 scoreline.Subsequently, the revamped Pearse Stadium was opened and all county finals have been staged at the city venue since that year.

This Sunday will be the first time since the 1998 final that the county hurling showpiece will go ahead in the medieval town. In 1998 the final between Athenry and Abbey-Duniry ended in stalemate – it was the last time a county final ended in a draw – and, like this year, the replay was then moved out of the original venue, but on that occasion the replay was in Ballinasloe.

The Galway Hurling Board took a surprise decision last Saturday afternoon to postpone Sunday’s two showpieces because of a waterlogged pitch in Pearse Stadium.Secretary John Fahy said Pearse Stadium was inspected early Saturday morning and was deemed to be unplayable but a decision was deferred until later that evening.