Kearns and Tipp aiming to shatter Cork's hopes of dream Páirc Uí Chaoimh Munster final
May 10, 2017
Tipperary's Brian Fox celebrates scoring a goal against Cork in the 2016 Munster SFC semi-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.
by Jackie Cahill
Tipperary manager Liam Kearns wants to shatter Cork's hopes of a dream Munster senior football final against Kerry at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in July.
The provincial showpiece is down for decision on July 2, and could mark a debut for the revamped Leeside venue.
Kerry are hotly-tipped to advance from their side of the draw, against Limerick or Clare in a semi-final, while Tipp will face the winners of the Cork-Waterford quarter-final clash.
That semi-final is fixed for June 10 and if, as expected, Cork defeat Waterford, they'll have home advantage at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Kearns, speaking to Tipp FM's Extra Time, believes that Cork hold all the aces ahead of a likely last-four encounter.
But he's determined that the Munster final will take place at Semple Stadium, and not Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Kearns noted: "There seems to be an awful lot of people who think that the opening of Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be a traditional Kerry-Cork Munster football final.
"That's a motivation for us, to make sure we try and bring it to Thurles and we spoil that party.
"But at the end of the day, it will be a case of who performs on June 10, if Cork come out of Fraher Field in Waterford.
"We were just saying at the (Munster championship) launch that the game is being covered by RTÉ.
"Times have changed when you have a Tipp-Cork Munster semi-final in football being covered by RTÉ television."
As Tipp look to make further progress following last year's historic progress to an All-Ireland semi-final, Kearns admits that the provincial semi-final is a pivotal game.
He added: "From the championship point of view, this is the game that counts.
"If it's us (winning), we're in a second Munster final in a row, back-to-back finals, which is what you want to be doing, and in the last 12 of the All-Ireland series, which means one game from Croke Park and the last eight.
"That's the kind of territory you want to be in but if you don't, you're in the landmine of the qualifiers.
"It's a huge game, it's going to be difficult. They (Cork) have the advantages we had last year.
"They're playing Waterford in the first round, they're at home (semi-final) in Páirc Uí Rinn and they have the motivation of trying to redress the balance from last year."
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