Cork GAA chairman Marc Sheehan has defended the staging of two Ed Sheeran concerts at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the middle of the Championship season, saying that the decision was taken before the GAA's split season model was ratified.

The unavailability of Páirc Uí Chaoimh has led to Cork footballers' threatening not to play their Munster SFC semi-final against Kerry if it's not fixed for Páirc Uí Rinn. The local derby was due to be played at the venue on May 7, but was switched to Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney last week because of capacity issues. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Allianz League Sunday, Sheehan said his board was fully behind the footballers' stance and explained the rationale behind staging the Ed Sheeran concerts at the end of this month.

"All our lives have been on pause in terms of the Covid situation and during that time we had the de facto split-season which has become the formal split-season," he said.

"The Ed Sheeran concerts scheduled for late April are part of a world tour and they came into the diary prior to the split-season. That essentially is the crux which has brought about this situation

"But ultimately we are appealing to the Munster Council to reconsider their decision of last Wednesday night, for very good reasons.

"I think they will look on that, hopefully, very quickly and that the matter will be resolved and that the match will go ahead in Páirc Uí Rinn."

Tweet

Most Read Stories