The Tipperary county board has moved to prevent members of Liam Sheedy's squad from incurring injury ahead of next month's All-Ireland final by postponing six local club fixtures which had been scheduled for next weekend.

The Tipperary senior boss is understood to have met county board officials yesterday to discuss the situation before last night's CCC meeting, at which the decision was taken to postpone Sunday's senior hurling finals in the North division between Borrisoleigh and Toomevara and in the Mid division between Thurles Sarsfields and Drom-Inch. The four quarter-finals in the Seamus O Riain Cup involving Loughmore-Castleiney against Cashel King Cormacs, Templederry Kenyons against Portroe, Roscrea against Kilruane McDonaghs, and Éire Óg Nenagh against Lorrha/Dorrha have also been put on hold.

The postponements will be welcomed by Tipperary under 21 manager Tommy Dunne who is preparing his side for Saturday's Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim in Tullamore. Eight senior panellists, including Pádraic Maher, Michael Cahill, Brendan Maher, Noel McGrath and Patrick Maher, had been facing the prospect of playing two matches in two days as their clubs were due to play on Sunday.

Speaking earlier in the day, a concerned Dunne said: "They've just played an All-Ireland semi-final against Waterford last Sunday. There's a real danger of asking them to do too much rather than giving them a strong platform to prepare for an All-Ireland final.

"It goes against everything that proper sports people do," the 2001 All-Ireland winning captain added. Tweet

Most Read Stories