The venue for the Munster hurling final has been confirmed, with Clare set to travel to the home ground of opponents Limerick on June 11.
Throw-in at the Gaelic Grounds will be at 1:45pm on Sunday June 11, with the Leinster hurling final taking place at Croke Park later that day between Galway and Kilkenny.
The two counties had been in discussions with the Munster GAA board since the conclusion of the provincial round-robin on Sunday afternoon, with Clare pushing for Semple Stadium and Limerick pushing for Pairc Uí Chaoímh.
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With the final now confirmed for Limerick, Munster GAA have released a statement which reveals that Clare pushed for Limerick as the final venue, despite conceding home field advantage to their opponents.
Clare v Limerick: Munster hurling final venue announced
The Munster hurling final had originally looked set to take place in Pairc Uí Chaoímh, with Limerick pushing for the Cork stadium to host the decider - and, according to the Irish Examiner, the Munster Council were also pushing for Cork.
A decision on the venue for the game had been expected on Monday evening. However, the decision was delayed to allow the respective county boards to discuss the possibility of playing the game in Limerick instead of Cork, with concerns over access to Pairc Uí Chaoímh for fans travelling from Clare.
In a statement accompanying the announcement of the venue, Munster GAA confirmed that Clare had pushed for the Gaelic Grounds as a venue:
Following a meeting today of the CCC of the Munster Council, it has been agreed that the Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final between Clare and Limerick will take place at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday June 11th at 1:45 pm.
This decision follows a request from Clare to the Munster Council CCC on Monday evening of May 29th to postpone making a decision on the venue to allow Clare time to explore the possibility of playing the game at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Earlier, Clare had proposed Semple Stadium, while Limerick had proposed Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The Munster Council CCC agreed to postpone making their decision, and today Clare and Limerick have confirmed that they had reached agreement to play the game at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Limerick are gunning for a fifth successive Munster senior hurling crown, while Clare are looking not only to avenge last year's final defeat, but to win their first Munster championship in 25 years.
It is, therefore, a brave move for Clare to push for the game to be played in Limerick. Though both counties will receive the same allocation of tickets for the game, home field advantage for Limerick is undoubtedly an edge in the Munster decider.
Clare will be buoyed, however, by their superb victory at the Gaelic Grounds earlier in the Munster championship.
29 April 2023; Shane O'Donnell of Clare celebrates with supporters after his side's victory in the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 2 match between Limerick and Clare at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
In a riveting game in late April, Clare snatched a one point win (1-24 to 2-20) to defeat the reigning All-Ireland champions on their home turf - a feat they will attempt to replicate on June 11.
After a nervy start to the championship, which saw them claim a narrow win against Waterford, before the defeat to Clare and a draw away to Tipperary, Limerick qualified for the Munster final after a tense and thrilling one-point win over Cork at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. They overtook Tipperary in the table, after Tipp fell to a surprising six-point home defeat to Waterford.
Clare v Limerick at Semple Stadium was one of the games of the summer in 2022, and we've already had a classic between the counties in 2023. June 11 at the Gaelic Grounds should be nothing short of electric.
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