Walsh Park could host Waterford’s two home fixtures in the 2019 Munster senior hurling championship.
At Thursday’s Munster Council meeting, Walsh Park was not ruled out as a potential venue for the county’s home games against Clare and Limerick on May 12 and June 2. Waterford chairman Paddy Joe Ryan has been adamant in recent weeks that the county would not again forfeit home advantage, repeatedly citing the decision to play the Kildare-Mayo football qualifier at Newbridge, a venue which has a similar capacity to Walsh Park (8,000 approx).
Munster Council officials will visit the venue before Christmas and while plans are in place to redevelop the ground to raise the capacity to 16,000, that regeneration project is likely to be stalled if Walsh Park is given the green light by provincial top-brass for those summer games.
Remedial work at the ground, should this come to pass, may have to be undertaken in advance of the visits of Clare and Limerick.
In the event of the Waterford city venue again getting a thumbs down, the county board will not have full autonomy over where Padraic Fanning’s team play their home games.
A Waterford proposal at Thursday’s meeting, whereby a county which is unable to host home games would be allowed to nominate venues outside the province, was shot down. Elsewhere, the hurlers of Limerick and Clare will play three games in the space of a fortnight.
There was a discussion on potentially changing the running order of the 2019 fixtures in line with how Leinster Council are scheduling their competition next year - round three is split, with one game on the last weekend of May and the other on the opening weekend of June.
The consequence of such a change is a county playing back-to-back away matches at the beginning of the round-robin series and another county playing back-to-back away games at the end of the competition. Munster Council deemed preferable two counties playing three weekends-in-a-row.
McGrath Cup
Sunday, January 6: Semi-finals: Limerick v Cork, Rathkeale, 2pm; Waterford v Clare, Dungarvan, 1pm.
Saturday, January 12: McGrath Cup final.
Munster MFC
Wednesday, April 10: Phase 1 round 1: Limerick v Clare, Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary v Waterford, Semple Stadium, Thurles;
Wednesday, April 17: Phase 1 round 2: Clare v Tipperary, Cusack Park, Ennis; Waterford v Limerick, Fraher Field, Dungarvan;
Wednesday, April 24: Phase 1 round 3: Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium, Thurles; Waterford v Clare, Fraher Field, Dungarvan;
Tuesday, May 7: Phase 2 round 1: Cork v Kerry;
Wednesday, May 15: Loser of Cork v Kerry v Phase 1 winner;
Thursday, May 23: Winner of Cork v Kerry v Phase 1 winner;
Saturday, June 22: Munster MFC final.
Munster MHC
Sunday, May 12: Round 1: Cork v Tipperary, Páirc Uí Chaoimh; Waterford v Clare, TBC;
Sunday, May 19: Round 2: Limerick v Cork, Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary v Waterford, Semple Stadium, Thurles;
Sunday, June 2: Round 3: Waterford v Limerick, TBC; Clare v Tipperary, Cusack Park, Ennis;
Saturday, June 8: Round 4: Cork v Waterford, Pairc Uí Chaoimh;
Sunday, June 9: Round 4: Limerick v Clare, Gaelic Grounds;
Sunday, June 16: Round 5: Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis; Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium;
Sunday, June 30: Munster final.
Munster U20HC
Saturday, May 25: Quarter-final: Cork v Limerick, Cork venue;
Wednesday, June 19: Semi-final: Waterford v Tipperary, Semple Stadium, Thurles;
Thursday, June 20: Semi-final: Clare v Cork/Limerick, Cork/Limerick venue;
Wednesday, July 3: Munster U20HC final.
Munster U20FC (No dates yet finalised)
Quarter-finals: Waterford v Clare, Fraher Field, Dungarvan; Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium, Thurles;
Semi-finals: Cork v Clare/Waterford, Cork/Clare venue; Kerry v Tipperary/Limerick, Austin Stack Park, Tralee or Semple Stadium, Thurles.
Final: TBC.
2019 Munster SHC
Sunday, May 12: Round 1: Cork v Tipperary, Páirc Uí Chaoimh; Waterford v Clare, TBC;
Sunday, May 19: Round 2: Limerick v Cork, Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary v Waterford, Semple Stadium, Thurles;
Sunday, June 2: Round 3: Waterford v Limerick, TBC; Clare v Tipperary, Cusack Park, Ennis;
Saturday, June 8: Round 4: Cork v Waterford, Pairc Uí Chaoimh;
Sunday, June 9: Round 4: Limerick v Clare, Gaelic Grounds;
Sunday, June 16: Round 5: Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis; Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium;
Sunday, June 30: Munster final.
Munster SFC
Saturday, May 11: Quarter-finals: Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium, Thurles; Clare v Waterford, Cusack Park, Ennis;
Saturday, June 1: Semi-finals: Cork v Tipperary/Limerick, Cork venue; Kerry v Clare/Waterford, Cusack Park/Fraher Field;
Saturday, June 22: Munster SFC final.
