Cork GAA announced on Tuesday that the Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch will be relaid next week.
The decision means that the Cork footballers will have to play their final Super 8 game of this year's championship, against Roscommon on August 4th, at Páirc Uí Rinn.
"If there was any way in which the match could have been accommodated without risk to the future success of the new pitch, it would have been done," said Cork County Board Chairperson Tracey Kennedy.
However, our focus has to be on safeguarding our pitch for all our teams far into the future. We look forward to welcoming our own and our visiting supporters to Páirc Uí Rinn for the game.
Since the opening of the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium two years ago, the condition of the pitch has been a major issue. Games which were due to be held there during this year's National Leagues were moved to Páirc Uí Rinn.
The new surface will be laid by Irish company SIS Pitches. It's said that any delay to works - which will begin on July 22nd - would compromise the pitch's use for next year's National League.
"We cannot ask our teams and supporters to endure another season where our flagship stadium is unavailable to host the games it was built for," said Kennedy, "and it is absolutely critical now that we have a high-quality, winter-proof pitch available to host all of the inter-county and club fixtures that we wish to play at Páirc Uí Chaoimh each year.
"I am confident that SIS will provide that for us."
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
