Lar Corbett’s establishment ran out of cans of cider, pint bottles of cider, Rockshore cider, Coors and Carlsberg before the match on Sunday.
The heat in there was savage altogether.
It’s ridiculously inconvenient and unsuitable but it’s great.
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*Mrs Crogh’s
I’ll give you the others, the Mackey Stand is a kip. Thurles is a kip too, you wouldn’t want to have been a woman queueing for the jacks on Sunday godtelpus.
But the walk and pubs points are the exact same in Cork.
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Pairc Ui Chaoimh is a sun trap. Even when it’s wet, it feels dry, or at least the good sort of wet. The pitch at Ye Olde Pairc Ui Chaoimh had the feel of a dirt track in Northern Transvaal or somewhere. There is an essential dryness to the place that possibly only Prince Andrew’s armpits could match.
Cork as a city is a delight to the eye. The river and the hill on the far side of the river creates a magnificent ambience. You imagine ships sailing up the river like in Christy Ring’s day.
That view from the quays up towards the church at the top of the hill (Gurranabraher I think) is the essence of Corkness. I love the drive into Cork, the long descent down the hill to that big junction, then the turn right in towards the city. And I love the rail journey into it even more, seeing the outskirts of the city, then blackness, a long blackness, you can feel the train descending like an aeroplane, then the magnificent curved platform of Kent Station, my favourite railway station on this island. Cork as a city can capture that big match feel, because of its narrow streets.
The walk to Pairc Ui Chaoimh, while in one sense annoying because it’s quite long, is an iconic one because it’s so straight. That walk carries a weight of meaning. It’s a similar walk to the long walk to the Point Depot. The ghosts of Oasis 1996 are heavily associated with both these walks. Pairc Ui Chaoimh carries the ghosts of Michael Jackson, Prince and U2, of Féile 1995 and August 28th, 1983. Of Clare v Tipp, and Limerick v Tipp, of Davy Fitzgerald saves, of Davy Fitzgerald penalties, of Owen O’Neill doing a little dance after kicking the ball into the net, of that massive flag that said “Slievenamon Hill Ardfinnan”. Of deafening klaxons. Of Eamon Corcoran saying “I’ve had three showers and I’m still bucketed in sweat. I’ve tried a cold one but it’s still no use.”
The new stadium itself, while I haven’t yet been there, looks great. It has managed to keep the essential communist bowl Pairc Ui Chaoimhness of before and improve on it. The camber of the terraces are an essential feature of Pairc Ui Chaoimh that nowhere else has. The corner views from the terraces in Pairc Ui Chaoimh are the best corner views anywhere. Even the pitchside advertising at Pairc Ui Chaoimh always seemed a cut above, as it also did in the Ulster Championship. You’d get pitchside advertising for Minolta and Goulding Grows, and Golden Vale and Dulux and Fosters and World Cup 1982 style Coca Cola advertising with Coca-Cola written in plain font. The pitchside advertising had the bang of a major international association football tournament about it.
Everything about Cork and Pairc Ui Chaoimh screams “big occasion”. Mad for it.
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It’s literally built in a marsh.
I like Cork, the new stadium is the best in Munster, but your points in favour of it are a bit weak
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So was Rome.
Unlikely they’ll play the Munster final there you would think
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Really? I hadnt noticed. At least Thurles doesnt pretend its something its not. There is no pretentiousness. The only time many folk find themselves in Thurles is for hurling and they have no qualms about that.
They have the best sod in the country mate.
The Echo would surely publish that.
Jeez I love the Pairc,
Lads could we get a round of applause for @johnnysachs - he’s been on fire the last few days.
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In Limerick city you would get a much bigger atmosphere for a rugby game in Thomond park than a hurling game in the Gaelic grounds.
| Cork | Thurles | Limerick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Parking | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Walkability | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Iconicness | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Pints Nearby | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| The city/town itself | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Public Transport | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | 10 | 15 |
Lower score is better
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You would get a good atmosphere in Limerick city for the rugby alright because no one actually goes to the matches they just watch them in the pubs with their Munster jerseys on
They do, that was in response to Cheasty’s “There is an essential dryness to the place” comment.
He was missing for 5 years - just like Tipp really
There’s no doubt about it, Tipp are back
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Sligo?