BY SEÁN HOLLAND
CORK footballers’ summer plans have become clearer following the Sam Maguire Cup draw on Tuesday – and there will be one familiar face in opposition in the weeks ahead.
The Rebels will have a keen interest in the upcoming Munster and Ulster football finals as two of their group opponents will emerge from those games – Kerry and Clare clash in Ennis this Sunday, while Armagh face Donegal on May 12th.
John Cleary’s Cork have been drawn in Group 3 along with the winners of the Ulster final (Armagh v Donegal), the losers of the Munster final (Clare v Kerry) and Tyrone, who lost their Ulster semi-final to Donegal after extra time last weekend. The seedings were based on league standings coupled with provincial championship performances, and Cork were in pot four as the lowest seeds.
Going off recent form and results, potentially Cork’s group could include Donegal, Clare and Tyrone. While the Ulster final should be a close-run affair, the Munster final looks more predictable as Kerry are likely to continue their dominance.
If it is Clare that awaits John Cleary’s men in the group stage, they will face off in Ennis with Cork not having to look too far into the past to see the danger the Banner men can present. Cork were knocked out at the quarter-final stage in last year’s Munster championship by Clare in Ennis.
The Rebels will meet the Munster runners-up in round one of the Sam Maguire group stage on the weekend of May 18/19th in Ennis/Killarney. Following that, it’s the Ulster winners on June 1st/2nd in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Lastly, Tyrone await on June 15th/16th in a neutral venue.
The Rebels will know a third-placed finish will be sufficient to progress to the next round of the Sam Maguire. The team that tops the group goes straight to a quarter-final, while the second place hosts a preliminary quarter-final and third place is away in the preliminary quarter-final.
The full Sam Maguire draw is as follows:
Group 1: Connacht champions, Ulster runners-up, Derry, Westmeath.
Group 2: Leinster champions, Connacht runners-up, Roscommon, Cavan.
Group 3: Ulster champions, Munster runners-up, Tyrone, Cork.
Group 4: Munster champions, Leinster runners-up, Monaghan, Meath.
