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Just got a shout there a few minutes ago - for those attending this weekend, it seems that the double header - Belmont vs Tullamore and Lusmagh vs Shamrocks - is now being played in Tullamore as opposed to Birr. I don't know why or anything, but that's the story anyway. So don't go getting lost ....

Has the work started in O'Connor park yet? If not, why? If so, why move it to Tullamore from Birr?

As far as I'm aware, the story is that the tender has been secured and building work is imminent. I know the stand is long knocked, so there is only the one side in use, but as to when it'll be completed, I've no idea.

I'm unsure as to why the move - I believe it's connected to a funeral on around Birr, whther that's someone in the Birr club or something I don't know.

Even so it's an odd place to move it to - somewhere like Kilcormac would have seemed the obvious choice to me. Tis a good pitch though I suppose.

There's an intermediate match in Kilcormac, so that's ruled out. Tullamore seems like a strange choice though, given it's building site state at the moment.

It was good enough for the football q/f's last weekend!

I love the grass hill, and I'll really miss it when it's gone - BUT - it was great because it didn't rain, and Tullamore was grand and neutral for the teams involved. How it is neutral for Belmont vs TULLAMORE or Shamrocks vs Lusmagh is beyond me.

Lone Shark, you have to remember that O'Connor Park is neutral for Tullamore for the simple reason that the ground has been leased by the County Board. Tullamore's only pitches now are in O'Brien Park the other side of the road.
Also, you can be sure that if Birr became unavailable, not too many venues would be able to take a double header at short notice. Christy Todd and co. will have O'Connor Park ready. Furthermore, two matches there will bring in much needed money for the County Board.

Well they didn't ezactly pay for the stand with the attendance Saturday evening.

Thats the second time Tullamore have had a home match this year - and the second one they've lost !

O'Connor Park is in Tullamore town, in Tullamore parish. That isn't a neutral venue, no matter how you look at it. Most hurling clubs would have had a pitch ready at 36 hours notice, the grass would be cut anyway as the pitch would be used for training on anyway.

That's like arguing that Ferbane would have been a neutral venue - of course it wouldn't.

In mitigation, for all the primitive surroundings, the pitch itself in Tullamore is and always was top notch, which is a major criterion in making such a decision. I'm pretty sure Lusmagh might have issues about how neutral it was as well. I accept Kilcormac, and Rath, the two obvious choices were busy, so I'm not sure where you'd go though that wouldn't be way out of the way.

Moystown would have favoured Belmont as much as Tullamore favoured Tullamore - but would have been a lot fairer to Lusmagh.