CORK footballers return to Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Sunday for their first outing at HQ since their Division 2 league opener against Cavan on January 24th.

Both of Cork’s subsequent home league games were played at Páirc Uí Rinn and, despite the success of those ties, there was no move to switch the Munster SFC quarter-final against Limerick (2pm throw-in) to the county’s secondary venue.

‘It wasn’t a consideration,’ Cork manager John Cleary said.

‘When the league fixtures came out, we did want to play one of them in Páirc Uí Rinn, just to have maybe a better atmosphere, but it was also on our minds that we could have a championship game there if it’s on the same weekend as the (Zach Bryan) concerts in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in June, depending on the draw.

‘We wanted to have a game in Páirc Uí Rinn in case that situation comes up.’

After Cork beat Meath 1-23 to 1-21 in a top-of-the-table Division 2 clash at Páirc Uí Rinn in February, such was its success that the home tie with Kildare was also moved there. Again, Cork made the most of home advantage, winning at the smaller venue.

‘When the Meath game went so well, we asked again if we could play the next game there. But for the championship there was never a question – we are happy enough to go back to Páirc Uí Chaoimh,’ added Cleary, who wants to see his team carry momentum from their successful league campaign into the Munster championship.

‘That’s the big hope,’ he said.

‘When we got the promotion we were delighted, obviously, but we had a game the following week against Meath in the final, so we prepared for that. Once the Meath game was over, we put that to bed and our focus was completely on Limerick.

‘We’ve played them the last couple of years and haven’t had it all our own way, so our focus completely changed once the league was finished. We can look back on the league when the season is over, but at the moment our focus is 100 percent on Limerick on Sunday.’

One of the success stories in Cork’s promotion push was the emergence of Bantry Blues’ Dara Sheedy – the 19-year-old forward started six of Cork’s eight league games. He is also involved with the Cork U20s, who play this Thursday night in their Munster championship.

‘We’ll see how he comes out of that and then we’ll make a final decision on him for Sunday,’ Cleary said.

‘Dara did pick up a knock in the league final, so it was a case of managing that and we did. He’s back with the U20s this week and we have a plan for him going forward.

‘We brought him in last November and from day one he really put his hand up. At the start he came on as a sub in the McGrath Cup and in the first league match against Cavan. He was playing so well it left us with no other option but to start him. The form he’s been showing has been great.’

Cork will be without defender Kevin O’Donovan for the Munster championship.

‘Kevin O’Donovan unfortunately picked up a knock – he’s out for the Munster championship. He has a stress injury in his foot. He had something similar last year but has it in a different place this year,’ Cleary added.