An Dun v Corcaigh, Saturday 23rd July

[Mid Down Gael]

The All Ireland Qualifier Down V Cork is in Croke Park on Saturday at 6.00pm , this will be an All Ticket Fixture.

Confirmed by Down County Board.

Is it a stand alone fixture DF or a double header?

Don't know as yet. More details will be sent round later this afternoon apparently.

DH with Kildare and Derry apparently

Croke Park double header for Cork-Down and Kildare-Derry
GAA headquarters will host two mouth watering All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round 4 games on Saturday, including a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final.

The day gets underway with Kildare playing Derry at 4pm with Cork then playing Down at 6pm, with the second game to be televised live on TV3.
 
Confirmed.
 

[anportmorforjfc]

The All Ireland Qualifier Down V Cork is in Croke Park on Saturday at 6.00pm , this will be an All Ticket Fixture.

Confirmed by Down County Board.

Is it a stand alone fixture DF or a double header?

Don't know as yet. More details will be sent round later this afternoon apparently.

DH with Kildare and Derry apparently

Croke Park double header for Cork-Down and Kildare-Derry
GAA headquarters will host two mouth watering All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round 4 games on Saturday, including a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final.

The day gets underway with Kildare playing Derry at 4pm with Cork then playing Down at 6pm, with the second game to be televised live on TV3.
 
Confirmed.
 

Only one game televised, stupid.

[thewobbler]

Cork and Derry will bring roughly 38 supporters between them. There won't be enough at this to fill 1 stand.

[snoopdog]

Cork and Derry will bring roughly 38 supporters between them. There won't be enough at this to fill 1 stand.

i agree, terrible decision by the GAA agian.
Down may bring max 12,000 Kildare maybe more as its so close. Be very lucky to get anywhere near 30,000
Parnell Pk would have done Down v Cork

[redandblackareback]

I think the venue is a great bonus for Down. Wide open spaces to exploit in my opinion a mediocre Cork outfit who will be without some key men! It s a little like the Kerry game last year, everything seems to be fallin nicely for us, no sheehan and no murphy we v a big chance!

[thewobbler]

I know the bandwagon is gathering pace, but Down didn't get 12,000 at home to Liatroim on a Saturday a few weeks ago. I'd be very surprised if more than 8k red and black make it to Croke, especially if it's on TV.

[PAULD123]

I know the bandwagon is gathering pace, but Down didn't get 12,000 at home to Liatroim on a Saturday a few weeks ago. I'd be very surprised if more than 8k red and black make it to Croke, especially if it's on TV.

There was 6,000 in Newry which were nearly all Down supporters, does anyone know the official attendance at Antrim on Saturday?

I think you are right 8,000 sounds a likely total for Down supporters (partly I would say due to pessimism at our chances), but in and around 12,000 would go if we do get to the quarter finals.

[MK]

12000 in casement sat nite

Anyone thinking of takin the train from Belfast beware engineering works between Lisburn+portydown
thus a bus transfer between Belfast+Newry!!

[meatsy86]

Correct 12,000 in casement saturday night and i'd say a good 90% were Down fans!! I reckon they'll only open the lower tier saturday along with the Hill and get a crowd in the region of 40,000!!

[NP 76]

The more games you get in croke park the better . Gets players used to the dimentions of the field generally getting to know the run of the place works in you benefit for future games

[Mourne Rover]

Martin Carney, the former Donegal and Mayo player who is now a commentator, had a real go at Down in his preview of the Antrim match on Today FM last Friday night. It's available on the station's website, section three of the Matt Cooper Show, about 34 minutes in.

Carney said; `I have lost a lot of belief in Down, to be honest with you, and I'm questioning whether their hearts are in it. I sense it from the way they played against Clare, when they were lucky to get across the line thanks to a clearance from Conor Laverty, and the last day against Leitrim, when they were very unimpressive and needed a tour de force from Benny Coulter to get over the line.

`Those performances are masking the fact that there is a lack of real belief and a lack of real commitment on the part of Down to go the whole hog and get back to an All Ireland, and I think they are very vulnerable against Antrim.'

Hopefully, some of his quotes will be passed on to the Down dressing room before the Cork game at Croke Park. Of course, as Martin will probably confirm, we have no chance anyway  and may as well  not bother turning up ...

[whitegoodman]

Have to agree with the previous posts regarding playing it at Croke Park.  Compare the lack of atmosphere at croke this saturday with that at Healy Park or even Navan last saturday night.  I would be very surprised if the crowd on Saturday reaches anywhere near 30,000.

Parnell Park would have been perfect for the match in my opinion, tight ground with great atmosphere something that I think the qualifiers are made for.  Portlaoise would also have been an option but id be surprised if Down bring more than 8k and Cork 2K so any ground with a capacity between 10-12K would have been suitable.

Out of interest does anyone know the last time Cork played a championship match outside of Munster or Croke Park?

[AZOffaly]

I think they played in Portlaoise a few years ago. They also played in Wexford Park just last year.

[Hardy]

They played Wexford last year in Wexford and Louth in 2007 in Portlaoise.

[whitegoodman]

Jes I must have missed that one.  Was that in round 3/4 of the qualifers?