Tipperary to begin Munster 2024 hurling campaign with two tough away fixtures yet again

For the second year in a row, Tipperary are set to begin their Munster senior hurling championship with two tough away games in 2024 campaign.

In 2018 and ‘19, the championship schedule followed a sequence whereby the previous year’s round fixtures moved up a weekend. For example, those games played in Round 2 12 months earlier were brought forward to Round 1, and so on.

However, after Clare and Limerick played three games in 15 days four years ago, Munster counties agreed to alter the mechanism and flip the third and fourth rounds to avoid a repeat. That means that Round 3’s two fixtures are played over successive weekends.

Tipperary last year opened with two away clashes and Cork started their 2022 campaign with back-to-back matches in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. If the schedule remains the same in 2025 and ’26, Limerick’s first two games will be on the road in both seasons.

The five-in-a-row Munster champions start their championship defence with a trip to Ennis on April 21 as Cork travel to Waterford. The following weekend, Cork host Clare in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Limerick face Tipperary in LIT Gaelic Grounds.

The current schedule will be confirmed next month, although there is a possibility it could change should the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals be removed in a vote at Special Congress on Saturday week. In that event, the Leinster and Munster Councils could receive an extra week to conclude their championships.

The Munster Council’s competitions control committee will confirm formats for their championships next month. A motion to Special Congress proposes four of the province’s five teams go through to the All-Ireland series and that may prompt Munster to reduce its number of fixtures.

A minor football recommendation envisages teams who don’t reach their respective provincial finals qualifying for a national-tiered championship. With the prospect of further games, that plan may also persuade the council to cut down on the number of fixtures in its own minor football competition.

Provisional 2024 Munster SHC dates (first-team home advantage):

Round 1, April 20/21 – Clare v Limerick, Waterford v Cork.

Round 2, April 27/28 – Cork v Clare, Limerick v Tipperary.

Round 3, May 4/5 – Waterford v Tipperary.

Round 3, May 11/12 – Cork v Limerick.

Round 4, May 18/19 – Clare v Waterford, Tipperary v Cork.

Round 5, May 25/26 – Limerick v Waterford, Tipperary v Clare.

Munster final – June 8/9.