RTE reveal Cork-Tipp delay agreement

RTE has revealed that Sunday’s Cork-Tipperary clash was delayed at its request after the day’s other game between Down and Donegal ended in a draw.

The Ulster SFC contest formed the first part of the broadcaster’s Championship double-header on Sunday but Down needed extra-time to book a semi-final date with Tyrone.

That eventuality prompted a quick reshuffle of the running order, with the throw-in at Pairc Ui Chaoimh delayed by quarter of an hour so that every minute of the game would be screened live.

A similar situation last year saw viewers miss out on the early stages of a Munster SHC game between Waterford and Limerick, and RTE has admitted that contingency plans were in place.

RTE Sport’s Executive Editor of Gaelic Games Programming, Paul Byrnes, told the Irish Examiner: “We sat down with the Munster Council earlier in the year and said we didn’t want that situation arising again. Pat Fitzgerald, secretary of the Munster Council, was very helpful and we agreed that if the scenario arose on 30 May we’d deal with in this way.

“There were calls made between us on the day and there were no problems arranging the delay. At the end of the day the audience was served because they saw both games in their entirety. The alternative is to miss part of one of the games, which isn’t a viable option. The important thing for us is to cover the game from whistle to whistle.”