Munster Council chairman Tim Murphy believes the early draw for the opening round of the All-Ireland senior football championship has taken some of the gloss off this weekend’s provincial finals.

The draws for Round 1 in the Sam Maguire Cup race were made on Monday afternoon, producing some mouth-watering clashes later this month with Kerry v Donegal in Killarney being the headline act.

Meanwhile, all four provincial football finals have yet to be played, with the Kingdom meeting Cork in the Munster decider this Sunday at Fitzgerald Stadium (1.45pm) before Roscommon host Galway in the Connacht final (4.15pm).

Speaking to RTE Sport, Mr Murphy said that the timing of the All-Ireland series draw is something he feels needs to be addressed.

“From a provincial point of view, it's certainly not ideal. I understand the sentiments in terms of giving counties an opportune time to prepare,” said the Kerry native.

"But in terms of promoting provincial championships, it certainly doesn’t do anything really (for them). I think it’s certainly something we need to address in the future.

"The gloss of Sunday’s finals and the other provincial finals is slightly washed away. I understand the argument being made. I know hotels have to be booked and other elements but there has to be a better way to do this. We should use the learnings this year and adapt in the years to come."

Tweet

Most Read Stories