Cork have played down concerns over the Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch after the sand-heavy surface drew criticism in the wake of Sunday's league double-header.
It was a disappointing afternoon for the Rebels, whose footballers lost to Cavan in their Allianz League Division 2 clash, before Waterford overcame the hurlers in Division 1A.
The pitch cut up badly over the course of 140-plus minutes of action, with barely any grass visible on some areas of the field, and quite a lot of sand laid down to compensate.
A Cork spokesperson said some sand will continue to be used in general pitch maintenance and put the condition of the surface down to the time of year and the fact that it had two games on the bounce, stressing that a relatively new surface still needs time to bed in.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh - bring the bucket and spade pic.twitter.com/5nACgNGYlu
— Michael Verney (@mlverney) February 25, 2018
The stadium was unveiled last July after an €80m redevelopment, hosting the Clare v Tipp and Waterford v Wexford All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals over the summer.
The pitch itself consists of dwarf ryegrass, which has a short growth span and usually produces a thick, lush expanse.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh last saw action on 27 January, as the Cork footballers and hurlers took on Tipperary and Kilkenny respectively in their opening league games.
Cork's next home league game is at Pairc Uí Rinn on St Patrick's Day, when the footballers take on Clare, meaning the newer venue will get some respite.
