Croke Park should be the venue for the All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals according to Dunloy manager Gregory O’Kane.
The newly-crowned Ulster champions will face St Thomas’ of Galway in the All-Ireland series on the weekend of December 17/18.
There is speculation that the game will be moved to Sunday, December 18 to accommodate a wedding at the Galway club.
Read more: Recap as Dunloy seal Ulster Club Hurling title with narrow win over Slaughtneil
All-Ireland champions Ballygunner and Leinster champions Ballyhale meet in the other semi-final in what is a repeat of February’s epic final.
The Shamrock's defeated Kilmacud Crokes in Sunday's Leinster final which was played as part of a double-header with the football final with Crokes easing past The Downs.
Semple Stadium in Thurles is set to close for essential maintenance work on the pitch and O’Kane feels the logical solution is for both hurling semi-finals to take place at Croker later this month.
“I see Thurles is closed by all accounts, so you’d be thinking a double-header in Croke Park would you not?
“Thurles is closed for the other semi-final. You’d be hoping for a double-header in Croke Park, said O'Kane.
“You’d hope they’d go with the semi-final in Croke Park because of the nature of the competition,”
“The split season is working a treat and clubs now have the prestige. The level of clubs, as we’ll see now, is going through the roof because the split season is making clubs stronger.
“On Tuesday evening we need to get the bodies recovered. I’m sure they’ll be sore after that, but there’s nothing to bring you on like that - you can’t train what we had out there today.
“Dunloy in an All-Ireland club series. Jesus! We’re just looking forward to the next challenge that comes.”
After three defeats to holders Slaughtneil in recent seasons, the Dunloy boss was revealed to finally get over the line after Sunday’s narrow two-point win over the Derry men.
“We are a very proud club, but we are also Antrim men. We are Antrim people,” stated O’Kane.
“Antrim puts a lot of effort in, but just to get ourselves, and then an Antrim team to the top of the tree.
“To be fair to Slaughtneil, they have brought the Ulster Championship to an unbelievable level. We need to go to that level to get over the line and thankfully we did.”
Slaughtneil manager Mickey McShane, meanwhile, felt his side were below their best in Sunday’s Ulster final.
After conceding two first half goal, the first of which was an own goal from goalkeeper Oisin O’Doherty, the Emmet’s rallied to draw level midway through the second half, but couldn’t get ahead of Dunloy.
“Every defeat is a sore one. It doesn't matter what stage you are at and losing an Ulster final is obviously very sore,” said McShane.
“It is only the second time 2015 and today, the second time we've lost so. Look it was very disappointing I don't think we played particularly well. I think we were under par.
“But the first thing I will say is I tip my hat to Dunloy. I congratulate them on their win. I wish them all the best in the all-ireland semi final.
“We've broke their hearts quite a few times and to be fair to them they shown a lot of resilience to keep coming back.
“It was never a case of us underestimating them, we knew that they won four Antrim's in a row and we knew how good of a team they were and today it was their day and good luck to them."
He added: “I’ve just said to the players in the changing room there, not for one second will I be criticising any of them. They have done so much service to Slaughtneil, to Derry hurling, to Ulster hurling over the last number of years, we have competed at the top level.
“And I’ll say now, absolutely guarantee you, that this Slaughtneil team will be back here in another Ulster final in the not too distant future. And it’ll be us coming with the hurt next time.”
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