Dublin will start their Leinster SFC title defence on the road again in 2017.
The All-Ireland champions are hoping to secure a record seventh Leinster title defence on the trot, but they will begin that campaign outside the capital.
They’ll be kicking off the 2017 championship at either O’Moore Park or Innovate Wexford Park, depending on the result of the tie between Carlow and Wexford. The two counties will slug it out in the first round at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday May 21 and to the victors go the spoils of a quarter-final clash against Dublin on either Saturday 3 June or Sunday 4 June.
The extra incentive for the yellow bellies is that a win would ensure a home encounter with the All-Ireland champions while if Carlow are victorious, the game will take place in Portlaoise because Netwatch Cullen Park doesn’t have the requisite capacity to house all the travelling supporters.
2017 @gaaleinster SFC Q/Final, 3rd/4th June
If @DubGAAOfficial v @OfficialWexGAA – Wexford Pk
If @DubGAAOfficial v @Carlow_GAA – O'Moore Pk— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) November 16, 2016
Last June Dublin played a provincial tie outside of Croke Park for the first time in a decade when they took on Laois in Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park. The change of scenery didn’t seem to impact on the Dubs as they ran out comfortable 11-point winners over the O’Moore county.
Their last trip abroad before that came in 2006 when they defeated Longford in Pearse Park by a narrow two-point margin in a Leinster quarter-final.
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