Stradbally manager Paco Curran will lead his County SFC Champions, Stradbally, into league action tonight (Friday) against St. Saviours under lights in Stradbally. Photo: Sean Byrne.
The senior club football season gets under way this coming weekend with a full round of Phelan Cup games, the first of which will take place in Stradbally on today (Friday evening) with the home side taking on St. Saviours under lights at 8 p.m. with the five other games taking place on Saturday afternoon with a 3 p.m. start. With the county footballers heading north to play Antrim on Sunday clubs will be required to field without their county panellists and that will hit some clubs harder than others. Likewise the county U – 21 footballers are out the following Wednesday in the Munster semi – final against Cork or Clare so it is likely that those players will also be ruled out of club action this weekend.
The intention is to give the clubs two rounds of League fixtures before the start of the championship on the weekend of April 9th/ 10th and Secretary Pat Flynn has done his best in setting out the groups so as to avoid the clubs meeting each other in the opening rounds of the championship meeting in the league before that.
The opening rounds will take place over the next two weekends with the first named teams having home advantage and the full list of fixtures over the coming months is as follows but supporters would be advised to check with their clubs as it has been the case in the past that clubs have mutually agreed to change dates and times with CCCC permission as circumstances arise.
Round 1 – All games Saturday 11th March – 3 p.m. unless stated
Group 1 Stradbally V St. Saviours – Friday 10that 8 p.m., Ardmore V Kilrossanty, An Rinn v Brickeys
Group 2 – Gaultier V Ballinacourty, Ballinameela V Nire, Rathgormack V Clashmore/Kinaslebeg.
Round 2 – All games Saturday 19th March – 6 p.m.
Group 1 – AnRinn v Stradbally, St. Saviours V Kilrossanty, Brickeys V Ardmore.
Group 2 – Nire V Ballinacourty, Rathgormac V Ballinameela, Clashmore/Kinsalebeg V Gaultier.
Round 3 – All games Saturday 2nd April – 7 p.m.
Group 1 – Kilrossanty V Stradbally, St. Saviours V Brickeys, Ardmore V AnRinn.
Group 2 – Ballinameela V Ballinacourty, Clashmore/Kinsalebeg V Nire, Gaultier V Ballinameela.
Round 4 – All games Saturday 29th May 7.30 p.m.
Group 1 – Stradbally V Brickeys, St. Saviours V Ardmore, Kilrossanty V AnRinn.
Group 2 – Ballinacourty V Clashmore/Kinsalebeg, Nire V Rathgormack, Gaultier V Ballinameela.
Round 5 – All Games Saturday 16th July – 7.30 p.m.
Group 1 – Ardmore V Stradbally, Brickeys V Kilrossanty, AnRinn V St. Saviours.
Group 2 – BallinacourtyV.Rathgormack, Ballinameela V Clashmore/Kinsalebeg, Nire V Gaultier.
Junior Football (Senior Attached)
The All County Junior Football Championship for senior clubs gets under way on Friday April 1st, one week before the start of the Senior championship and continues on the Fridays of the following two weeks in tandem with the first two rounds of Senior Football Championship games on 9th/10th and 16th/17th April.Nine of the senior football clubs will be taking part in this championship, all in one group, the three exceptions being Ballinacourty and Nire, whose second strings will play in the Western Intermediate Football championship, and Ardmore.
The three opening rounds take place as follows with the first named team at home in all cases.
Round 1 – Friday April 1st – 6.45 p.m. Clashmore V Stadbally, Ballinameela V AnRinn, Rathgormack V Gaultier, St. Saviours V Kilrossanty. Bye – Brickey Rangers.
Round 2 – Friday April 8th – 6.45 p.m. Stradbally V Gaultier, Brickey Rangers V St. Saviours, AnRinn V Ratthgormack, Ballinameela V Clashmore. Bye – Kilrossanty.
Round 3 – Friday April 15th – Clashmore V Brickey Rangers, Rathgormack V Stradbally, Gaultier V Kilrowssanty, St. Saviours V AnRinn. Bye – Ballinameela.
