A weekend of hurling league finals awaits
Old rivals, Ballygunner and Mount Sion, will meet in the All County Hurling League Division 1 final on Friday night in Walsh Park. Photo: Inpho.
Last weekend saw the completion of all six divisions of the All County Football Leagues and this coming week end will see ten of the eleven All County Hurling League finals played with the remaining Division 5 final between Clashmore and Kilrossanty held over until the following Thursday in Lemybrien.
Just two of the finals will be played in Walsh Park involving all eastern clashes with Mount Sion beating Roanmore on Thursday night in the Division 6 Final on and followed on tonight (Friday) by the Division 1 Final between Ballygunner and Mount Sion. Most of the other finals involve East/West clashes and with Fraher Field presently closed, all, with the exception of the Division 8 final between Cappoquin/Tourin and Fenor, are being spread over Western club venues Most interest will centre on Friday’s Division 1 and Division 2 finals involving senior clubs ahead of the championships. Throughout the league it was seldom a club fielded at full strength with county players in senior and U -20 unavailable. Ballygunner lost two league games, to Mount Sion and De La Salle, and drew with Roanmore while fielding below championship strength while other clubs were in the same situation.
It is unlikely to be very different this coming weekend as this is this is the time of year when players take holidays ahead of the club championships. It is also the time of year when players, particularly students and teachers move to New York and the North American GAA scene knowing they can return to their clubs for the knockout stages of the club championships.
While the game between Ballygunner and Mount Sion in Walsh Park on Friday will not be seen as a pointer to the upcoming championship it will be interesting to see if either side feature any new faces likely to break into their championship sides.
The Division 2 final also takes place on Friday with Lismore and Clonea meeting in Colligan. Both clubs had players abroad this time last year and it was notable that Rathgormack fielded without regulars, Clonea hurlers Billy Power, James Power and Mairtin Power in last week’s football league final. It has already been confirmed that at least two members of the county senior hurling panel have already gone to America and will miss the group stages of their clubs’ championship games.
Another interesting final on Friday next is the repeat of last year’s Intermediate final between Brickey Rangers and Portlaw in Lemybrien. Brickeys came away from Walsh Park last year with six points to spare over their Eastern rivals and they will play in the Premier Intermediate grade this year. Portlaw are poised to make a big effort this year and a win over the side that denied them promotion last year would be a very good start with silverware at stake.
The full list of final fixtures for the coming weekend is as follows.
Walsh Park 7.30pm. Div. 1 Ballygunner V Mount Sion 7.30pm.
Div. 2 Clonea v Lismore 3 Lemybrien 7.30pm.
Div.4 Brickey Rangers V Portlaw, Kilmacthomas 3pm.
Div. 8 Cappoquin/Affane V Fenor Abbeyside 5pm.
Div. 10 Tallow V Dunhill Sunday Bushy Park 12 noon
Div. 7 Ardmore V Ballydurn Lemybrien 12 noon
Div. 9 Mount Sion V Geraldines Stradbally 1.30pm.
Div. 11 Lismore V Roanmore Colligan 2pm.
Div. 3 Ballyduff Upper V Roanmore
Lemybrien 7.30pm. Div. 5 Kilrossanty V Clashmore.
