Club hurling games moved due to camogie semi-final
Mount Sion's Martin O'Neill controls the sliothar against Dungarvan's Cathal Curran during their JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior Hurling championship match in Bushy Park. Photo: Sean Byrne
The county board should be commended for changing the SHC throw in times on Saturday to accommodate the All Ireland camogie semi final. It gives supporters and, most importantly, family members the opportunity to take in a club game and then travel up the road to Nowlan Park to roar on the Déise that evening. A positive move with integration coming down the tracks.
There is still uncertainty around the availability of Fraher Field. The pitch wasn't playable the past two weekends due to recent drainage work. Attendances have suffered as other venues don't boast the same facilities.
The shortage of match officials last weekend was worrying. No linesmen were on duty for the Passage-Fourmilewater game in Carrickbeg. It piles extra pressure onto already overworked referees.
A repeat of last year's quarter final which Mount Sion won by six points. Will we see Austin Gleeson make an appearance for the first time in championship 2025? Sion score getters Martin O'Neill, Adam Regan and Alan Kirwan will be hard to contain. Ferrybank are without a win and are without MJ Sutton, Cormac Heffernan, Robbie Carew and Graham Coady. Sion to go three from three.
De La Salle bounced back from a one score loss to Roanmore with a one score win against Abbeyside/Ballinacourty. Thomas Douglas impressed with four points from play in wretched conditions. That result keeps them in the shake-up for a top two finish. The Brickeys have been thrown in at the deep end but they should be more competitive here than last week.
Ballygunner show no mercy. Two wins by a total of 51 points without the services of Pauric Mahony and Patrick Fitzgerald. Dessie Hutchinson looks determined to put the inter county season behind him which spells trouble for Clonea.
Game of the weekend. Will Waterford team mates Mark Fitzgerald and Iarlaith Daly do battle on the edge of the square? Passage won the preliminary quarter final between these two last year. Lismore, with that formidable half back line of Carthach Daly, Paudi Prendergast and Finbar Reaney, to edge it this time.
Fourmilewater must be stung by two one point defeats. They could have won both games. Jamie Barron has picked up from where he left off with the county. Point scoring wing back Tholom Guiry has also caught the eye. The absence of Darragh Lyons to a hamstring injury and the fact that Patrick Curran is a carrying a knock weakens Dungarvan's hand. Fourmile to get over the line at the third time of asking.
Roanmore are on two wins, Abbeyside/Ballinacourty are on two losses but this feels like a puck of a ball encounter. Abbeyside felt hard done by with a couple of late decisions against De La Salle. They will carry that fury into this one. Michael Kiely successfully appealed his straight red card against Ballygunner and scored 2-3. He could prove the difference maker here.
