Where the big boys earn their corn.
We won’t see another county hurling game this year as every hurler in the country’s focus turns to their clubs. The club stalwarts in Galway and Limerick have been waiting since April to play the second round of their county championships while the heavyweights in Kilkenny, Tipperary, Clare and the other counties have been layering timber off one another for a few weeks now.
There are some serious club hurling games across the country this weekend and we take a look at the best of them.
Limerick SHC
Most of them celebrated through last week and probably into the early hours of this week too but now the men of Limerick are back to reality. The second round of the county championships take place across the county this weekend, and every single one of John Kiely’s panel of 36 will be hurling.
Indeed, some of them were back playing with the bigger ball last Saturday and Wednesday evening, but they’ll have hurls in their hands again this weekend.
There was football Saturday, there was football last night. The boys of Limerick are back in the thick of it https://t.co/kDcivgEGxD
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 30, 2018
The brothers in arms turn foes again as the Celtic Cross winners go back to where it all started. Games take place on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, with the tie of the round on Saturday.
Na Piarsaigh v Kilmallock (6.30, Saturday)
Ten of John Kiely’s 36 Limerick panelists will be involved here. Six for Na Piarsaigh and four from Kilmallock. You could see Mike Casey, the slayer of Galway’s human cherry-picker Johnny Glynn, go shoulder to shoulder with a completely different kind of forward in the lively and zippy potential Hurler of the Year Graeme Mulcahy.
Meanwhile, supersubs Shane Dowling and Peter Casey will be up the other end for the reigning champions while Paddy O’Loughlin and Oisin O’Reilly will support Mulcahy in attack for the 2014 champions.
These are the two leaders in the betting to win the championship overall, our money is on Na Piarsaigh to pick up from where they left off at 1/2.
Patrickswell v Ballybrown (8.30, Friday)
Any game with Cian Lynch and Aaron Gillane involved will be worth the journey alone.
Tipperary SHC
Kiladangan v Borrisoleigh (3.00, Saturday)
Last year’s county finalists Borrisoleigh are without the services of their injured spiritual leader Brendan Maher this year and they’ve unsurprisingly struggled because of that.
John McGrath went to town on them last time out against Loughmore so they’ll be gunning to turn it around here. Conor Kenny is hurling well for them and they’ll be hoping he can continue that form against a youthful Kiladangan side.
The Dangan have established themselves as heavyweights in the Premier County in recent times with under-21 and North senior championship wins and with a few players set to return from America, they should have enough here.
With Borris gone from the North, they’ll have plenty of motivation here and they’re tipped to grind out a draw, which if you fancy it, is available at 11/1.
Thurles Sarsfields v Drom/Inch (1.30, Sunday)
A clash of the titans waits. The Sars are going for five Dan Breens in a row this year and with Paudie Maher, Michael Cahill, Lar Corbett, Pa Bourke all on form they’ll be tipped to take this one.
Any team that has Seamie Callanan at full forward can never be written off, however, and there could be a kick in Drom/Inch yet.
It’s win or bust for Drom and we feel they’ll pull it out of the bag with the stakes at their highest. At 9/4, they’re worth a bet.
Kilkenny SHC
Mullinavat v Dicksboro (5.00, Saturday)
Mullinavat have been tipping along nicely this year. They gave James Stephens a right clipping back in April and they continued that form against Clara recently. John Walsh is their star turn at full forward but they’ve an evenly balanced team of workers.
Defending champions Dicksboro have been without their main man Cillian Buckley this year and they’ve stuttered as a result, losing to the Village recently.
We give the verdict to Mullinavat at 5/6.
Rower-Inistioge v Ballyhale Shamrocks (5.00, Saturday)
Ballyhale Shamrocks have been on the road for a long time in Kilkenny and they haven’t been shot the lights out so far this year. They were comfortable winners over Erin’s Own and Danesfort but hadn’t enough for O’Loughlin’s a couple of weeks ago.
Newcomers Adrian and Darren Mullen add enthusiasm to their team but they’ll face their biggest challenge since that O’Loughlin’s one, especially with their star man TJ Reid expected to miss out due to a shoulder injury, this weekend when they take on The Rower.
They’ve hurled well this year, with Richie Leahy, Pat Lyng and Kevin Murphy showing well, and they’ll fancy their chances here at odds of 13/5.
Galway SHC
Cappataggle v Mullagh (4.00, Saturday)
This is a must-win for the men of Cappy. They came of age last year, reaching a county semi-final and only losing out to the eventual county champions Liam Mellows by one point.
The likes of Dan Nevin, Donal and Jarlath Mannion are a year older and a year wiser now and they’re fancied to build on last year’s progress.
At 13/8, they’re fancied to take care of Mullagh.
Sarsfields v Gort (1.45, Sunday)
Both have won county titles in recent years, both will be keen to bounce back after disappointing campaigns last year. Gort, with Richie Cummins and Greg Lally should have the star quality to prevail.
Get on at 1/2.
