All Ireland Club Hurling Championship 2012-2013
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 10:11 pm
For me, the provincial and all Ireland club hurling championship is the best hurling competition we have at the moment. Obviously a top interconty match is way above a club match but I think the club championship is much more open (more democratic?), more interesting and has teams more evenly matched playing each other. For the 2013 intercounty championship it is very difficult to see past 3 teams -Kilkenny, Galway and Tipperary. However plenty of club champions will feel they can have a right crack at winning a provincial and the All Ireland club title. This is especially true after the exploits of Loughiel Shamrocks, Coolderry and Na Piarsaigh last year. It is great that TG4 cover the club matches. I have also really enjoyed attending some of these matches the Coolderry games last year, Tullamore and Ballyhale in leinster final few years ago wasn't bad and of course Birr provided us with plenty of exciting moments over the years. Take Coolderry's games last year leading up to the All Ireland Final -Ballyboden in Parnell Park, Oulart the Ballagh in Nowlan Park and Gort in the Gaelic Grounds-there weren't massive crowds but there was always a good atmosphere and bit of excitement. Actually a negative in contrast again to the intercounty scene of the last few years there haven't been that many great finals in the last few years or so whereas we've had a few great All Irelands with Kilkenny - Tipp and drawn Killkenny - Galway game this year. However the games in the lead up to the club All Irelands have been good with the Clarinbridge v De La Salle All Ireland semi-final the real stand-out game of recent years. Obviously we've had some great teams over the last 15 years Birr, Portumna and Ballyhale Shamrocks. The decline of these teams has opened it up a bit-obviously BALLYHALE are still a seious threat this year having reached the Kilkenny county final again. But nearly all clubs entering the foray will have real hopes of making progress.
Munster Championship-This looks set for an enthralling series of matches. Thurles Sarsfields are probably favourites but will have tough competition. They have beaten Kilmallock of Limerick in the first game in Munster by 2-12 to 0-15 - according to a report -seems to have been a good game. Thurles have some very big names Padraic Maher, Micky Cahill and Lar Corbett as intercounty stars already. Aidan McCormack had a great county final, Denis Maher is another dangerous forward while Michael Glesson is a good midfielder. Then of course Redser is there as an impact sub. De La Salle also have a very good side and have won Munster twice over the last few years. Waterford's two All stars this year John Mulane and Kevin Moran are the leading men while Brian Phelan has plenty of experience and Dean Twomney was on the Waterford panel this year. Sarsfields of Cork will be ferociously determined this year having failed to make progress in their 2 previous campaigns in Munster. The Cork county final looked like a good game from the highlights on TG4. I noticed Eoin Quigley’s name appear in the highlights and wondered if it was the Wexford player and turns out it is, another Wexford player Eanna Martin is also playing with them add in Cian McCarthy, Kieran Murphy, Michael Cussen and Tadgh Og Murphy and you have a serious team. I’m sure newly crowned Clare champions Newmarket on Fergus won’t be too bad either with Clare hurling on an upward curve again.
Leinster Championship- Kilcormac Killoughey are on the easier side of the draw and will feel they have a great chance of reaching a Leinster Final. However Rathdowney -Erill , Clonkill and Mount Leinster will feel the same. Providing KK do not underestimate Mount Leinster, then they should win. Rathdowney/Erill and Clonkill will be very tight, the Laois champions might just about do it. Kk will have benefited from that league final win over Seir Kieran last week. A competitive match to break up the celebrations.
On the other side of the draw Oulart the Ballagh(4th Wexford title in a row) will be strong again. They should be too good for Kilmacud Crokes who will have been distracted with their football team playing so many matches in the past few weeks. Fair play to them for reaching both Dublin hurling and football finals but this will impact on their preparations for Oulart. I’m not sure how many are dual players-probably not as many as other clubs. Definitely Ross and Rory O Carroll are dual players and these 2 are vital to the hurling team. Kilmacud also have Ryan O Dwyer and Niall Corcoran in their ranks. Oulart have plenty of players with intercounty experience, the two Jacobs, Keith Rossiter, Paul Roche, Lar Prendergast, Darren Stamp, Dave Redmond and Nicky Kirwin. Then the Kilkenny champions will either be Ballyhale Shamrocks or Dicksboro. At this stage Ballyhale are probably favourites for Leinster but they have to win the Kilkenny final first. TJ Reid is a big loss to them, however Cha should be flying with Michael Fennelly in midfield, while Colin Fennelly should also be smarting having being dropped for All Ireland final. Of course Henry Shefflin is still their main man but he’ll have to be a little tired after his exploits with the Cats.
Ulster Championship- The Ulster Final was played yesterday, Portaferry (Down) 0-12 Loughgiel (Antrim) 2-25. This is 3 in a row of Ulster titles for the All Ireland champions. With the Munster Championship only starting yesterday and Leinster next week this is another example of the lopsidedness of GAA competitions and structures.
Not to speak of the non-existent Connacht championship as the Galway champions head straight into an All Ireland semi-final. Loughrea await the winners of a semi-final replay between Co. Champions Gort and St. Thomas. Great to hear Conor Cooney was flying for St. Thomas yesterday. I felt sorry for him being brought on and then taken off 10 mins later in the drawn All Ireland. No other club will fear facing whoever comes out of Galway.
I could be wrong in this but the only 2 clubs still in contention that have previously won the All Ireland are the 2 Shamrocks- Loughiel and Ballyhale. If Dicksboro could pull off a shock and win Kilkenny it would really open it up.
Here’s hoping Kilcormac- Killoughey will give it a good run.
Munster Championship-This looks set for an enthralling series of matches. Thurles Sarsfields are probably favourites but will have tough competition. They have beaten Kilmallock of Limerick in the first game in Munster by 2-12 to 0-15 - according to a report -seems to have been a good game. Thurles have some very big names Padraic Maher, Micky Cahill and Lar Corbett as intercounty stars already. Aidan McCormack had a great county final, Denis Maher is another dangerous forward while Michael Glesson is a good midfielder. Then of course Redser is there as an impact sub. De La Salle also have a very good side and have won Munster twice over the last few years. Waterford's two All stars this year John Mulane and Kevin Moran are the leading men while Brian Phelan has plenty of experience and Dean Twomney was on the Waterford panel this year. Sarsfields of Cork will be ferociously determined this year having failed to make progress in their 2 previous campaigns in Munster. The Cork county final looked like a good game from the highlights on TG4. I noticed Eoin Quigley’s name appear in the highlights and wondered if it was the Wexford player and turns out it is, another Wexford player Eanna Martin is also playing with them add in Cian McCarthy, Kieran Murphy, Michael Cussen and Tadgh Og Murphy and you have a serious team. I’m sure newly crowned Clare champions Newmarket on Fergus won’t be too bad either with Clare hurling on an upward curve again.
Leinster Championship- Kilcormac Killoughey are on the easier side of the draw and will feel they have a great chance of reaching a Leinster Final. However Rathdowney -Erill , Clonkill and Mount Leinster will feel the same. Providing KK do not underestimate Mount Leinster, then they should win. Rathdowney/Erill and Clonkill will be very tight, the Laois champions might just about do it. Kk will have benefited from that league final win over Seir Kieran last week. A competitive match to break up the celebrations.
On the other side of the draw Oulart the Ballagh(4th Wexford title in a row) will be strong again. They should be too good for Kilmacud Crokes who will have been distracted with their football team playing so many matches in the past few weeks. Fair play to them for reaching both Dublin hurling and football finals but this will impact on their preparations for Oulart. I’m not sure how many are dual players-probably not as many as other clubs. Definitely Ross and Rory O Carroll are dual players and these 2 are vital to the hurling team. Kilmacud also have Ryan O Dwyer and Niall Corcoran in their ranks. Oulart have plenty of players with intercounty experience, the two Jacobs, Keith Rossiter, Paul Roche, Lar Prendergast, Darren Stamp, Dave Redmond and Nicky Kirwin. Then the Kilkenny champions will either be Ballyhale Shamrocks or Dicksboro. At this stage Ballyhale are probably favourites for Leinster but they have to win the Kilkenny final first. TJ Reid is a big loss to them, however Cha should be flying with Michael Fennelly in midfield, while Colin Fennelly should also be smarting having being dropped for All Ireland final. Of course Henry Shefflin is still their main man but he’ll have to be a little tired after his exploits with the Cats.
Ulster Championship- The Ulster Final was played yesterday, Portaferry (Down) 0-12 Loughgiel (Antrim) 2-25. This is 3 in a row of Ulster titles for the All Ireland champions. With the Munster Championship only starting yesterday and Leinster next week this is another example of the lopsidedness of GAA competitions and structures.
Not to speak of the non-existent Connacht championship as the Galway champions head straight into an All Ireland semi-final. Loughrea await the winners of a semi-final replay between Co. Champions Gort and St. Thomas. Great to hear Conor Cooney was flying for St. Thomas yesterday. I felt sorry for him being brought on and then taken off 10 mins later in the drawn All Ireland. No other club will fear facing whoever comes out of Galway.
I could be wrong in this but the only 2 clubs still in contention that have previously won the All Ireland are the 2 Shamrocks- Loughiel and Ballyhale. If Dicksboro could pull off a shock and win Kilkenny it would really open it up.
Here’s hoping Kilcormac- Killoughey will give it a good run.