Championship draws on tonight... Tuesday 6th Feb 2007

[Hocker]

Well lads.. the draws for the Championships for Football & Hurling are on tonight in Tullamore.
Any thoughts?
Most importantly, the Senior football championship will consist of 3 groups of 4 teams. Rhode are seeded in group A, Clara in group B and its open after that. will be very interesting. Only one team will be relegated..

[Hocker]

Group A
Rhode
Erin rovers
Gracefield
Shannonbridge

Group B
Clara
Ferbane
St. Rynaghs
Tubber

Group C
Shamrocks
Ballycumber
Tullamore
St. Brigids

[TheManFromFerbane]

Group 1: Rhode, Erin Rovers, Gracefield, Shannonbridge
Group 2: Clara, Ferbane, Rynaghs, Tubber
Group 3: Shamrocks, Ballycumber, St. Bridgids, Tullamore

[Hocker]

Copycat!!!

First round to be played first weekend in May...

[Mikey]

More importantly, has anyone info on the hurling draw?

[Treasurer]

Senior Hurling

Group 1
Coolderry
Kil/Klloughey
Ballyskenagh
Drumcullen
Tullamore

Group 2
Birr
Kinnitty
Seir Kieran
Shinrone

Group 3
St. Rynaghs
Shamrocks
Lusmagh
Belmont

Top team in each group plus second in group 1 qualify for and are kept apart in quarter-finals.

Second Team in Group 2 & 3 plus 3rd team in Group 1 also qualify for quarter-finals. Remaining quarter-final place to be decided between 3rd place teams in group 2 & 3.

Quarter-finals as follows

1st in Group 1 v Play-off winners
1st in Group 2 v 3rd in Group 1
1st in Group 3 v 2nd in Group 2
2nd in Group 1 v 2nd in Group 3

Semi-finals - Open Draw

Relegation
Bottom team in each group plus 4th team in Group 1 play off for relegation on a knock out basis. Semi-final’s by open draw, with the losers playing relegation final and the beaten finalists relegated.
If a senior team is relegated and have an existing Intermediate team, the Intermediate team drops to Junior A. Similarly if they have a Junior A team it drops to Junior B.

Intermediate Hurling

Group 1
Seir Kieran
Clara
Killavilla
Kil/Killoughey

Group 2
Carrig & Riverstown
Shinrone
Ballinamere
Coolderry

Group 3
St. Rynaghs
Birr
Crinkle
Kinnitty

Top teams from two Groups to qualify for semi-finals. Top team from third Group plus 2nd team in each group to play q/f. Draw for two teams to qualify for S/F to take place when group games are completed.
Bottom team in each group play off for relegation on a round robin basis, with one team relegated.

Junior A Hurling
Group 1
Shamrocks
Kil/Killoughey
Gracefield
Killeigh
Edenderry
Birr

Group 2
Ballinamere
Killurin
Drumcullen
Brosna Gaels
St. Rynaghs
Tullamore

Top team in each group to qualify for semi-final.
Second and third team in each group to qualify for quarter finals.
Group Games to be played on home/away basis.
Bottom team in each group to play off with loser relegated.

Junior B Hurling
Group 1
Killeigh
Geashill
Ballinamere
Belmont
Kinnitty

Group 2
Killavilla
Drumcullen
Lusmagh
Ballyskenagh

Group 3
Crinkle
Carrig & Riverstown
Coolderry
Seir Kieran

Top team in each group to qualify for semi-final.
Second and third team in each group to qualify for quarter finals.
Group Games to be played on home/away basis.

U-21 Hurling

(A) St. Brendan's v Shamrocks
(B) Kil/Killoughey v Coolderry Óg
(C) St. Mary's v St. Saran's
(D) Seir Kieran/Ceann Eitigh v Drumcullen

Quarter Finals
1. Tullamore Óg v (A)
2. (D) v Na Fianna
3. St. Rynaghs v (C)
4. (B) v St. Malachy's

Semi Finals
1 v 2
3 v 4

Top

O'Connor Cup
A. Kil/Killoughey v Drumcullen
B. Seir Kieran v Killavilla
C. St. Rynaghs v Kinnitty
D. Ballyskenagh v Shinrone
E. Lusmagh v Ballinamere



Senior Football

Group 1
Rhode
Erin Rovers
Gracefield
Shannonbridge

Group 2
Clara
Ferbane
St. Rynaghs
Tubber

Group 3
Shamrocks
Ballycumber
St. Brigids
Tullamore

Top team from two groups to qualify for S/F. Top team from other group plus 2nd team in each group to play Q/F. Draw for two teams to qualify for S/F. to take place when group games finished. Rule 116 T.O.2006 to apply. Bottom team in each group to play off for one team to be relegated round robin basis.

Intermediate Football

Group 1
Raheen
Clonbullogue
Ballyfore
Birr

Group 2
Edenderry
Kilclonfert
Walsh Island
Kil/Killoughey

Group 3
Doon
Tullamore
Bracknagh
Durrow

Top team from two groups to qualify for S/F. Top team from other group plus 2nd team in each group to play Q/F. Draw for two teams to qualify for S/F. to take place when group games finished. Rule 116 T.O.2006 to apply. Bottom team in each group to play off for one team to be relegated round robin basis.

Junior A Football

Group 1
Rhode
Gracefield
Ferbane
Shannonbridge

Group 2
Daingean
Ballycumber
Edenderry
St. Rynagh's

Group 3
St. Senchal's
Clara
Cappincur
Ballinagar

Top team from two groups to qualify for S/F. Top team from other group plus 2nd team in each group to play Q/F. Draw for two teams to qualify for S/F. to take place when group games finished. Rule 116 T.O.2006 to apply. Bottom team in each group to play off for one team to be relegated round robin basis.

Junior B Football

Group 1
St. Brigid's
Clara
Coolderry
Rhode

Group 2
Durrow
Daingean
Raheen
Ballycommon

Group 3
Doon
Shamrocks
Clonmore Harps
Kil/Killoughey

Junior C Football
(Thirteen aside competition)

Group 1
Ballyskenagh
Seir Kieran
Drumcullen
Kinnitty
Crinkle

Group 2
St. Rynagh's
Tubber
Clonbullogue
Ballycumber
Bracknagh

Group 3
Raheen
Erin Rovers
Kilclonfert
Walsh Island


U-21 Football

(A) St. Colman's v St. Broughan's
(B) St. Manchan's v Clara
(C) St. Michael's v Shannon Gaels
(D) Kil/Killoughey v Wheery
(E) Shamrocks v St. Patrick's
(F) Gracefield v Tullamore

Quarter Finals

1. St. Colms v (D)
2. (F) v Na Fianna
3. (A) v (E)
4. (B) v (C)

Semi Finals
1 v 2
3 v 4

[del]

very handy draw for rhode they could prob put out a second team and come out of that group gracefield would be next if they get there act together if not then rovers to sneak out of the group shannonbridge relegation contenders again

group two clara and ferbane to advance could be tricky for ferbane but they should prevail. relegation dogfight between tubber and rynaghs the last two intermediate chanpions fancy tubber to nick it.

as for group three its anybodys guess tullamore training away hard good new manager some players transferred back to the club to help out the young ones coming through its time for those young lads to deliver on there promise so i am been a bit biased and would hope we come out of this group but it will be very very tricky . shamrocks have a new manager ( who i dont rate only an opinion) always a threat but i would hope tullamore have learned a thing ior two in the last few years and hopefully beat them. st brigids will be a very tough one for both shamrocks and tullamore and would fancy there chances of beating both teams and rightly so. cant see ballycumber doing much this year but they will be no pushover either. so i reckon the blues and shamrocks to come on top here with ballycumber. a good statrt is essential in this group.

HURLING.

GROUP ONE
coolderry and the k/k top two with tullamore in third

Group two
birr and kinnity

GROUP THREE
rynaghs and belmont

relegation candidates
skenach drumcullen
shamrocks


i know few will agree buts only my opinion and granted i am biased towards tullamore but hey everybody will be biased towards there own club

[Lone Shark]

So much stuff to talk about here that we probably need about four different threads to cover them all, but anyway....

Hurling Draw

A few perks to being in Group one, and aside from Coolderry who earned their seeding, the big winner has to be K/K, who now look long odds on to be seeded quarter finalists. They'll also get a shot at Coolderry in the group, which is no harm for them as the try and figure out how to actually beat one of the big two. In saying that, wouldn't be surprised to see the relegated team coming from here as well. Nice draw for Drumcullen incidentally too - if they can't motivate themselves for a possible winner takes all clash with the neighbourind double K's there's no hope for them.

Group two looks very competitive (other than Birr obviously). Kinnitty vs Clareen has the makings of a fine game unsurprisingly, and I'd make the winner of that favourite to get second in the group.

Group three should be Rynagh's easily enough, but again there's a lot of local derbies here which will make it more interesting. Belmont have to meet Lusmagh again, though hopefully if John Egan comes back they might be set to give a decent run again this year. Lusmagh favourites though.

Football

I'd say if Rhode were allowed handpick their group this is not far from what they might have come up with. Maybe swap Gracefield fo Rynaghs, but either way they'll cruise into the semi, with the other spot wide open. Gracefield if they have all their players, Shannonbridge if they actually get all their players suitably fit and motivated, Rovers if neither of the above happens. Rovers it is then.

Likewise, if Tubber were allowed pick their group, this wouldn't have been far away. On paper Clara should cruise this group, but back when Ferbane were strong Clara teams used to be woefully sticky, and a few years ago Clara nearly came undone against a very moderate Ferbane team in the QF. Likewise Tubber will love a crack at their neighbours, and right now look like the marginal favourites to sneak second. This is very tricky for Clara though - they should do it, but you never know ....

That is one hoor of a group three. What is for sure is that finishing second in groups one and two will be no great blessing because whoever comes out of this will be very battle hardened. I'm not loving Ballycumber's chances at all, while Brigids might just catch one of the other two on the hop - they need an upset though. Great draw for Shamrocks and Tullamore in terms of preparation for knocking off Rhode though - if a group like this doesn't prepare you nothing will.

Also, I'd say you'd have to go back a long way to find an intermediate group game that will be as keenly anticipated as Edenderry vs Walsh Island - I may even take the liberty of including it in the tipsters comp ...

Names

Once again, some of these might be covered in another thread, but let's clear all these up once and for all....

Who are

St. Malachy's and Na Fianna? (U21 H)
St. Senchal's (Junior F)

[borderfox]

think na fianna is killeigh/raheen, havent a clue who the other 2 are.

[redser]

Rhode and Gracefield to advance

Clara and Ferbane to advance

Tullamore and St Brigids to advance

[turk]

The football looks a good format. All the teams in each group would be eyeing a quarter final spot. Look at Tubber and Rynaghs - a big game against one of the other teams in the group and they'd be looking at a shot at a quarter final.

good stuff.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

Funny to see Rynaghs and Tubber playing each other in a Senior championship game, and its only two years ago when they playing in a Intermediate semi final fighting to gain promotion!

[kinnittyman]

Group 1
Coolderry
Kil/Klloughey
Ballyskenagh
Drumcullen
Tullamore

Group 2
Birr
Kinnitty
Seir Kieran
Shinrone

Group 3
St. Rynaghs
Shamrocks
Lusmagh
Belmont

1st in Group 1 v Play-off winners (Coolderry vs Shinrone)
1st in Group 2 v 3rd in Group 1 (Birr vs Tullamore)
1st in Group 3 v 2nd in Group 2 ( St.Rynaghs vs Kinnitty)
2nd in Group 1 v 2nd in Group 3 (K/K vs Lusmagh)

From those matches it would be hard to look past the four semi-finalists from last year with the possibility of Kinnitty providing a shock and Lusmagh to a lesser extent. The hope would be then that Coolderry and Birr would draw each other in the semi-finals so a county final appearance will be accesible to some one else. I dont think we need to see a Coolderry Birr county final for the fourth year in a row.

Ceann Eitigh Abu!!!

[borderfox]

group 1
coolderry
kk
tulamore
drumcullen
skenagh
group 2
birr
kinnitty
shinrone
clareen
group 3
rynaghs
belmont
lusmagh
shamrocks

in that order,
any views on the u21 hurling, who are st malachys?

[The Magpie]

I don't know if Rhode cruising into a Semi is that straight-forward? Isn't it possible that they could win their group and still end up playing in a quarter-final? Maybe somebody can give us the definitive line on that one.

As most have said, Rhode will stroll through Group 1. Could Shannonbridge surprise us all?

Group 2 will not be as easy for Clara as some think. As LS already stated, Clara-Ferbane games are generally very tight affairs. The local derby with Tubber will almost certainly provide drama and no lack of intensity. Thats not forgetting St. Rynaghs, who didn't lie down in front of Clara last year - though it could be argued that Clara found neither their feet nor rhythm until later on in the Summer.

The beauty of Groups 1 and 2 is that some of the 'weaker' teams (don't slate me for that) will be highly motivated with the possibility of making it to the quarter final stage.

Group 3 is tough tough tough. I think all four of these teams would've expected to compete in a County Semi-Final this year. Only 2 of them will at best now. This one is seriously hard to call, but I'd expect Shamrocks to progress and Tullamore to pip st. Bridgids.

Early season predictions are:

Group 1:

1) Rhode
2) Gracefield
3) Shannonbridge
4) Erin Rovers

Group 2:

1) Clara
2) Ferbane
3) Tubber
4) St. Rynaghs

Group 3:

1) Shamrocks
2) Tullamore
3) St Bridgids
4) Ballycumber

I sincerely hope I reserve the right to change these predictions!