Top Teams Set for Limerick Senior Hurling Championship Finals
This Sunday sees all six final-round group games in the Bons Secours Limerick Senior Hurling Championship take place. While not all matches have major stakes at play, we’re still set to see a fantastic day of hurling with some of the best players in the country in action.
In Group One, Doon and Na Piarsaigh are guaranteed semi-final spots while Kilmallock and Patrickswell have already booked their place in the quarter finals. Ahane have secured their place in the top tier of Limerick hurling for another year while Mungret’s relegation to Group Two is already confirmed.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the fixtures:
Group 1 (All games Sunday, September 22 at 4 pm)
Patrickswell v Kilmallock – 4 pm at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale (Live on TG4)
Two of Limerick’s most successful clubs are set to do battle in Rathkeale on Sunday and despite both teams already booking their place in the quarter-finals, neither will want to finish the group stage on a sour note.
2023 Hurler of the Year Aaron Gillane is a doubt for Patrickswell having missed their recent win over Ahane. If their star forward isn’t available, ‘The Well’ will lean on Patrick Kirby for scores, having been in fine form for them over the last few weeks.
For Kilmallock, a recent nine-point loss to Na Piarsaigh has left them outside the semi-final spots. That being said there’s little chance the 2021 county champions want to taste defeat in back-to-back rounds.
If you can’t make it to Mick Neville Park on Sunday, TG4 will be showing the match live at 4 pm.
Doon v Ahane – 4pm in Cappamore
It’s been a perfect year thus far for Doon under Derek McGrath’s guidance. The first three rounds saw them beat their three closest rivals in impressive fashion. Goals have been the key to their success, with the East Limerick side netting twelve times across four games.
Now, Doon will look to finish strong on Sunday against an Ahane team that can already look ahead to 2025 after they were eliminated by Patrickswell in the last round. It was a disappointing night for the side after they surrendered a seven-point halftime lead, scoring just one point from play in the second half on the way to defeat.
If both teams do go hell for leather – expect a high-scoring battle between two of Limerick’s premier forwards, Doon’s Adam English and Tom Morrissey of Ahane.
Na Piarsaigh v Mungret St Pauls – 4 pm in Kilmallock
Defending county champions Na Piarsaigh have brought their impressive form of the last few years into this year’s championship, with a one-point loss to Doon the only blot in the Caherdavin side’s copybook.
They go into Sunday’s match against Mungret having already secured their place in the semi-final and it’ll be interesting to see how the experienced Shane O’Neill and his management team approach this game with a break to come.
For Mungret, it’s been a tough year after their promotion to the top tier. Extremely narrow defeats to Ahane and Kilmallock took the wind out of their sail and were followed up by heavy defeats to Patrickswell and Doon. For the city side, it’s all about pride this Sunday in Kilmallock.
It’s the opposite of the top tier in group two, with every game having massive implications for all of the teams involved:
Group Two (All games Sunday, September 22 at 1.45 pm)
Adare v South Liberties – 1.45 pm in Fedamore
This Sunday, Fedamore will play host to a group match that also serves as a relegation playoff between two historic clubs in Limerick hurling.
After narrowly staying up by beating Garryspillane last year, Liberties have struggled to find form and are in the same position once again – needing a win to retain their senior status for 2025.
Meanwhile, Adare find themselves in this perilous position after losing their first three group games. Despite this, they’ll take confidence from a recent win against table-toppers Ballybrown as well as the form of Limerick captain Declan Hannon, who has scored an impressive 3-7 from play this year.
The next task for Hannon will be to steer Adare away from relegation to the Premier Intermediate championship on Sunday.
Dromin Athlaca v Ballybrown – 1.45 pm in Claughaun
It was a dream start to life in senior hurling for Dromin Athlaca after winning their first two games. They’ve since struggled but most importantly have retained senior status for next year and given themselves a chance to advance to the county quarter-finals. Dromin Athlaca have relied on young talent to get them this far, as well as star man David Reidy who is the top scorer in the championship so far with 2-42.
Ballybrown also rely on young talent including Limerick hurlers Aidan O’Connor and Colin Coughlan and have proven more consistent than their opponents throughout the championship, sitting top of the table going into the last round.
After a disappointing defeat to Adare last time out they’ll need to hit top form to advance to the county quarter final and bring themselves back to the top table of Limerick hurling,
Kildimo Pallaskenry v Monaleen – 1.45 pm in Mungret
Second meets third when Monaleen travel across the city to play Kildimo Pallaskenry in a match where a quarter final berth and promotion are also on the line.
Since losing to Ballybrown in Round One, Monaleen have gone on a three-match tear, winning by thirteen, seven, and nine points. A big part of their scoring has come from the championships top scorer, Limericks Donnacha O’Dalaigh, who Kildimo will have to keep a close eye on if they’re to win this one.
Similarly, Kildimo’s only defeat was at the hands of Ballybrown however, a Kyle Hayes injury allowed South Liberties to peg them back for a draw, leaving them a point behind Sunday’s promotion rivals Monaleen.