Championship hurling is back and after a rare weekend off last time out for our commentary teams, we’re back in the stands and on the sidelines this Easter weekend.
We’ll have two live games for you on Saturday to mark the start of summer hurling.
At 2pm, we’re off to Pairc Tailteann in Navan as Meath host Carlow in the first round of the Joe McDonagh Cup.
It will be just shy of a month from their last meeting in the fifth round of the national hurling league. Carlow needed the win that day to avoid a possible relegation and pulled it out of the bag with a 2-21 to 1-21 win over the Royals.
There’s no doubt Tom Mullally’s men will be looking for a positive start, aided by some additional names who were only warming up by the end of this year’s league campaign.
From 6pm on Saturday we’ll be in Cusack Park, Mullingar, as Kilkenny travel to face Westmeath in a game the Cats will be expected to win.
Brian Cody’s side made it all the way to the league semi-final stages this year before Cork stole a march late with five minutes on the clock in Pairc Ui Chaoimh to dispatch the Cats and book a league final for themselves with Waterford. Ultimately, the silverware would head to the Déise but Kilkenny showed signs that has KCLR analyst Michael Walsh tipping them for Leinster success once more this year.
You’ll get full coverage of both games on-air, online and in app.
Stronger Together
Following their ‘stronger together’ mantra, we’re joining Kilkenny Rugby Club in Cill Dara on Sunday afternoon from 3pm for the final of this year’s Provincial Towns Cup.
Ashbourne provide the opposition, a side well-familiar to Kilkenny in the cup, just a kick of a ball between the two clubs in their last cup final meeting.
That was 2014, but you’ll have to go back to 2002 since Kilkenny last claimed the Provincial Towns Cup. We’ll be in Cill Dara for the full game with some of our ‘Knock On podcast crew to see if they can bridge that 20-year gap.
