It’s a busy weekend of Club Hurling with the St. Canices Credit Union Senior and Michael Lyng Motors Intermediate Leagues commencing as all 24 Club Teams are in action.
10 of the 12 matches take place on a hectic Sunday of action, but a number of the Senior Inter-County players won’t be involved as they are currently on the mend from injury.
The Senior League commences on Saturday evening at 7pm in John Locke Park, Callan as Mullinavat play Danesfort who are under the stewardship of former Tipperary hurler John Leahy.
At time of writing it’s unsure as to whether Paul Murphy will be available.
There is a double-header of matches in Group B in Nowlan Park on Sunday and the curtain raiser is the clash of two clubs with a wealth of history between.
Three-times Senior Club All-Ireland Champions and 9-times County Senior Champions James Stephens play Bennettsbridge who have 12 County Senior titles and return to the Senior ranks having progressed from the ranks as Junior and Intermediate Club All-Ireland Champions the last two years.
It’s touch and go as to whether Jackie Tyrrell is available having been forced off against Clare last Sunday, while Diarmuid Cody who missed last Sunday’s game is definetly out, but Eoin Larkin looks certain to play having missed the entire league due to Army overseas duty and injury.
Robert Lennon didn’t feature either for the County last Sunday and Bennettsbridge manager Christy Walsh has confirmed to KCLR that he is a doubt for Sunday’s game.
This is the Bridge’s first game in their long-awaited return to the Senior ranks, and Sunday’s match will be a perfect indication as to how they will compete in the Senior grade.
The second part of the double-header sees Fenians and Rower-Inistioge clash and Kieran Joyce is a serious doubt as he awaits results on a scan having had to be aided off last Sunday.
Also in Group B, St. Martins and Dicksboro clash at 4pm in Jenkinstown.
Meanwhile in Group A, Clara and Ballyhale Shamrocks clash in at 1.30pm in Thomastown as the County Champions of the past 4 years go to war,
Also, Erins Own and O’Loughlin Gaels clash at 5pm in Freshford.
Meanwhile, the Intermediate Competition commences on Saturday evening as Tullogher-Rosbercon and St. Lachtains clash with the Freshford men unfortunately without the services of James Maher who is ruled out for the year due to an injury he sustained in a work accident earlier in the week.
On Sunday in Group A, Lisdowney and Carrickshock clash at 2pm in John Locke Park, Callan, while at 7pm, Thomastown and Dunnamaggin clash in Hugginstown.
In Group B, Graigue-Ballycallan play Junior Champions Glenmore who are without the services of Ger Aylward who is ruled out of the year due to damaging his cruciate in Glenmore’s All-Ireland Club Semi-Final in January.
Also, Tullaroan play Young Irelands at 3.30pm in Danesfort, while at 7pm, close neighbours Conahy Shamrocks and St. Patricks Ballyragget finish the weekends action with throw-in at 7pm in Lisdowney.
