The semi-final line-up for the JJ Kavanagh and Sons Carlow Senior Hurling Championship has been confirmed.
It’s a repeat of last year’s encounters at the same stage, with Bagenalstown Gaels taking on Mount Leinster Rangers, while Ballinkillen goes up against county champions St Mullins.
🏆 2023 @JJKavanaghBuses Senior Hurling Championship Semi Finals:
— Carlow GAA (@Carlow_GAA) July 31, 2023
📍Netwatch Cullen Park
⏰Sunday 6 August
🥎14:00 @MLRangers v @Bagenalstown Gaels
🥎15:45 @NaomhMoling v @BallinkillenHC
🇲🇱 @SETUCarlowGAA_ @kclr96fm @Natsport pic.twitter.com/BPBPt4fk3h
Eddie Scally’s Bagenalstown Gaels side got the better of local rivals Ballinkillen on Friday evening to secure the third spot.
Speaking to Scoreline following their 3-14 to 2-16 defeat to Bagenalstown, Ballinkillen captain Dion Wall said that his team had to get the balance right between being ready for the knockout stages and dealing with each group game over the last five weeks.
” No, look, we won’t fear anybody, and we obviously won’t let happen what happened in the first round to happen again. So, look, we’ll just see what happens on the day, and hopefully, we’ll be able to go one step further.”
“We just took it a game at a time because we had a few injuries, and we had a couple of injuries nearly every game.”
“We never had the luxury of resting players this year. It was more just getting lads on the field and getting whoever, whatever game time into lads. You can say what you want, but lads will be targeting games.”
See also: Carlow GAA are down to the business end of the hurling championships
Meanwhile, the final round of games saw comfortable wins for Mount Leinster Rangers and St Mullins.
Goals from Ciaran Kavanagh, Jon Nolan, Eddie Byrne, and Fiachra Fitzpatrick helped Rangers ease to a 4-34 to 0-05 defeat of Naomh Brid who finished the season bottom of the table with five defeats from five games.
St Mullins also romped to a 4-22 to 0-16 win over Naomh Eoin on Saturday.
Two goals from star forward Marty Kavanagh along with Conor Kehoe and Seamus Murphy strikes saw Maurice Aylward’s men complete the group with a 100% winning record.
Listen back to the interview below: