Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Hurling

hurling

Preview: Ring, Rackard, and Meagher Cups

Players from the competing counties in the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cups.

Players from the competing counties in the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cups.

By Colm Shalvey

The Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups continue this weekend, while the Lory Meagher Cup gets underway.

Christy Ring Cup

Mayo host Kildare in Round 2 of the Christy Ring Cup Group 1 on Saturday.

Allianz Hurling League Division 2B winners Mayo lost out to Wicklow last weekend, while 2014 Christy Ring champions Kildare started with a comfortable win over Roscommon.

Barry Cormack and hat-trick hero Martin Fitzgerald hit 3-18 between them for Kildare in their opener, while Paul Divilly and Éanna O’Neill were also key in the absence of Mark Delaney and rising star James Burke. Having focused on hurling for the League, Mayo dual star Keith Higgins lined out for the county’s football team in their Connacht Championship loss to Galway last Sunday. Mayo will also hope to have Seán Regan and team captain Cathal Freeman back to support the efforts of the likes of Kenny Feeney and Shane Boland.

The other Group 1 game sees Wicklow travel to Athleague to face Roscommon.

Two-time Christy Ring runners-up Wicklow, who reached the semi-finals last year, saw off Mayo in the first round. Meanwhile, two-time Nicky Rackard winners Roscommon were no match for Kildare in Newbridge.

Andy O’Brien continued his prolific form last week for Wicklow, who will also be looking for big performances from Mikey Lee, Christy Moorehouse and former Wexford hurler PJ Nolan. Roscommon will need Naos Connaughton, Daniel Glynn Éamon Flanagan and Shane Curley on song if they are to upset the odds.

After losing heavily to Down, **Armagh **face another all-Ulster clash at home to **Derry **in Group 2.

These teams contested the Allianz Hurling League Division 2B relegation play-off, where the return of several Slaughtneil stars helped Derry turn their fortunes around with a comprehensive win. 2017 Nicky Rackard champions Derry went on to lose narrowly to a fancied London team in their return to the Christy Ring, while Armagh finished with 13 men as they slumped to neighbours Down.

Derry were without top marksman Alan Grant against London, but they should have Gerard Bradley back along with the likes of Chrissy McKaigue, Brendan Rogers, Sé McGuigan, Cormac O’Doherty and Cuala duo Cian and Naoise Waldron. Armagh, who are set to be without the suspended Davy Bridges, missed the influence of David Carville and Ryan Gaffney in Ballycran, despite the best efforts of Nathan Curry and John Corvan.

The teams who set the pace in the first round meet on Sunday, when London welcome Down to Ruislip.

2012 Christy Ring winners London – beaten quarter-finalists in each of the last three campaigns – stayed up in Division 2A of the league and they dug deep to deny Derry in a thrilling finish last Saturday. Allianz League Division 2B runners-up Down – three-time Christy Ring finalists, who followed London as champions in 2013 – put Armagh to the sword last week.

Free-taker Richard Murphy accounted for almost half of London’s scores in the league, but Aaron Sheehan (0-10) and Kevin O’Loughlin (1-2) trumped his three points in Ballinascreen, with Kevin Reid and Henry Vaughan also to the fore. Daithí and Eoghan Sands hit a combined 4-6 for Down, with the latter bagging a hat-trick, and they will be key along with Paul Sheehan, Danny Toner and Declan McManus.

Naos Connaughton, Roscommon, and Warren Kavanagh, Wicklow, pictured at the Christy Ring Cup launch recently.

Naos Connaughton, Roscommon, and Warren Kavanagh, Wicklow, pictured at the Christy Ring Cup launch recently.

Nicky Rackard Cup

Warwickshire and Monaghan will bid to build on opening wins in the Nicky Rackard Cup Group 1 when they clash at Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham on Saturday.

Warwickshire had too much firepower for Louth in the first round, while Monaghan ran out convincing winners over Longford. Monaghan have already travelled to Saturday’s venue this year, when they were edged out by Warwickshire, who went on to add the Allianz Hurling League Division 3A title to last year’s Lory Meagher Cup success.

Warwickshire have options in attack in the likes of Niall McKenna, Dómhnall Nugent, Paul Hoban, Paul Uniacke and Shane Caulfield, while Monaghan will need Mark and Peter Treanor, Éamonn Collins and Fergal Rafter at their best.

The clash of **Longford and Louth **is a must-win one for both teams.

First-time Kehoe Cup winners Longford saw their relegation from Division 3A of the Allianz Hurling League followed by a defeat away to Monaghan last Saturday. Louth reached the Division 3A Final after a strong finish to the group games, but they lost to Warwickshire and again saw the Exiles prove too strong in Dundalk last time out.

Longford are dependent on Joe O’Brien, Cathal Mullane, Patrick Walsh and Séamus Hannon to lead their challenge, while Paddy Lynch, David Kettle, Gerard Smyth and Shane Callan are key for Louth, particularly in the absence of Niall and Gerry Arthur after the Clare natives were ruled ineligible.

Donegal can secure progress from Group 2 if they make home advantage count against Leitrim.

Donegal haven’t gone beyond the semi-finals of this competition since they went all the way in 2013, but they had a good league campaign, earning three wins in Division 2B, before seeing off Tyrone in some style last weekend. Leitrim have lost two finals in the last year: to Warwickshire in the 2017 Lory Meagher Cup and to Lancashire after extra-time in this spring’s Allianz League Division 3B.

With Lee Henderson out injured against Tyrone, Davin Flynn, Danny Cullen, Ciarán Matthewson and former Armagh forward Declan Coulter were among those to step up for Donegal. Veteran Clement Cunniffe (with 5-35 to his name in the league) remains the standard-bearer for underdogs Leitrim, supported by Cathal O’Donovan, Zak Moradi and Conor Byrne.

Sligo hurler Kevin Gilmartin pictured at the Lory Meagher Cup launch.

Sligo hurler Kevin Gilmartin pictured at the Lory Meagher Cup launch.

Lory Meagher Cup

****The Lory Meagher Cup gets underway on Saturday, with all four entrants in action.

The first round includes an Ulster derby between Fermanagh and Cavan in Enniskillen prior to the host county’s Ulster SFC clash with Armagh. Cavan’s only two wins since returning to inter-county senior hurling last year have come against Fermanagh – in the final round of the 2017 Lory Meagher Cup and in the penultimate round of this spring’s Division 3B campaign. Fermanagh have slipped down the rankings since winning this competition in 2015 (a year after being pipped in the final) and they failed to take a point in the league.

Cavan will hope to call on the likes of Seán Keating, Cormac Wall and Philip Brady to show the way, with Fermanagh dependent on Shea Curran, John Duffy, JP McGarry and Ryan Bogue.

Sligo travel to Manchester to face Lancashire.

These teams finished third and fourth in a six-team 2017 Lory Meagher Cup group, with Sligo (who beat Lancashire in round one last year) ending up just adrift of what would have been their third consecutive appearance in the final. The roles reversed this February, with Lancashire leaving Markievicz Park as nine-point winners en route to winning the Allianz League Division 3B title.

Lancashire have a scoring machine in former Cork minor Ronan Crowley, who has hit a remarkable 7-119 in 10 games for the Exiles, who will also be looking to Greg Jacob, Martin Hawley and Nathan Unwin to produce the goods. Kevin Gilmartin, Tony O'Kelly-Lynch, Ruairí Brennan and Ronan Cox should be prominent for Sligo.

FIXTURES

Saturday, May 19

Christy Ring Cup Group 1 Round 2**

Mayo v Kildare, Ballina, 3pm

Roscommon v Wicklow, Athleague, 3pm

Christy Ring Cup Group 2 Round 2

Armagh v Derry, Athletic Grounds, 1pm

Nicky Rackard Cup Group 1 Round 2

Warwickshire v Monaghan, Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham, 2pm

Longford v Louth, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 3pm

Nicky Rackard Cup Group 2 Round 2

Donegal v Leitrim, Letterkenny, 3pm

Lory Meagher Cup Round 1

Fermanagh v Cavan, Brewster Park, 5pm

Lancashire v Sligo, Old Bedians Sports Ground, Manchester, 4pm

Sunday, May 20

Christy Ring Cup Group 2 Round 2**

London v Down, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 2.30pm