Preview: Weekend's senior club hurling championship finals

Sunday, October 13

Davis's Yeats Tavern Sligo SHC Final

Easkey v Naomh Eoin, Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence, 12.30pm.

This is the seventh year in a row that Easkey and Naomh Eoin will contest the Sligo SHC Final.

Easkey have been the dominant force, winning the last five finals in a row, and go into this game as favourites once more.

Naomh Eoin are not without hope though. They’ve closed the gap on Easkey in the last couple of years and only lost last year’s Final by three points.

If they are to pull off an upset they’ll have to somehow limit the influence of Easkey’s star forward Andy Kilcullen.

Molloy Environmental Systems Offaly SHC Final

Kilcormac-Killoughey v Shinrone, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 1pm

Kilcormac-Killoughey go into this match as warm favourites to make it three Offaly SHC titles in a row.

They beat Shinrone by 18 points when the teams met in the 2023 Final but this game should be a lot tighter.

The two teams battled to a draw when the met in the group phase, and Shinrone will take some encouragement from the fact that Kilcormac-Killoughey’s form has been up and down all year.

They looked back to their best when swatting aside Ballinamere in the quarter-finals, but vulnerable again against Birr in the semi-finals.

If Shinrone can cut out the supply of ball to Adam Screeney and Charlie Mitchell they can make a game of this, but if that duo are in the zone then it’s hard to look past a K-K win.

Bathshack Antrim SHC Final

Loughiel Shamrocks v St. John's, Ballycastle, 2pm

What’s seldom is wonderful for St. John’s who have fought their way to the Antrim SHC Final for the first time since 1994.

They’ve suffered a lot of heartache and near misses in recent times, losing six semi-finals in the last seven years.

They broke that semi-final hoodoo this year in some style by dethroning reigning champions Cushendall after extra-time.

The Belfast club haven’t won a title since 1973 and go into this game as underdogs, but they’ll fancy their chances of causing another upset against Loughiel Shamrocks who themselves were surprise winners in their semi-final against Dunloy.

Loughiel haven’t won a county title since 2016 themselves so this is very much a novel pairing and it’s hard to pick a winner.

It could all come down to which of the respective team’s star forwards will have the best day – Conor Johnston for St. John’s, or James McNaughton for Loughiel.

Ted Murtagh Trim Clothing & Footwear Meath SHC Final

Kiltale v Ratoath, Páirc Tailteann, 2pm

When these two teams met in the first round of the championship back in July, it was Ratoath who won by 10 points.

The reigning champions went on from there to win another five matches, all very convincingly, and come into this final as hot favourites.

It’s their fifth final in six years whereas Kiltale are appearing in their first since 2021 and haven’t won one since 2018.

They’ve played some good hurling since that first round defeat to Ratoath, but it would still be a surprise were they to turn the tables here.

Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier SHC Final

Midleton v Sarsfields, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 3.15pm

Midleton have been struck a severe blow ahead of this game by injuries to two of their very best key players – full-back Eoin Moloney and centre-forward Conor Lehane.

Against a team as good as Sarsfields, that sort of talent drain is likely to be fatal.

Last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists have been typically solid and business-like in recent weeks and if they can get a good supply of ball into in-form forwards like Jack O’Connor, Barry O’Flynn, and Cian Darcy they’re likely to come out on top here.

White BOX Limerick SHC Final

Doon v Na Piarsaigh, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 3.30pm

A ferociously fought contest seems certain here. Doon beat Na Piarsaigh by a point in last year’s final and the two teams battled to a draw when they met in the group phase and this should be another tight encounter.

Both teams are unbeaten to this point, but Na Piarsaigh’s form has been a tad more convincing. They’ve won five matches and drawn one, while Doon have won four and drawn two, and they’ve scored more and conceded less than Doon over the course of the six matches played.

Further encouragement for Na Piarsaigh can be taken from the man of the match semi-final performance of Peter Casey in what just his third game of the campaign. He missed the draw with Doon earlier this year and can be a difference-maker here.

If Adam English and Darragh O’Donovan can dominate the middle third then Doon can successfully retain their title.

But you get the feeling that Na Piarsaigh’s greater defensive solidity and spread of natural scorers in attack will see them through.

Slevins Coaches Westmeath SHC Final

Castletown Geoghegan v Lough Lene Gaels, TEG Cusack Park, 3.30pm

This is a replay of last year’s Final and Castletown Geoghegan are fancied to repeat the dose against Lough Lene Gaels.

The reigning champions have been very impressive this year, winning their five matches by an average of 16 points each.

It was Lough Lene Gaels who gave them their toughest game in Round 1, running them to two points, which should give the underdogs some encouragement.

If players like David Williams, Aaron Kennedy and Marcus Kennedy are in the zone then Lough Lene Gaels will be competitive, but it’s hard to look beyond a Castletown Geoghegan team that has real quality in every line of the field.