This weekend's Club Championships preview
With most county senior championships now concluded, it’s a relatively quiet weekend on the club front compared to the previous three weekends.
There’s still plenty of tantalising fare to whet the appetite of all GAA supporters, though, with two major county finals and three AIB provincial championships matches taking place.
First up on Saturday is the meeting of Wexford champions Rapparees and Laois champions Clough/Ballacolla in the AIB Leinster SHC Quarter-Final
Rapparees will have serious wind in their sails after winning their first county title in 43 years.
They did it in some style too, banging six goals past St. Anne’s on the way to a 16-point win that will surely give them a real surge of confidence coming into this game.
Clough/Ballacolla are a team of real character though as they showed when retaining their Laois SHC title when coming from seven points down at half-time against Borris-Kilcotton.
With the AIB Connacht SFC semi-final between Mountbellew-Moylough and Padraig Pearses postponed due to a Covid outbreak, the AIB Munster SHC Quarter-Final between Ballyea and Ballygunner will now be televised on TG4 instead.
Waterford champions Ballygunner will be fancied by many after winning an eight Waterford title in a row.
But, even without their injured talisman, Tony Kelly, 2016 Munster champions Ballyea are a very talented team too, so expect a real battle here.
Sunday’s other AIB Provincial Club Championship match will see Westmeath SHC champions, Raharney, attempt to pull off what would be a big shock against Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes.
The best hurling match of the weekend could well be the Tipperary SHC Final replay between Loughmore-Castleiney and Thurles Sarsfields.
Loughmore are hoping to achieve a remarkable double after winning the Tipperary football final last weekend, but Sarsfields way feel they have the greater room for improvement from the drawn match.
The sole football match of the weekend is a big one as Clonakility and St. Finbarr’s go head to head in the Cork SFC Final.
2018 champions, St. Finbarr’s are favourites, but that was the case too when Clonakilty lowered their colours in the 2009 decider so nothing can taken for granted.
Saturday, November 27
AIB Leinster Club SHC Quarter-Final
Clough/Ballacolla v Rapparees, MW Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 5.30pm (Live on RTE2 & GAAGO)
Sunday, November 28
AIB Munster Club SHC Quarter-Final
Ballyea (Clare) v Ballygunner (Waterford), Cusack Park, Ennis 1.15pm (Live TG4 & GAAGO)
AIB Leinster club senior hurling championship quarter-final
Raharney (Westmeath) v Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin), Mullingar, 1pm
FBD Insurance Tipperary SHC Final replay
Loughmore v Thurles Sarsfields, Semple Stadium, 3.15pm (Live on TG4 & GAAGO)
Bon Secours Cork SFC Final
Clonakilty v St. Finbarrs, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 3pm.
