Thought the first half was good quality wise - 2nd half not so much
Good crowd, loadsa colour yet again for the Kerry hurling final. It the county board could have gone to the bother of lining up a curtain raiser be it the the minor, junior or intermediate final, you would have another 500 or so in
But they need magic, not just a man for a job and theyāll hardly compromise themselves for a man for a job. Like Tipp, thereās probably two men to solve everything.
A few thoughts on this years race for Canon Hamilton - I havenāt seen any club action this year and donāt get to see anywhere near as much as I would like to so a lot of this is based on vibes and second hand information passed my way
Group 1 - Clonlara, Ballyea, Eire Og, Clooney Quin
Group of death, all four sides would have ambitions of winning Canon Hamilton and it is almost impossible to make any kind of prediction as to how the group will go. Injuries may well be a deciding factor, SOD is unlikely to feature this weekend due to his hamstring injury and their opponents Clooney Quin have a list of injury concerns with a number of lads picking up knocks in a challenge match v Charleville last week. Peter Duggan is still struggling with injury while I assume John Conneally is also gone as he has been in a walking boot for a number of weeks.
Ballyea are probably a couple of years past their peak as the more experienced lads start to drift away and they donāt quite have the quality to replace them, but with TK they will always have a punchers chance.
Clonlara have lost Aidan Moriarty from last years starting team but have gained Kieran Galvin and Tots OāConnell back along with a handful of lads from last years minors including Michael Collins. Hopefully having the likes of Dylan McMahon and Colm OāMeara on the extended clare panel will stand to both lads as they are big players at club level given their size power, if they kick on Clon will fancy retaining the Canon Hamilton.
Clon and Clooney/Quin to emerge for me - but wouldnāt be surprised if neither did, cut throat group.
Group 2 - Feakle, Cratloe, Kilmaley, Corofin
An even enough group on paper, Feakle have developed into a solid enough senior side and got to a county semi final last year, they have some classy hurlers in Shane McGrath and Oisin Donnellan but both are relatively light and are missing that x factor needed to go all the way. Adam Hogan will put the clamps on whatever big name comes his way and Conn Smyth is a decent club hurler at centre back for them. They will fancy their chances of getting back to the knockout stages.
Cratloe are somewhat at a crossroads - Plenty of excellent young talent coming through but they are still teenagers while Podge, Conor McGrath, Cathal Mc etc are all the far side of 30. Think they might get an indian summer out of those lads yet but think it is probably a year early for Moylan, Lohan, Eoin Carey etc who are finding their feet at senior level.
Kilmaley are the great enigma who seem to be boom or burst in a given year. Conor Cleary will be a huge loss for them.
Corofin are fresh up from intermediate and have some really nice hurlers in the likes of Conor Leen, the Cahill brothers, James Organ, Killian OāConnor and Clare footballer Jamie Malone adds a good bit of hard running too. Think they could easily win a game in this group but would be surprised to see them make the knockout stages. Think they have enough to stay up
Feakle and Cratloe to progress
Group 3 Scariff, Inagh Kilnamona, Broadford, The Fireballs
It is a measure of the ability of Mark Rodgers that Scariff for the bones of a decade were a fairly dogged intermediate side who hadnāt the firepower to win games at the business end of things are now a genuine county championship contenders. He is every inch a marque forward and is as dominant as any other county panelist in the county when it comes to the club. They will have been disappointed with their showing after making last years county semi final but Iād expect that they will make the knockouts again this year if Rodgers hurls as he does for them. The likes of Patrick Crotty and Daniel Treacy are decent young hurlers too who can help propel them, once the two younger Crottys and Paul Rodgers get on the scene Scariff will have a fine side in 2 or 3 years time.
Inamona have struggled to get back to the level they hit in 2021 when they should have probably won the county title. A fit Aidan and Jason McCarthy will help this year as will the additions of Fred and James Hegarty up from minor. The talent is there on paper but they can be flakey at the best of times.
Broadford are an honest but somewhat limited senior outfit, probably lacking a bit of firepower to make a real consistent run but are athletic and could easily turn over any of the other three teams if they are not on it. It will be interesting to see where they will play Eoin Gunning as I have heard he has played in four or five different spots over the last few weeks.
The Mills are similar to Broadford in that on a given day they can beat most but donāt always bring it. Still reliant on a few older heads too like the Donnellan brothers who are still going strong for them. Donāt think they have teh backs to curtail Scariff or Inamonaās key men.
Scariff and Inamona to progress
Group 4 Crusheen, Newmarket on Fergus, Sixmilebridge, St Josephās
Another fairly even group. the Bridge are the big name in it but are in a rebuild/transition phase, Cathal Malone is travelling and has played his last game for the bridge and will be a huge loss.
Crusheen will be looking to build on last years run to the final but it is tough to put back to back year together in this championship. Still I think they may have enough in this group to make the knockout stages.
Newmarket are a settled enough team, again probably lack a bit of class but due to a lack of county men they have a good bit of continuity to their side and plenty of big strong men in their side and are a dogged enough team.
Crusheen and Newmarket to get out of the group. Barefield the likliest to drop to intermediate.
Actually laughed out loud on the train when I read thatā¦ trying to blend into the seat now as a result
I remember the The Irish Daily Star had a section every Monday of all club results around the country. I used to read it in morning before school early 00ās
The Irish Indo had it on a Monday too until very recently. Not sure if thatās still a thing though.
Is Cathal Malone finished with hurling?
No, back at Christmas and then going back hurling with Ennistymon I believe - @Raylan might know more.
Think he had been back playing football for them in the past few years.
He more or less always togged for the football if he was even halfway right but heād be longer than Fitzy getting back up to speed handling and kicking-wise. He used to be absolutely bollixed though coming back, he puts everything into it.
Heās going to play the group games for the Bridge now before he hits for Australia by all accounts, but the long-term plan is to tog for Ennistymon next year
Donāt think this is too far off, think he is slightly harsh on Cratloe and Crusheen but not much much between the 4th and 14th best sides in Clare
https://x.com/chase4thecanon/status/1820921155131244578?s=46&t=bi9TPLB4aIa07RQv_xWOxQ
https://twitter.com/clubber/status/1821182452934549611?s=46&t=naJekC2sVA0B68lxi_xLWA
Any lads using the dodgy box on this are a disgrace.
Incredible service
What would you recommend in Tipp on Friday or Saturday evening?
Borris-Ileigh vs Kilruane?
Thats the best game on Friday.
Drom vs Toome on Sat is basically knockout.
All Ireland winning coach Shane Hassett coaching Toome against his own club adds another awkward dimension.
Heās togging out for the Drom Intermediates Iām fairly sure but @StoneCold will clarify.
Holycross v Loughmore on Sunday will be another right game.
Yes and his brother playing for Drom too. Theyād be cousins of the Dunnes.
And yes, he came on in the previous intermediate match the Friday after the All Ireland
Never understand a lad taking a job where that could happen.
It must be terribly awkward as the Drom Seniors and Inters would all train together too.
If I had a free weekend and allowed to get to various games then Iād be going the following:
Friday: Borris v Kilruane
Saturday:
Clonoulty v JKB
Drom v Toome
Sars v Moycarkey
Sunday:
Loughmore v Cross
Very similiar situation to the above with Aidan Stakelum coaching Loughmore against his native Holycross. Stakelum came on in their county quarter final loss last year to Kiladangan and scored a goal.
Biggest crunch games of the weekend in the senior championship are:
Drom v Toome (Drom win)
Roscrea v Mullinahone (mull are still down Conor whelan & Mikey o Shea so Iāll give Ros a hesitant nod)
Lorrha v Nenagh (Nenagh win)
After opening round wins it will be interesting to see how young guns Holycross & Moycarkey go against Loughmore & Thurles Sars respectively.
Tg4 with the Carlow county final on Sunday.
Looking forward to previews from @ChairmanDan and @Aertel220 for the big build up.
Hopefully the MLR manager wonāt swear on tv again.