Preview: Weekend’s Hurling Championship action:
Saturday 19th April
Leinster SHC Round 1
Kilkenny v Galway in UPMC Nowlan Park at 3.45pm – RTE
Kilkenny’s TJ Reid has been ruled out of Saturday’s Leinster SHC first round clash with Galway with a calf injury.
Kerry native Fionán Mackessy makes his championship debut for the Cats in a strong looking half-forward line that also includes Adrian Mullen and John Donnelly.
Galway have also named a strong looking team and this is likely to be a match of fine margins decided by the effectiveness of the respective full-forward lines – Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan, and Eoin Cody for Kilkenny; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, and Declan McLoughlin for Galway.
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Shane Murphy; Mikey Carey, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly, Fionan Mackessy, Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan, Eoin Cody. Subs: Dean Mason, Tommy Walsh, Padraic Moylan, David Blanchfield, Killian Doyle, Peter McDonald, Stephen Donnelly, Harry Shine, Luke Hogan, Billy Drennan, Eoghan Lyng.
GALWAY: Darach Fahy; Jack Grealish, Fintan Burke, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannion, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan; Cianan Fahy, Tom Monaghan; John Fleming, Cathal Mannion, Tiernan Killeen; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Declan McLoughlin. Subs: Eanna Murphy, Shane Cooney, Joshua, Ryan, Ronan Glennon, Seán Linnane, Donal O’Shea, Rory Burke, John Cooney, Conor Cooney, David Burke, Daithí Burke.
Wexford v Antrim in Chadwicks Wexford Park at 2pm
Antrim had a famous win over Wexford in this corresponding fixture last year so the Slaneysiders will be very aware of the Saffron threat.
The home team finished the League impressively with wins over Clare and Limerick and that sort of form makes them favourites here.
If they can get a good supply of ball into a dangerous looking full-forward line of Cathal Dunbar, Lee Chin, and Cian Byrne they’ll be difficult to stop.
WEXFORD: Mark Fanning; Eoin Ryan, Simon Donohoe, Conor Foley; Cian Molloy, Damien Reck, Charlie McGuckin; Conor Hearne, Richie Lawlor; Jack O’Connor, Rory O’Connor, Kevin Foley; Cathal Dunbar, Lee Chin, Cian Byrne. Subs: Andrew Kennedy, Seamus Casey, Jack Redmond, Darragh Carley, Niall Murphy, Darren Codd, Corey Byrne Dunbar, Simon Roche, Tomás Kinsella, Mikie Dwyer, Liam Ryan.
ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott; Stephen Rooney, Paddy Burke, Conor Boyd; Joe Maskey, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill; Niall O’Connor, Gerard Walsh; Nigel Elliot, Keelan Molloy, Scott Walsh; Paul Boyle, James McNaughton, Seann Elliot. Subs: Cormac McFadden, Eoin McFerran, Ryan McGarry, Declan McCloskey, Sean McKay, Ryan McCambridge, Joseph McLaughlin, Eoin O’Neill, Cormac McKeown, Rory McCloskey, Aodhan McGarry.
Dublin v Offaly in Parnell Park at 6pm
When these two teams met in the League Offaly won by a point and another tight match is expected here.
That was a game Dublin looked like winning for most of the contest but they were pipped by a late Offaly surge and will be highly motivated to make amends.
The tight confines of Parnell Park might suit a physically mature Dublin team that bit more than a relatively callow Offaly side.
DUBLIN: Eddie Gibbons; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, David Lucey; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey, Andrew Dunphy; Conor Burke, Conor Donohoe; Brian Hayes, Donal Burke, Fergal Whitely; Sean Currie, Cian O’Sullivan, AJ Murphy. Subs: Sean Brennan, Kevin Burke, Colin Currie, Paddy Dunleavy, Ronan Hayes, John Hetherton, Conor McHugh, Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing, Conal Ó Riain, Darragh Power, Danny Sutcliffe.
OFFALY: Mark Troy; Ben Conneely, Ciaran Burke, Padraig Cantwell; Jason Sampson, Donal Shirley, Ross Ravenhill; Cathal King, David King; Killian Sampson, Dan Bourke, Oisin Kelly; Dan Ravenhill, Brian Duignan, Charlie Mitchell. Subs: Liam Hoare, Eoghan Cahill, Colin Spain, David Nally, Eoin Burke, Sam Bourke, James Mahon, Jack Clancy, Patrick Taaffe, Cillian Kiely, Luke Watkins.
Joe McDonagh Cup Round 1
Laois v Westmeath in Laois Hire O’Moore Park at 3pm
When these two teams met in the first round of the Allianz Hurling League it was Laois who won by a margin of eight points.
There’s a lot of water under the bridge since then, but they’ll go in to this game as favourites nevertheless.
Forwards like Tomás Keyes, Charles Dwyer, and Aidan Corby have the class to give them an edge in what’s likely to be a game of fine margins.
LAOIS: Cathal Dunne; Diarmuid Conway, Lee Cleere, Cody Comerford; Tom Cuddy, Padraig Delaney, Jordan Walshe; Fiacra C Fennell, Patrick Purcell; Aidan Corby, Charles Dwyer, David Dooley; Tomás Keyes, Jer Quinlan, Ben Conroy. Subs: Eoin Fleming, Donnchadh Hartnett, Padraic Dunne, Ryan Mullaney, John Lennon, James Keyes, Martin Phelan, Eanna Lyons, Mark Dowling, PJ Scully, James Duggan.
WESTMEATH: Ciarán O’Brien; Conor Gaffney, Tommy Doyle, Gary Greville; Aaron Craig, Robbie Greville, Shane Williams; Davy Glennon, Killian Doyle; David O’Reilly, Niall Mitchell, Peter Clarke; Eamon Cunneen, Mark Cunningham, Joseph Boyle. Subs: Jack Gillen, Matthew Cunningham, Adam Ennis, David Hickey, Jack Kearney, Eoin Keyes, Owen McCabe, Niall O’Brien, Kevin Regan, David Williams.
Carlow v Down in Netwatch Cullen Park at 2.30pm
Down hurling is on a high after their Allianz Hurling League Division 2 Final victory but this game will be a real test of their mettle.
Carlow more than held their own in Division 1B this year, beating eventual champions Waterford and drawing with finalists Offaly.
This is likely to be a very high scoring game with both teams boasting some seriously classy forwards.
Home advantage and the experience of hurling at a higher level this year could help swing a match of very tight margins in Carlow’s favour.
CARLOW: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Niall Bolger; Paidi O’Shea, Kevin McDonald, Jack McCullagh; James Doyle, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Jon Nolan, Ted Joyce, John Doyle; Chris Nolan, Martin Kavanagh, Donagh Murphy. Subs: Andrew Townsend, Jack Treacy, Evan Kealy, Tony Lawlor, Conor Kehoe, Ciaran Whelan, Paddy Boland, Richard Coady, Sean Joyce, Fiach Ó Toole, Colm Beck.
DOWN: Stephen Keith; John McManus, Tom Murray, Matt Conlan; Marc Fisher, Caolan Taggart, Liam Savage; Donal Hughes, Phelim Savage; Eoghan Sands, Chris Egan, Pearse Óg McCrickard; Tom McGrattan, Daithi Sands, Tim Prenter. Subs: Cahal Lavery, Niall McFarland, Ronan Beatty, Paul Sheehan, Ben Taggart, Shea Pucci, Finn Turpin, Conor Cassidy, Jordan Murphy, Michael Dorrian, Owen McGreevy.
Kildare v Kerry in Cedral St Conleth’s Park at 2pm
When these two teams met in Division Two of the Allianz League this year Kildare won by a comfortable margin of 17 points.
It’s likely to be a bit tighter this time around, but you’d still fancy a sharp Kildare attack featuring players like Jack Sheridan, James Burke, and Gerry Keegan to build a winning score.
KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Liam O’Reilly, Simon Leacy, Rian Boran; Paul Dolan, Cathal McCabe, Daniel O’Meara; Daire Guerin, Cian Boran; David Qualter, Gerry Keegan, Darragh Melville; Jack Sheridan, James Burke, Jack Higgins. Subs: Mark Doyle, Jack Travers, Harry Carroll, Richy Hogan, James Dolan, Oisin Lynam, Muiris Curtin, James Dolan, Conn Kehoe, Matt Eustace, Cormac Byrne.
KERRY: Louis Dee; Kyle O’Connor, Flor McCarthy, Dara Kearney; Darragh Shanahan, Kevin Goulding, Darragh Conway; Paudie O’Connor, Daithí Griffin; Tom Doyle, Killian Hayes, Luke Crowley; Ronan Walsh, Padraig Boyle, Oisín Maunsell. Subs: Darren Delaney, Rory Mahony, Seánie McGrath, Seamie Foran, Seánie Brosnan, Adam Segal, Dylan Moriarty, Niall Mulcahy, Shane Nolan, Luke Rochford, Eric Leen.
Sunday 20th April
Munster SHC round 1
Tipperary v Limerick in FBD Semple Stadium Thurles at 4pm – GAA+
The headline news for this match is the unexpected return of Nickie Quaid to the Limerick team less than five months after rupturing a cruciate ligament.
It’s a remarkably quick recovery from such a serious injury and a huge boost to Limerick’s championship prospects.
Limerick have named a strong looking team where the full-forward line of Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien, and Adam English looks particularly menacing.
Tipp make two changes to the team that was well-beaten by Cork in the League Final as John McGrath and Darragh Stakelum come in for Gearoid O’Connor and Willie Connors.
Limerick’s League form was very up and down, but you’d expect them to have made good use of the last four weeks to get up to the usual level we expect from them for this game.
TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Joe Caesar, Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara; Craig Morgan, Darragh Stakelum; Alan Tynan, Jake Morris, Sam O’Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde. Subs: Rhys Shelly, Conor Bowe, Willie Connors, Sean Kenneally, Seamus Kennedy, Brian McGrath, Noel McGrath, Andrew Ormond, Gearoid O’Connor, Johnny Ryan, Conor Stakelum.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Barry Murphy, Michael Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Colin Coughlan; William O’Donoghue, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, David Reidy, Cathal O’Neill; Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien, Adam English. Subs: Shane Dowling, Peter Casey, Sean Finn, Ethan Hurley, Dan Morrissey, Tom Morrissey, Aidan O’Connor, Fergal O’Connor, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Darragh O’Donovan, Paddy O’Donovan.
Clare v Cork in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg at 2pm – RTE
Both teams have named 14 of the same players who started last year’s All-Ireland Final.
The only Clare change sees Ryan Taylor come in for the injured Shane O’Donnell while Cork have selected the in-form Ethan Twomey ahead of Declan Dalton.
Clare have won the last four championship these two teams have contested, two of them by a single point and another two by two points, and another very tight battle is expected here.
Cork’s much superior League form makes them favourites, but expect a big performance from Clare.
CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Ryan Taylor, Aidan McCarthy, David Reidy. Subs: Éamonn Foudy, Darragh Lohan, Cian Galvin, Rory Hayes, Paddy Donnellan, Aron Shanager, Shane Meehan, Jack O’Neill, Ian Galvin, Sean Rynne, Shane Woods.
CORK: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O’Donoghue; Ciaran Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O’Mahony, Ethan Twomey; Séamus Harnedy, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes. Subs: Brion Saunderson, Eoin Roche, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O’Connell, Luke Meade, Brian Roche, Diarmuid Healy, Robbie O’Flynn, Declan Dalton, Shane Kingston.