Preview: Weekend’s senior club championship action:
Saturday 22nd November
AIB Ulster Club SFC semi-final
Erne Gaels v Kilcoo in Box It Athletic Grounds at 4.30pm
Beaten by a point in last year’s Ulster Final by Errigal Ciarán, in recent weeks Kilcoo have very much looked like a team determined to do better this time around.
They convincingly won a seventh Down senior football title in row and were very businesslike when beating Tyrone champions Loughmacrory in the Ulster quarter-final.
All-Ireland champions in 2022, this vastly experienced Kilcoo side has appeared in four of the last five Ulster finals and are a very well-oiled machine by now.
Erne Gaels have shown a lot of character en route to this match winning the Fermanagh final after a replay and beating Cavan champions Kingscourt after extra-time, but Kilcoo represent a significant step up in class.
Sunday 23rd November
AIB Leinster Club SHC semi-finals
St. Martin’s v Naas in Chadwicks Wexford Park at 1.30pm
Both teams are vying to reach the AIB Leinster Club SHC Final for the very first time and they should have a good idea of their respective strengths and weaknesses considering they met in last year’s provincial quarter-final.
On that occasion St. Martin’s were five-point winners and they’ll go into this game as favourites too based on their dethroning of reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions, Na Fianna, in the last round.
Barry O’Connor, home from Australia to help his club’s campaign, was very influential in that game, scoring 1-2, and along with his cousins Rory and Jack gives St. Martin’s a great combination of strength and skill in attack.
Naas are probably too reliant on the totemic Jack Sheridan for their scores, and the greater spread of threats that St. Martin’s have could prove telling.
Shamrocks Ballyhale v Clough Ballacolla in UPMC Nowlan Park at 1.30pm
Shamrocks Ballyhale were very convincing winners when these two teams met in the 2021 AIB Leinster SHC Final and will be hot favourites to repeat the trick here.
They’ve been a rejuvenated force this year under Henry Shefflin, especially their veterans at either end of the pitch, Joey Holden and TJ Reid, who are both playing as well as ever.
The suspension of Adrian Mullen is a blow, but Reid, Eoin Cody, Niall Shortall, and Paddy Mullen still give them formidable firepower.
Clough-Ballacolla are an experienced outfit having won five of the last six Laois SHC titles, but they don’t have the same cutting edge and will need key men like Aidan Corby, Willie Dunphy, and Stephen Bergin to have big games if they’re to pull off a shock here.
AIB Munster Club SFC semi-finals
Dingle v Mungret St. Pauls in Austin Stack Park, Tralee at 1pm
Dingle have had four weeks to process their first Kerry SFC title in 77 years, ample time to celebrate, regroup, and mount a serious challenge for provincial honours.
There was a lot to admire about the way they defeated Austin Stacks in that final as they played a high-octane brand of football that made the most of their dangerous inside-forwards.
Paul Geaney, Conor Geaney, and Dylan Geaney have all been in very sharp form of late and will be difficult to contain for the Mungret defence.
It’ll be interesting to see how the underdogs react to their maiden Limerick SFC title. Will they be happy with their lot or will they truly believe they have the ability to pull off what would be a huge upset here?
They’re an athletic, well-organised team, but it’s hard to see them matching Dingle’s scoring power.
Éire Óg Ennis v S. Finbarr’s in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 3.30pm
A week after requiring extra-time to defeat Loughmore-Castleiney on a heavy pitch in the AIB Munster Club SHC semi-final, you’d have to wonder how much petrol do Éire Óg’s dual stars have left in the tank?
Around eight of them are due to be in action again here and campaigning on two fronts can’t be easy.
The Clare side were very reliant on Mark McInerney in their quarter-final win over Waterford champions Rathgormack. He scored 16 of their 20 points that day and if he’s well marshalled by the St. Finbarr’s defence then Éire Óg could struggle in attack.
St. Finbarr’s have a greater range of scoring threats and their midfield partnership of Ian Maguire and Brian Hayes should also give them an edge in the middle third.
AIB Ulster Club SFC semi-final
Scotstown v Newbridge in Omagh at 3.30pm
Scotstown have been knocking on the door of winning an Ulster title for some time, most recently when they were narrowly beaten in the 2023 decider by Glen.
They still have a core of experienced players who have helped the club win 10 Monaghan SFC titles since 2013, and they’re boosted this year by the addition of some younger faces who have made a big impact.
Tommy Mallen, Donnchadh Connolly, and Max Maguire who were all members of the Monaghan minor team that reached the 2023 All-Ireland Final have brought a new dimension to the team.
The Monaghan champions impressed in their quarter-final win over an experienced Naomh Conaill team when eight different players got on the scoreboard.
Unusually neeither Jack McCarron nor Rory Beggan was one of them, and they’ll be keen to join the party for this game.
Newbridge are similar in lots of ways to Scotstown in so far as they too are a team that can hurt you from a variety of positions.
They were impressively efficient in their quarter-final win over Madden of Armagh and their full-forward line of Patrick McMullan, Sean Young, and Oisin Doherty takes a lot of watching.
There won’t be much between the teams but Scotstown’s recent form is that bit more convincing.