Sunday is semi-final day in the Munster senior hurling championship when Na Piarsaigh take on Ballygunner (Waterford) and Carrigtwohill (Cork) play Crusheen (Clare).
Ballygunner are the one of the quartet to have won the Munster title – indeed two of them, Na Piarsaigh and Carrigtwohill are playing in the Munster championship for the first time in their history.
Na Piarsaigh won the Limerick title for the first time, beating Ahane comfortably (2-18 to 0-13) in the final. It was quite an achievement by Na Piarsaigh who led by 1-11 to 0-7 at half-time.
18-year-old, Shane Dowling scored 1-10 for Na Piarsaigh with Kevin Downes adding 1-1. Ballygunner already have a win behind them in the Munster championship, beating Drom & Inch (Tipperary) in the first round. Pauric Mahony scored 0-9 for Ballygunner with Brian O’Sullivan adding 1-2 and JJ Hutchinson 1-0 as they won by five points.
The Na Piarsaigh game is fixed for Walsh Park Waterford with a throw in of 2:00pm, which will be refereed by David Copps of Cork.
The last time a Limerick club won the Munster title was in 1994, when Kilmallock secured the crown by defeating Toomevara.
The Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship has not been a happy hunting ground for Limerick sides since 2000 for each Limerick sides have only won six times out of eighteen ties.
Indeed, Limerick sides have qualified for just three of the last 16 Munster Club Senior Hurling Finals. With stars such as James O’Brien, David Breen, Shane O’Neill and Kevin Downes, Na Piarsaigh are some people’s favourites to claim the Munster crown this season.
The light blues will take one game at a time however. Ballygunner have Waterford intercounty stars such as Pauric Mahony and JJ Hutchinson to boast. Limerick’s Na Piarssigh should win this clash if they play anything like they did in the county final. Here’s hoping they do.
Probable Na Piarsaigh Side: Padraig Kennedy; Aidan Hennessy, Kieran Breen, Kieran Bermingham; Alan Dempsey, James O’Brien, Brian Hartnett; Cathal King, Pat Gleeson; Robert Sheehan, David Breen, Shane O’Neill; Shane Dowling, Kevin Downes, Kevin Ryan.
