FEENAGH-KILMEEDY carry strong hopes of success into today’s (Saturday) Munster Junior Hurling Championship final against St Catherine’s (Cork) in Mallow (throw-in 2pm).
With the departure of both Na Piarsaigh (Senior) and Dromin/Athlacca (Intermediate), Feenagh-Kilmeedy (FK) Limerick’s sole flag bearers on the championship front.
FK lost a cracking county final to Mungret St Paul’s a while back but advance as Limerick’s representatives as only a club’s lead team can compete in the provincial/national championships, which is not the case with Mungret.
St Catherine’s also were runners-up (to Erin’s Own) in Cork.
Only the other weekend the Mark Keane (former South Liberites/Limerick ace) coached FK caused a slight upset with victory over The Banner of Clare in the semi-final at Cusack Park, Ennis.
It was an outing in which Diarmuid Coleman contributed a match-winning 13 points, as he, along with the likes of Bobby Donegan, Kevin Murphy, Seán Murray, Seán Kelly, Cian O’Connor, captain Maurice Fitzgibbon, and Ruairí O’Connor, will again be key players for FK in a quest for a famous triumph.
FK have injury concerns around John and Ger O’Gorman, along with Bryan Hannigan.
Willie Irwin and Tony Long are joint managers of the West Limerick team, who boast a squad of almost 40 players.
St Catherine’s have accounted for Ardmore (Waterford) and Tipperary’s Ballinahinch en route to the decider.
The Cork side are without a few players due to injury, but still have big guns in goalkeeper Eoin Davis, Eoghan O’Riordan, and sharp-shooter Matthew Mulcahy, along with teenagers Kian O’Donoghue, Oisín Fitzgerald, and Seán O’Donoghue.
Catherine’s will be a tough nut to crack, but FK, who were a trifle unlucky not to have won the county final, are well capable of causing a surprise.
Blackrock (2009) are the only Limerick club to have won the Munster JHC.
Nicky O’Toole (Waterford) will referee.
FK were soundly beaten by Kilmurry (Cork) in the semi-fnal of the JFC at the weekend.
Monaleen, meanwhile, are Limerick’s representatives in a Munster/All-Ireland Junior B competition ongoing in Killeedy.
