HOLDERS Newcastle West will open the defence of their Irish Wire Products sponsored Limerick Senior Football Championship against recent county league winners Fr Casey’s (Abbeyfeale) in Tournafulla today (Friday).
NCW are seven-time champions, and are again viewed as lead contenders to win the competition for the fourth year on the trot.
Under Liam Keane, the side boasts many fine players such as Iain Corbett, Ruadhán O’Connor, Aaron Neville, Emmet Rigter, Bryan Nix, and Eoin Hurley, who scored a memorable hat-trick of goals in last season’s final win over Adare at the Gaelic Grounds.
Elsewhere in Group Two, Oola clash with Galtee Gaels and neighbours Ballysteen and Kildimo-Pallaskenry meet at Seán Finn Memorial Park, Rathkeale. Both fixtures are timed for 7.30pm on Saturday night.
In Group One, the pick of the fixtures is the returnees Mungret-St Paul’s against Na Piarsaigh in Claughaun on Friday.
The top team in each Group will advance directly to the semi-finals, while second and third placed sides will qualify for the quarters.
Rathkeale’s Mick Neville Park will stage the final in early November.
Again, Limerick Football Committee will honour the championship’s top scorer with the Golden Boot Award.
Peter Nash (Kildimo-Pallaskenry) won the inaugural award last year with 4-33 (45 points), just ahead of Adare’s Hugh Bourke on 2-37 (43).
Action also commences this weekend in the Intermediate, Premier Junior A and Junior Football Championships.
