HOLDERS Na Piarsaigh and Doon will contest the final of the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick Senior Hurling Championship at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in just a few short hours, throw-in 4.15pm (referee John O’Halloran, Bruree).
It will be a third meeting of the clubs in a final, with Na Piarsaigh comfortably winning both previous outings in 2018 and 2020.
However, when the sides met earlier this season in the group stages, it was Doon who came through by the narrowest of margins.
Na Piarsaigh are in search of a third title on the trot, and a ninth victory since the breakthrough of 2011.
In contrast, Doon are without ultimate success having lost all their four previous final appearances.
Now under former Waterford manager Derek McGrath, Doon are a formidable team captained by Darragh O’Donovan.
It’s a line-up that also includes such notables as netminder Tomás Lynch, Richie English, Cian O’Donovan, Barry Murphy, Adam English, Kevin Maher, and Pat Ryan, to focus on just a selection.
Club stalwart Shane O’Neill has household names at his disposal with Na Piarsaigh, including goalkeeper Shane Dowling, captain Mike Casey, Vince Harrington, Mike Foley, Will O’Donoghue, Jerome Boylan, Ronan Lynch, and Kevin Downes.
In the semi-finals, Doon swept aside the challenge of Patrickswell and Na Piarsaigh edged a cliffhanger with Kilmallock.
As alluded to earlier, Doon – thanks to a last-gasp point from Adam English – were winners over Na Piarsaigh (1-15 to 0-17) but that result on the last weekend of August will matter little in the run-in to culmination of the 130th edition of an historic championship.
While Na Piarsaigh enter a familiar arena, now marginal favourites Doon will take heart from an impressive campaign that might, just might bring the John Daly Cup to the lovely East Limerick village.
