If the odds on offer from Paddy Power bookmakers are to be believed, there will be two Limerick schools in the quarter final of the Dr Harty Cup after next month’s quarter finals, with both Árd Scoil Rís and Doon CBS installed at shorter prices than their respective opponents, Our Ladys Templemore and Charleville CBS.
Árd Scoil Rís have been hotly fancied since the start of this competition and the manner in which they destroyed good teams from De la Salle and St Flannans has caused Paddy Power to install them as short priced favourites at 11/8 outright. As a general rule, trusting teenagers at short prices is bad business since they can be very inconsistent, however form would suggest that they will be hard stopped.
Our Ladys College of Templemore will certain represent tough opposition next time out however, as the Tipperary school still have plenty of hurlers from last year’s team that reached the final of the competition, as well as several good younger hurlers. Indeed many local supporters will have seen firsthand evidence of this in the Dean Ryan Cup semi-final between the two schools that went to extra time. Nonetheless they hurled in a comparatively soft group, so ASR should have enough here.
Doon (8/1) will meet Charleville (12/1) in what will perhaps be the lowest profile quarter final meeting of the four and Doon should be moderately confident of victory, considering they’ve had three very good games in their group to prepare. Even in defeat to Thurles they looked capable and while this writer wouldn’t place Thurles too far ahead of the chasing pack, Paddy Power clearly disagree, making them just 3/1 for outright glory.
Thurles will play Rochestown College (14/1) next and while they should be favourites for that one, Rochestown came out of a tough group and are probably a little undervalued.
Finally there is the meeting of Dungarvan CBS (9/2) and Hamilton HS of Bandon (16/1) and both of these sides could legitimately be put forward as the best value selection in the competition at this stage. Dungarvan still have five of the players that played on last year’s combined Dungarvan Schools team, they were Dean Ryan finalists two years ago (and avenged that final defeat with a crucial Harty Cup win over Blackwater this year) and in Patrick Curran they have one of the leading individual talents in the competition. Their lack of depth might yet be a bit of an issue but at the list of prices on offer, they look like the best value, certainly in contrast to the far skimpier 11/8 on offer about ASR.
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