Feenagh-Kilmeedy carry Limerick hopes in Munster

Stock photo.

FEENAGH-KILMEEDY carry strong hopes of success into todayโ€™s (Saturday) Munster Junior Hurling Championship final against St Catherineโ€™s (Cork) in Mallow (throw-in 2pm).

With the departure of both Na Piarsaigh (Senior) and Dromin/Athlacca (Intermediate), Feenagh-Kilmeedy (FK) Limerickโ€™s sole flag bearers on the championship front.

FK lost a cracking county final to Mungret St Paulโ€™s a while back but advance as Limerickโ€™s representatives as only a clubโ€™s lead team can compete in the provincial/national championships, which is not the case with Mungret.

St Catherineโ€™s also were runners-up (to Erinโ€™s Own) in Cork.

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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, Seรกn Murray, Seรกn Kelly, Cian Oโ€™Connor, captain Maurice Fitzgibbon, and Ruairรญ Oโ€™Connor, will again be key players for FK in a quest for a famous triumph.

FK have injury concerns around John and Ger Oโ€™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 Catherineโ€™s have accounted for Ardmore (Waterford) and Tipperaryโ€™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 Oโ€™Riordan, and sharp-shooter Matthew Mulcahy, along with teenagers Kian Oโ€™Donoghue, Oisรญn Fitzgerald, and Seรกn Oโ€™Donoghue.

Catherineโ€™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 Oโ€™Toole (Waterford) will referee.

FK were soundly beaten by Kilmurry (Cork) in the semi-fnal of the JFC at the weekend.

Monaleen, meanwhile, are Limerickโ€™s representatives in a Munster/All-Ireland Junior B competition ongoing in Killeedy.

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