FIRST-TIME winners Doon will attempt to retain their WhiteBOX Developments Limerick Senior Hurling Championship title (John Daly Cup) against eight-time kingpins Na Piarsaigh at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday (3.30pm).
It’s a major outing for referee Kieran Guina of Feohanagh/Castlemathon.
The 131st decider is a repeat of last year’s showdown, famously won by Doon, 0-16 to 2-9.
This was a contest in which Adam English fired over a whopping 11 points, and this year’s Young Hurler of the Year is again a serious performer for the holders.
Manager Derek McGrath too has plenty of other great players in his setup, such as Tommy Hayes, Chris Thomas, Barry Murphy, Darragh O’Donovan (captain), Eddie Stokes, Donal Coughlan, Kevin Maher, and Pat Ryan (S).
In the aftermath of the 2-21 to 0-14 semi-final win over Ballybrown, McGrath acknowledged that his side would enter the decider as underdogs.
“Not to build the opposition up, but we know what’s ahead of us,” he said. “We played them in the first round. They had no Conor Boylan, no Peter Casey, no Mike Casey. And we came away with a draw (Doon 1-19, Na Piarsaigh 2-16). We were very lucky. So we know what is coming. It should make for a great build-up, and it should make for a really good final.”
As anticipated from the outset, Na Piarsaigh qualified with relative ease for another final, a fourth on the bounce for the city outfit.
A fortnight ago, Shane O’Neill’s side were in fine fettle when accounting for League winners Kilmallock, 2-20 to 1-17.
Lead players include Shane Dowling, Jerome Boylan (captain), the Casey brothers of Mike and Peter, Ronan Lynch, William O’Donoghue, Kevin Downes, Adrian Breen, and Dáithí Dempsey.
In what is likely to be another tight affair between these modern rivals, Na Piarsaigh are given a cautious nod to return as champions.