BY virtue of Limerick’s qualification for the Tailteann Cup final, our county winning clubs received a bye through to their respective Munster Football Championships.
For Mungret/St Paul’s (senior), Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan (ABK, intermediate), and Ahane (junior) that journey begins this weekend.
First-time winners Mungret St Paul’s face a mammoth task against Dingle at Austin Stack Park, Tralee on Sunday (1pm).
Kevin O’Hagan’s young guns arrive centre stage following a merited win over fancied Newcastle West in the local decider a fortnight ago, and it will take another super performance from Mungret to account for a side who returned after a 77-year absence to the winners’ enclosure in the Kingdom.
In a ferocious tussle with Austin Stacks, a couple of goals late on from Paul Geaney annexed the title for Dingle, 2-13 to 1-12.
Other lead performers for the winners came from Geaney’s county teammate Tom O’Sullivan, Aidan O’Connor, Conor Flannery, Brian O’Connor, and Conor Geaney.
Oisín Moss is likely to have his hands full on two-goal final hero Geaney, but the Mungret centre-back is well capable of delivering a standout performance that could deliver a monumental upset at the weekend.
If that were to happen, Moss would need serious backup from Jason Hassett, Ciaran Uwatse, Frank Corcoran, Darragh O’Hagan, Killian Ryan, Shane Barry, John Hutton (captain), Bren-dan Giltenane and Darragh O’Sullivan, Player of the Match in the county showdown.
In Intermediate, Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan – under the admirable captaincy of Alan McGrath – are at Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh (1pm) to meet Aghabullogue, who were decent opening round victors against Thurles Sarsfields of Tipperary.
No less than eight players contributed to the Aghabullogue scoresheet a couple of weeks back.
In Junior, Ahane – under the superb leadership of Craig O’Connell – bump into Buttevant (Cork) in Kildorrery on Saturday, 1pm.