Munster Club JHC: St Catherine's chance to bounce back

Cork clubs have a good record in the AIB Munster Club JHC.

Of the 21 editions to date, 15 have been won the Leeside representatives. The decision in 2022 to rename the Lower Intermediate Hurling Championship as the Premier Junior Hurling Championship improved the chances of success further, sending forward the winners of the fifth rather than sixth tier.

Except, of course, when the winners are a club’s second team, as was the case with Erin’s Own this year. Instead, the beaten finalists St Catherine’s will advance, taking on Ardmore in Dungarvan’s Fraher Field on Saturday at 1.30pm.

Normally, defeat in a county final is a blow that can fester over a winter for the Ballynoe side there is a chance to bounce back a lot quicker. While manager Denis Walsh accepts that there are other challenges to overcome, not least the injury to key attacker Daniel Mangan in the county final, the strength of the Catherine’s squad will have a chance to shine through.

“From our point of view, we didn’t play that well in the county final and this gives us a chance to get back on the horse,” he says.

“At the same time, the weather has changed again, you’re training in poor conditions and that’s a different dynamic.

“Obviously, we lost Dan Mangan in the first half of that game and that’s a big loss.

“It’s a knee injury and he won’t be doing anything this side of Christmas.

“He’s a powerful guy, particularly this time of the year. In saying that, it’s an opportunity for somebody else.

“All the way through in the round-robin, we seemed to use four or five substitutions and we were putting them early. The advantage of having a good spread of players is definitely positive.”

Cork clubs have won six of the last seven Munster club junior titles – the one exception to that run of dominance was in 2017, when Ardmore came out on top.

They will represent tough opposition, especially with home county advantage, and Walsh acknowledges that Cork influence in their backroom could also be a factor.

Ultimately, Catherine’s will be looking to put in a good performance.

“They probably know more about us, because Darren Tobin from Castlelyons is training them,” Walsh says.

“I saw them in action once, they’re a very lively side. They have a good bit of experience as they have the two Prendergasts [Declan and Séamus], Kenny Murphy and Eoin O’Shea at full-back.

“They have plenty of know-how and good hurlers. It’s a game where whoever who hits the high spots on Saturday will win it.

“It was like that in the county final – Erin’s Own hit a higher gear than what we did. We were still only two points but we never looked like winning it.

“Our aim on Saturday is to at least play at a higher gear and see where that takes us.”