Great excitement as Muskerry Championships get underway
Muskerry GAA officers, sponsors and players of the participating clubs at the Muskerry GAA Championships launch in Coachford. Picture: Noel Sweeney
Muskerry GAA chairperson John Feeney is confident this year’s Mid-Cork Junior A football and Junior A hurling championships will deliver.
It should be very exciting in both codes with the football looking wide open for the first time in many years.
The strength of the division has been underlined by the fact that the last three winners of the County JAFC have all come from Muskerry in the shape of Kilmurry, Canovee and Inniscarra.
Ballinora will be favourites to land a fifth successive divisional crown in the hurling.
“There was a great turnout from the clubs at the launch a couple of weeks ago,” Feeney says.
“All the players were there for photographs, each club had an official, so in fairness to the clubs, they supported it well and it’s an indication that there’s great expectation within Muskerry.
"Given the fact that we have had county football winners at Junior A level in the last three seasons, it has given clubs belief.
“A couple of years ago, teams who were maybe out of the running are back in the running now. It will be a very interesting football championship. Aghinagh have been knocking around with a while and are probably one of the pre-championship favourites along with the two teams who contested the Division 1 league final recently in Donoughmore and Éire Óg’s second team.
“Where the football championship in Muskerry has the upper hand on the hurling is that every club in the division plays football realistically.
“In the hurling then, despite the fact that Ballinora have won the Mid-Cork for the last four seasons, it doesn’t improve their chances of winning the county because it’s so tough.
"Having said that, they have been the dominant force in Muskerry and they have a young age profile. If they were to go up, now is probably their time.
“Grenagh have been close to knocking them off their perch in recent seasons. The form team are Donoughmore, but Ballincollig's second team and Inniscarra’s second team have been going well in recent seasons. The hurling is a wide open championship to see who will take on Ballinora.”
Group 1: Donoughmore, Ballincollig, Blarney, Dripsey.
Group 2: Aghinagh, Grenagh, Clondrohid, Kilmichael.
Group 3: Éire Óg, Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, Ballinora, Kilmurry.
Group 1: Ballincollig, Inniscarra, Donoughmore, Blarney, Aghabullogue.
Group 2: Ballinora, Grenagh, Dripsey, Éire Óg, Kilmichael.
Tomorrow
Group 1: Blarney v Dripsey, Donoughmore, 7.30pm; Group 3: Kilmurry v Ballinora, Rusheen, 7.30pm.
Saturday
Group 1: Donoughmore v Ballincollig, Ballyanly, 4pm; Group 3: Éire Óg v Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, Kilmichael, 3pm.
Sunday
Group 2: Aghinagh v Grenagh, Coachford, 12 noon; Clondrohid v Kilmichael, Cill na Martra, 12 noon.
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