Ten games to be streamed on opening weekend of hurling championship

It will be a bumper weekend of streaming on Clubber as the Co-op SuperStores Cork Hurling Championships get underway.

The broadcaster is in the second of a three-year deal with Cork County Board to provide coverage of games. Last weekend saw four football games available to view and the opening round of hurling fixtures will see a total of ten matches shown across the premier senior, senior A and premier intermediate grade – a third of all fixtures, including all six in the top grade.

On Friday night, there is a choice of two Premier SHC ties. In Group 2, Douglas take on Newtownshandrum in Ballyhooly – the same venue where Newtown preserved their top-flight status last autumn as they beat Erin’s Own in a relegation play-off replay.

That match has a 7.15pm start and so does the other live match. Páirc Uí Rinn is the venue for the Group 3 clash of Midleton and St Finbarr’s, who were beaten by champions Sarsfields in the final and semi-final respectively last year.

The cameras will remain at the Boreenmanna Road venue for Saturday’s double-header. At 5.45pm, Erin’s Own will begin life back in the second tier as they take on Na Piarsaigh and that match is followed by the city derby between the two clubs top of the premier senior roll of honour, Blackrock and Glen Rovers (7.30pm).

Those two matches are part of an offering of six on Saturday, with the other three premier senior games at 7pm. The other game in the Rockies-Glen section, Group 1, sees Kanturk do battle with Fr O’Neill’s in Kilworth, which both will see as a valuable opportunity to get points on the board given the strength of the Seandún sides.

In Group 2, reigning county champions Sarsfields take on Charleville in Castletownroche in a repeat of a quarter-final tie from last year where Sars had to earn victory. Elsewhere, Ballincollig hosts the Group 3 meeting of newly promoted Bride Rovers and Newcestown – the sides met in the final of Division 3 of the RedFM Hurling League in 2025, with Rovers triumphing after extra time.

There is one other senior A game on Saturday and it could be a humdinger as it brings together the last two beaten finalists. Blarney lost to Newcestown in 2023 (after a replay) and the Glen in 2024 but fell at the semi-final stage to Castlelyons last year – the east Cork side drew with neighbours Bride Rovers before losing the second game. In a group also featuring Watergrasshill and Ballyhea, the losers of the match in Riverstown will have little in the way of margin for error.

On Sunday evening, the ever-entertaining premier intermediate grade takes centre stage and an attractive east Cork double-header in Midleton, featuring the teams in Group 2, can be streamed.

First up is the meeting of Castlemartyr and Lisgoold, which has a 5.15pm throw-in time. With neither team having qualified for the knockout stages in 2025 – Castlemartyr had to beat Mallow in the relegation play-off – there is a great chance to get up and running.

That game is followed at 7.15pm with the clash of Dungourney and Cloyne, who were the beaten semi-finalists against Ballincollig and Ballinhassig respectively last October.