All change in Premier JHC semi-finals
Brian Mulcahy scores a point for St Catherine's against Tracton last month. Picture: Larry Cummins
The semi-final line-up in the Co-op SuperStores Premier JHC is proof of a competitive championship.
While a last four in a grade outside of premier senior can obviously only have a maximum of three survivors from the previous years, the fifth tier is firmly at the other end of the spectrum this season.
With champions Kilbrittain having ascended to intermediate A, at the outset of the campaign the beaten finalists Glen Rovers and the other two semi-finalists, Ballygarvan and Cloughduv, would have been among those fancied – but none of that trio have made it to this stage.
However, it would be wrong to suggest that this weekend’s pairings involve sides for whom it will be a totally new experience, as the byes past the quarter-finals went to St Catherine’s, who were the runners-up in both 2023 and 2024, and Kilshannig, last year’s junior A champions.
Though the Glen failed to make it out of their group, Ballygarvan and Cloughduv did qualify but fell to Argideen Rangers and Barryroe respectively in the quarter-finals a fortnight ago and the west Cork pair will look to carry that momentum into clashes with sides that have had four-week breaks.
St Catherine’s, who were the only team to win all three of their round-robin games, will provide the opposition for Barryroe in Ballymah at 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
The Ballynoe/Conna outfit are something of an anomaly in that many of the current squad do not have county medals but do have experience of a provincial victory – having lost the 2023 decider to Erin’s Own’s second team, Catherine’s progressed to the Munster club championship and won that, making to Croke Park to the All-Ireland final, which they lost to Tullogher-Rosbercon of Kilkenny.
There is no shortage of firepower in their ranks, in the form of Daniel Mangan, Brian and Matthew Mulcahy and Seán O’Donoghue, but they will know that Barryroe cannot be taken lightly.
Having come into the championship on the back of a league Division 7 victory, the west Cork side topped their group with a game to spare and, while they lost their last match to Mayfield, bounced back impressively against Cloughduv.
While they fell six points behind early on, a hat-trick of goals from Luke Murphy helped to see them through and he, Ryan O’Donovan and Olan O’Donovan are all capable of shining.
Up to last weekend, Kilshannig were balancing dual commitments but can now focus on hurling and they can call on Paddy Walsh, Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Andy Hourigan on the scoring front. Their opponents Argideen Rangers will look to Seán Walsh, John Michael O’Callaghan and Finbarr Butler.
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