Gunners facing formidable firepower in Déise championship

THE champions of the past three years — Ballygunner, De La Salle and Ballyduff Upper — have been drawn together in the same group for this year’s Waterford senior hurling championship. Abbeyside, beaten finalists two years ago, along with Fourmilewater and Stradbally complete the six-team section.

In the other group, last year’s runners-up, Lismore, managed by Cork legend Tomas Mulcahy, and title-laden Mount Sion are odds-on favourites to make the last eight, with Tallow, Passage East, Ballyduff Lower, and IHC champions Dungarvan battling to join them. Four teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

The first-round games will be played on the weekend of April 24/25 with west divisional neighbours Lismore and Dungarvan, along with Ballyduff Upper and De La Salle, set to face off.