Club championships get set to intensify as winter looms

ST Gall’s and Portlaoise are the only two clubs in contention to retain their provincial titles as the action in this year’s AIB All-Ireland Club Championships gets cranked up a few notches in the coming weeks.

Reigning football champions St Gall’s begin the defence of their provincial and national crowns when they face Crossmaglen in the Ulster quarter-final on Sunday week, while Portlaoise face Moorefield next Sunday in their Leinster first round tie. In Munster, last year’s victors Kilmurry-Ibrickane were dumped out of the Clare championship by Doonbeg while Connacht champions Corofin were defeated in last Sunday’s Galway county final by Killererin.

In hurling, last year’s provincial winners Ballyhale Shamrocks, Portumna, Newtownshandrum and Dunloy all failed to claim county titles this season. Antrim club Loughgiel Shamrocks are the only team still in contention that have previously won the All-Ireland Club SHC when they claimed honours in 1982.