Charleville bid to land first Harty

IF those who set the odds are to be believed – and these guys speak with their wallets – there’s going to be a convincing winner of tomorrow’s Harty Cup final between Árd Scoil Rís (Limerick) and Charleville CBS.

At 1/4, Árd Scoil are the hottest of favourites, and with good reason. Backboned by more than half of the team so cruelly denied in last year’s All-Ireland final (shipped 1-5 without reply in the final minutes before losing by three to St. Kieran’s, Kilkenny) the Limerick sporting powerhouse is on a mission this season and this decider is just one more step on the road to atonement. Anchoring their defence is Declan Hannon, orchestrating their attack the brilliant Shane Dowling, with the deadly John Fitzgibbon up front — a trio of tyros on the Limerick hurling scene.

In Charleville, however, and even while accepting the reality of their Cinderella status, they believe they have a chance of slaying this Goliath according to team mentor Kevin Butler.