Weekend GAA previews: Imokilly put Cork hurling title on the line

There is more first round action in Kerry football while the Colleges/Divisions stage of the Cork Premier Senior Championships reach a conclusion

TODAY

Kerry SFC Round 1 St Brendan’s v West Kerry, Austin Stack Park (E Walsh), 3pm.

Gaeltacht have been in fine form in the Kerry intermediate championship of late, winning all three of their group games, which bodes well for West Kerry given An Ghaeltacht backbone the divisional side.

Though it seems a long time ago now, St Brendan’s will be looking to build on last year’s run to the county semi-final. As ever, their effort will be built around the midfield pairing of Kerry seniors Jack Barry and Diarmuid O’Connor.

Verdict: St Brendan’s.

Mid Kerry v Kilcummin, Fitzgerald Stadium (S Mulvihill), 5pm.

Peter Crowley, having overcome his cruciate injury, should line out for Mid Kerry. The divisional side are buoyed by the recent form of feeder clubs Laune Rangers, Beaufort, and Glenbeigh/Glencar who have all made the knockout stages of the intermediate championship.

Kilcummin did lose their three senior club championship fixtures but none by greater than three points.

Verdict: Mid Kerry.

Dingle v Templenoe, Dingle (B Brosnan), 6pm.

A slight hamstring strain meant Dingle’s Conor Geaney did not finish their club championship fixture against Kilcummin earlier this month, but manager Pádraig O’Sullivan is confident the forward will be fit to line out this evening. Templenoe’s Tadhg Morley has returned from the injury which kept him out of the early rounds of the club championship. The Kerry defender will likely be detailed onto Kingdom teammate Paul Geaney.

Verdict: Dingle.

Feale Rangers v East Kerry, Páirc Mhic Shithigh (B O’Shea), 6pm.

East Kerry’s hand is even stronger than it was during their run to county championship glory last year, what with an injury-free Dara Moynihan being available for selection and fellow Kerry seniors Paul Murphy and Shane Ryan having joined the divisional set-up following Rathmore’s relegation. For Feale Rangers, they are without 2017 All-Ireland minor winning midfielder Barry Mahony, as well as Nigel and Maurice O’Connor.

Verdict: East Kerry.

TOMORROW

Kerry SFC Rd 1: Kenmare Shamrocks v Shannon Rangers, Kenmare (T Moriarty), 2pm.

Kenmare have injury concerns surrounding Kerry senior Stephen O’Brien. They won’t be short of confidence ahead of their county championship opener, Kenmare securing an impressive victory against Dr Crokes earlier this month to book their place in the club championship decider.

Home advantage, too, is in their favour. For Martin O’Mahony’s Shannon Rangers, they will be minus the injured Mikey Boyle.

Verdict: Kenmare.

Legion v Kerins O’Rahilly’s, Fitzgerald Stadium (B Griffin), 3.45pm.

Arguably the toughest game of the weekend to call. Tommy Walsh missed most of Kerins O’Rahilly’s club championship campaign because of injury and it remains to be seen if he’ll line out tomorrow.

The Legion charge will be led by Jonathan Lyne, Cian Gammell, Conor Keane, and, of course, James O’Donoghue.

Verdict: Kerins O’Rahilly’s.

St Kieran’s v South Kerry, Austin Stack Park (P O’Sullivan), 6pm.

South Kerry can no longer rely on the services of Valentia brothers Paul and Brendan O’Sullivan after their transfer to Austin Stacks. The likes of Graham O’Sullivan and Bryan Sheehan, as ever, will be the go-to men on John Shanahan’s side. Thomas Hickey, Padraig Reidy, and Eamonn Kiely are rated as doubtful for Jimmy Keane’s St Kieran’s.

Former Kerry senior Seamus Scanlon will not feature for St Kieran’s either. This is a repeat of last year’s quarter-final which South Kerry won by four.

Verdict: South Kerry.

Cork Premier SFC Colleges/Divisions final: Duhallow v UCC, Glantane, (C Dineen), 7pm.

UCC are obviously advantaged by having played a competitive fixture whereas their opponents are coming in cold. 

UCC did enough in the first-half of their semi-final on Thursday to make sure of victory over Carbery but it remains to be seen if all of that team - specifically the players from Kerry, Limerick, and Meath who lined out - will be available to once again don the UCC colours given the county championships in those counties are currently in full flow. 

Duhallow, county finalists in 2019, will be able to call on the vast majority of last year’s panel.

Verdict: Duhallow.

Cork Premier SHC colleges/divisions section final Imokilly v UCC, Páirc Uí Rinn (S Stokes), 7pm.

The same as their footballers, UCC hold a slight advantage heading into this one given they are fresh off the back of a competitive fixture midweek whereas this is a first outing for four-in-a-row chasing Imokilly. Limerick’s Paddy O’Loughlin, Cork’s Mark Coleman, and Shane Conway of Kerry are the standout names on the UCC team.

The promotion of Fr O’Neill’s and Cloyne to Senior A means Imokilly are without 2019 first-team regulars Ger Millerick, Mark O’Keeffe, Declan Dalton, and Paudie O’Sullivan.

There should, however, be sufficient strength in depth in new manager Ciaran Cronin’s panel to see them through.

Verdict: Imokilly