Sheahan: League will now be far more competitive

Despite last season ending on a cliffhanger that could hardly have been more dramatic, the Ulster Bank League will be decidedly differently this year.

The Division 1A title chase went down to the final day, when favourites Old Belvedere were stunned by already-relegated Garryowen to allow Clontarf — who had lost two on the bounce but held off Ballynahinch in their final encounter — to steal in and claim their maiden title. Nonetheless, a competition that struggles to remain relevant in the shadow of the professional game will revert to a top four set-up, allowing for a pair of semi-finals and — most importantly — a final and a guaranteed one-off league decider.

The final will also return to the Aviva Stadium, where a number of the club captains met to launch the competition this week and professed themselves pleased to be playing for the chance to return with a trophy on the line on May 9.

“I’m happy the semis and final are back,” said St Mary’s College skipper Kevin Sheahan. “It makes the league as a whole more competitive, and makes each game more important; it’s an exciting thing to have at the end of the year.”

The league title has been in the hands of Dublin clubs since 2010 but Young Munster will hope to spoil that party, and are the sole Limerick side in the AIL’s top tier this season. There were always three Treaty City sides present since the league’s inauguration in 1990 until Shannon’s relegation in 2013, and Garryowen followed them into Division 1B in May. The Greenfields men have picked up some handy signings as a result; classy Shannon half-back pair Rob Guerin and Gearóid Lyons the pick of them while Shane O’Leary is back after his Top 14 exploits in Grenoble, although he is in the Connacht squad so may not be seen too often at Tom Clifford Park.

A disappointing 28-17 Limerick Charity Cup loss to UL Bohemian doesn’t bode well but a particularly powerful back row featuring Alan Kennedy, Sean Rennisson and Diarmuid Dee, amongst others, should help them push for a top four spot.

Cork Con have been unstoppable in cup competitions — last season they became the first team to retain the Bateman Cup since Lansdowne’s three-in-a-row in 1931 — but are chasing a first league title since 2010.

Former Cork hurler and Ireland U20 Darren Sweetnam — playing for his third Cork club in as many seasons having come via Dolphin and UCC — and Ned Hodson are among the exciting backline additions for the Temple Hill men, who may take time to find their feet after changing their coaching setup for the second year in a row, as Tom Tierney and David Corkery take the reins.

Dolphin conceded over 50 points on three occasions last term but managed to eke out results against the sides around them to survive; there’s a suspicion they will find those points harder to come by this term, and Kanturk — in their first game as a senior club — ran them close in the Cork Charity Cup recently. Sweetnam and last year’s captain Christy Condon (Midleton) have both moved on although last year’s UCC skipper, Brian Quill, is a clever addition.

Of the remainder, Terenure are the ones to watch. They’ve achieved back-to-back promotions, haven’t lost since 2012 and former Connacht and Munster hooker James Rael is the latest addition to a strong Limerick contingent at Lakelands.

Tonight’s fixtures: Div 1A: UCD v St. Mary’s College, Belfield, 7.30pm

Div 1B: Garryowen v Shannon, Dooradoyle, 7.30pm.