*Liam Corry and Jason Loughnane will cross paths once again this Saturday. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
The stakes are heightened this weekend at both ends of the senior hurling championship as the race for the Canon Hamilton Cup heats up just as much as the relegation ‘Group of Death’.
The knock-out stages commence with a juicy senior quarter-final derby between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Wolfe Tones in Cusack Park at 1.30pm on Saturday. It’s the tie that both sides would have wanted but while the Blues will be favourites due to their greater experience, the Tones superior hunger edged matters in their last meeting in 2016.
Injury doubts dominate the remainder of the last eight contests as Sixmilebridge supporters will hope to see the county senior experience of All-Star nominee Cathal Malone, Jamie Shanahan and Paidi Fitzpatrick back in the fold for what will be their third championship bout with Éire Óg over the past 12 months at 4.30pm. Equally, the fitness of talisman Shane O’Donnell will be crucial to the Townies’ advancement hopes as they look to finally turn the tables on the back-to-back champions.
A third championship clash in four seasons sees unbeaten side Inagh-Kilnamona facing their latest acid test against Cratloe in Cusack Park on Sunday at 2pm. Both sides were semi-finalists as recently as 2019 but following an unbeaten group campaign, Inagh-Kilnamona’s title credentials will certainly be tested by the 2018 and ’19 finalists.
Last but certainly not least, the weekend crescendo is fittingly saved for another last eight derby between Ballyea and Kilmaley on Sunday at 4.45pm. A repeat of last year’s quarter-final that Ballyea won by 1-20 to 1-14, Robbie Hogan’s side will again assume the tag of favourites thanks to a perfect group campaign albeit that countymen Tony Kelly and Jack Browne missed their group decider victory over Cratloe last time out due to leg injuries. Both will be expected to return on Sunday but it’s the health of Kilmaley’s collective that is most concerning as a mounting treatment table headed by Mikey O’Malley and Cian Moloney couldn’t be any worse timed.
The round-robin senior relegation series also commences this Sunday, with the opening result of three group matches crucial as two teams drop to intermediate level for 2022. Injury-stricken Crusheen meet O’Callaghan’s Mills in Clonlara at 1.30pm while Clooney-Quin take on Clarecastle in Shannon 4.30pm.
The intermediate finalists will also be known by Sunday evening as Smith O’Brien’s have the difficult task of trying to complete a championship double over Tulla in Sixmilebridge on Saturday at 4.30pm while at 12.30pm on Sunday, there’s an intriguing derby between St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Ruan at the same venue. The Parish won’t lack motivation, having faltered badly at the penultimate stage in O’Garney Park last year but they will be very wary of a Ruan side who have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The concluding stages of the Junior A, B and C Hurling Championships are also on offer this weekend, with the Junior B decider between Sixmilebridge and Scariff promising to be a cracking tie between two high-scoring sides in Broadford on Saturday at 2pm.
