Its a festival of Underage Intercounty Hurling this weekend.

The last weekend of August means one thing. The annual festivals of Inter County Under 14, 15 and 16 hurling are about to take place.

As is the case with over 30 years, the Annual Tony Forristal and Sony Walsh Tournament takes place in Waterford City.

The Competition sees the very best players across Ireland’s strongest hurling counties take part in a competitive Inter County Hurling Tournament for the first time. Down the years, the tournament has seen many of the finest players take part in the Tournament and it can be taken for granted that some of the players that will take part in this years tournament will in the next five or six years go on to play for their Inter County senior side with some potentially ending up on the steps of the Hogan Stand in September.

The draws for the competition were made recently. In Division one, twelve counties will compete in four groups of three, while the Division two competition has ten teams taking part split into one group of four and two groups of three.

Games in Groups one and two of the Division one tournament will take place at the Mount Sion Club Grounds while the games in Groups three and four will take place at the Saint Saviours Club Grounds.

In group one, Laois, Antrim Wexford play each other. Waterford are drawn in group two along with Clare and Limerick. Dublin, Cork and Kilkenny are all in Group three, while the four sides in group four are Tipperary, Galway and Offaly.

In Division two, Waterford, Dublin, Galway and Clare are in group one and will be based at the De La Salle Club Grounds at Gracedieu. Wexford, Limerick and Kilkenny are in group two and which will be based at the Erin’s Own grounds in Poleberry while Kerry, Tipperary and Cork are in group Three which will be staged at Walsh Park.

Fixtures – Division One – At Mount Sion:

Laois                                      V             Wexford                              at 10am

Waterford                           V             Clare                                      at 10-50am

Laois                                      V             Antrim                                  at 11-40am

Waterford                           V             Limerick                               at 12-30pm

Wexford                              V             Antrim                                  at 1-20pmm

Clare                                      V             Limerick                               at 2-10pm

Group A Winner               V             Groups B Winner                  at 3-50pm

Fixtures – Division One – At Saint Saviours:

Dublin                                   V             Kilkenny                               at 10am

Tipperary                             V             Offaly                                    at 10-50am

Dublin                                   V             Cork                                       at 11-40am

Tipperary                             V             Galway                                 at 12-30pm

Kilkenny                               V             Cork                                       at 1-20pmm

Offaly                                    V             Galway                                 at 2-10pm

Group C Winner               V             Groups D Winner             at 3-50pm

Fixtures – Division Two – At De La Salle:

Waterford                           V             Clare                                     at 10am

Dublin                                   V             Galway                                 at 10-50am

Waterford                           V             Dublin                                   at 12-15pm

Clare                                      V             Galway                                 at 1pm

Waterford                           V             Galway                                 at 2-30pmm

Clare                                      V             Dublin                                   at 3-20pm

Group A Winner               V             Groups B Winner                   at 3-50pm

Fixtures – Division Two – At Erin’s Own:

Wexford                              V             Kilkenny                               at 10am

Kilkenny                               V             Limerick                               at 11-50am

Wexford                              V             Limerick                               at 1-40pm

Group Winner @ Erin’s Own       V             Groups Winner at Walsh Park at 3-20pm

Fixtures – Sonny Walsh – Division Two – At Walsh Park:

Group A Winner                               V             Semi Final Winners (Winners Groups B & C) at 5-30pm

Fixtures – Tony Forristal – Division One – At Walsh Park:

Semi Final Winner @ Mount Sion              V             Semi Final winner @ St Saviours at 6-40pm.

The Annual Carrigdhoun under 15 Tournament takes place at Ballygarvan in Co Cork.

This year there is a new format to the competition.

Games this year are twenty-five minutes a half and in the final, teams will play two twenty minute halves.

This will cut the amount of time that teams will be expected to play compared to other teams. Each team will be guaranteed 100 minutes of action with the teams reaching the final getting 140 minutes of action.

In the event of three or more teams finishing level on points in the group stages of the competition, ‘Scores Against’ will be used to determine the teams that will contest the final.

Fixtures – Division One –

Clare                                      V             Tipperary                             at 10-30am – Pitch One

Cork                                       V             Limerick                               at 10-30am – Pitch Two

Tipperary                             V             Limerick                               at 11-45am – Pitch One

Clare                                      V             Waterford                           at 11-45am – Pitch Two

Cork                                       V             Waterford                           at 1-pm - Pitch One

Fixtures – Division One – Plate Final

Third placed team            V             Fourth placed team        at 2-30pm – Pitch Two

Fixtures – Division One –Final (Ted Henley Cup)

Second Placed team       V             First Placed team             at 2-45pm – Pitch One

Meanwhile Cork, Tipperary and Limerick will take part in the Munster under 15 ‘B’ Tournament at Clarecastle.

Cork play Tipperary at 11am, Limerick and Tipperary clash an hour later while Cork and Limerick meet at 1pm.

The Tipperary Supporters Club sponsored All Ireland under 16 A and B tournaments will take place on Saturday with Clubs in South Tipperary hosting the competition this year.

The A group games will be hosted by Cahir, Moyle Rovers and Clonmel Óg with the St. Mary’s club in Clonmel hosting the finals.

The B group games will be hosted by Fr. Sheehy’s and Ballylooby with the final going ahead at Ballylooby.

The A groups are as follows: 1) Cork, Dublin, Clare and Waterford; 2) Offaly, Wexford, Limerick, Kilkenny; 3) Galway, Tipperary, Antrim and Laois.

The B groups are as follows: 1) Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Kerry; 2) Galway, Cork, Wexford and Waterford.

Group Stages Fixtures

10.30am                                12.15pm                          2pm

Cork v Dublin                        Dublin v Clare                 Cork v Clare

Clare v Waterford                Cork v Waterford           Dublin v Waterford

Galway v Tipperary             Tipperary v Antrim         Galway v Antrim

Antrim v Laois                      Galway v Laois                 Tipperary v Laois

Offaly v Wexford                 Wexford v Limerick         Kilkenny v Wexford

Limerick v Kilkenny             Kilkenny v Offaly              Offaly v Limerick

The Shield final will go ahead at 3-45pm in Clonmel. Cahir and Moyle Rovers will host the semi finals with the final going ahead in Clonmel at 5-15pm.

All games are 15 minutes a side. In the event of a draw in both semi-finals and finals extra time will be played, five minutes aside. If still level the next score wins, maximum of five minutes then sudden death with 65 meter frees.

In all groups, if teams tie on equal points, then the team which won the head to head game will advance. If the game between the two teams that topped the group was a draw, then the team which conceded the LEAST amount of scores (overall total conceded) will go through and if the sides still cannot be separated the side that conceded the LEAST amount of goals will advance.

In the ‘B’ Competition. Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Kerry will take part in group one at Ballylooby while Galway, Cork, Wexford and Waterford will play at the Fr. Sheehy’s Club grounds in Clogheen.

Group Stages Fixtures

10.30am.                               12.00                                                    1.30

Clare      v Tipperary            Tipperary          v Kilkenny                 Clare                    v Kilkenny

Kilkenny v Kerry                  Clare                   v Kerry                      Tipperary             v Kerry

Galway    v Cork                  Cork                    v Wexford                 Galway                v Wexford

Wexford v Waterford        Galway                v Waterford              Cork                    v Waterford

The top team from each group will contest the final at Ballylooby. All games are 15 minutes a side. In the event of a draw in final, extra time will be played, five minutes aside. If still level the next score wins   maximum of five minutes then sudden death with .65 meter frees. If there is a tie for top position, the team with the least amount conceded will advance to the final, and failing a winner to be found that way, the team that concedes the least amount of goals will advance.