First Senior Football semi final this weekend.

Senior Football Semi Finals

The first of this year’s County Senior Football championships takes place this weekend when reigning Champions Stradbally take on An Rinn in Fraher Field on Saturday evening.

The Champions have reached this stage of the competition in some style and will go into this game in a very confident mood.

An Rinn however are through to this years semi final on merit. There was a feeling that this game would be the first time that the Ring Club featured in the last four of the senior football championship, but it is in fact the second time that they reached the semi finals, their last time doing so came nearly a century ago when they lost the 1925 semi final against Clashmore.

Most will have Stradbally as favourites for this game, but nobody should be surprised if they were to have their interest in this year’s championship brought to an end this weekend.

Over An Rinn is none other than Pat Curran, the former Stradbally and Waterford inter county goalkeeper, who last year helped the cove men beat The Nire in a replayed county final and came very close to beating the Cork champions in the semi finals.

Packo as he is known far and wide will know the strengths and weaknesses of each and every one of the Stradbally panel and no doubt he will be telling the An Rinn players these strengths and weaknesses since the draw was made for the semi finals just over a week ago.

Stradbally will go into this game as the favourites and it is hard not to argue why they are the favourites.

They have over the past year have proven to be a much more open side than they were in previous years. They have played a more attractive style of football this year than they have in times past and in doing so they have put up some very good scores in the process.

For me and for many, Stradbally should be strong enough to come through in this game, but no way would I be shocked if their interest in the championship was to be brought to an end.

Fixture

An Rinn V Stradbally in Fraher Field on Saturday at 7-30pm.

Intermediate Football Finals

The intermediate Footballer finals in the East and the West of the county are due to be played this coming weekend, and by 3-15pm or shortly after it on Sunday afternoon barring the need for a replay in either division we should know which two teams will fight it out to decide who will replace the Brickeys in the top flight in 2014.

In the East of the county, last years Eastern Champions and beaten County Finalists take on John Mitchells who played in the senior grade in the recent past, and in the west it is Geraldine’s and Ballyduff Upper that will do battle.

The fact that De La Salle and John Mitchell’s will do battle in the Eastern Final (Saturday in Walsh Park at 4-30pm) is not a major surprise, but there may be some surprised with the pairing in the west of the county.

Geraldine’s were always favourites to reach this stage of the championships, but to some having Ballyduff there is somewhat of a surprise as some would have expected the likes of Ballinacourty and The Nire’s second string sides as well as Sliabh gCua and Dungarvan would have a better chance of winning the title.

Ballyduff however are there on merit and will provide strong opposition for the men from the Aglish and Villierstown areas.

De La Salle and Geraldine’s will go into this weekends games as the favourites and most will feel that they should come through, but the chances of Ballyduff Upper and John Mitchell’s cannot be dispelled too easily.

Fixtures –

Eastern Final   De La Salle V John Mitchells in Walsh Park on Saturday at 4-30pm

Western Final  Geraldine’s V Ballyduff Upper in Fraher Field on Sunday at 2pm

Western Intermediate Hurling Final

This years Western Intermediate Hurling Final is sure to attract a good attendance to Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon next when near neighbours Ardmore and Clashmore do battle.

In the semi finals both sides had good wins over Brickeys and Cappoquin, the two sides that topped the respective groups in the Western Division this year.

Ardmore had Seamus Prendergast in fine form in their win over Brickeys hitting 1-13 of his side’s tally of 1-16.

Clashmore’s top scorer in their win over Cappoquin was Tadhg Bourke who scored nine points from centre half back.

Both sides have some very good players to choose from.

Ardmore will have the Garland’s, the Hennessey’s Conor O’Shea, Kenny Murphy, Michael Cronin as well as their big gun’s brothers Declan and Seamus Prendergast as well as former inter county goalkeeper Clinton Hennessy.

Clashmore will be looking to a number of players that were part of successful underage inter county teams in recent years such as Ed O’Halloran and Paul O’Connor who recently won All-Ireland Minor Medals, Tadhg Bourke who was a minor last year and a Dr Harty Cup winner with Coláiste na Déise and Darren Foley was a stand out player for Waterford at Minor level a year or two before this.

They however could well be set to start without Brian O’Halloran after he picked up an injury while playing football. If he is out it will be a blow to his sides chances, but if he is out it could well mean that the players that do play may well step up a level or two to make up for his loss.

The winning and loosing of this game is to where the top scorers for the two side’s last time out will start.

Tadhg Bourke it could be taken as a certainty will start at centre back but will Seamus Prendergast start at full forward as he did last time out or will he move out to centre forward and maybe try and nullify the influence of Tadhg Bourke. If he does, then it is the winner of this battle side that could come out on top.

It’s Ardmore for me that will come out on top in this game but it could be very close.

Fixture – Ardmore V Clashmore on Sunday in Fraher Field at 3-30pm.

Junior Football Finals

The two divisional Junior Football finals are down to be played this weekend.

In the west it is Colligan against Shamrocks this evening (Friday) in Fraher Field while tomorrow Kill and Mount Sion do battle in Walsh Park.

In the west of the county when the sides met earlier in the league section of the championship, Colligan came out on top comfortably and would be expected to come out on top, but things may be a little closer than last time around.

In the East Mount Sion are challenging for the past few years and have won a number of divisional finals but have yet to win a county. They have some very good footballers to choose from and could well prove to be that little too strong for Kill

Fixtures –

West - Colligan V Shamrocks in Fraher Field on Friday at 8pm

East – Mount Sion V Kill in Walsh Park on Saturday at 2-45pm

Ladies Football

It’s a big weekend for Ladies Football in the county as four of our club sides are in Munster Club action at two different venues.

Saint Anne’s and Comeragh Rangers will be heading to Co Tipperary to play opposition from Cork and Clare, while for Ballymacarbry and Brickeys it’s a trip to Co Cork to play opposition from Kerry.

Saint Anne’s will play Boherbue from Cork in Tipperary Town on Sunday at 1-30 and it will be followed at the same venue with the meeting of Comeragh Rangers and Newmarket-on-Fergus from Clare at 3-30pm

Brickeys will play Na Gaeil from Kerry in Ballyhooly at 1-30pm and at 2-45pm Ballymacarbry will play Laurne Rangers.

No doubt, the players and supporters of the Waterford teams involved in the second games will be getting to the ground early to support the sides in the first games and the players and supports of the teams in the first games will be staying on to support the Waterford teams in the second games.

Fixtures – All on Sunday:

Brickeys V Na Gaeil in Ballyhooly at 1pm

Saint Anne’s V Boherbue in Tipperary Town at 1-30pm

Ballymacarbry V Laurne Rangers in Ballyhooly at 2-45pm

Comeragh Rangers V Newmarket-on-Fergus in Tipperary Town at 3-30pm

Munster Championship

The draws for the 2014 Senior Hurling and Football Championships were made last night and for Waterford, some tough games lie in store.

In hurling, Waterford have drawn the long straw and will have to play a Munster Quarter Final where they will play our great rivals – Cork and if that was hard enough, All-Ireland champions Clare lie in the long grass for the winners in the semi finals.

In Football, Waterford has drawn another long straw.

In a seeded quarter final draw, Waterford were paired with Clare meaning that a visit to Ennis lies in store, and if Waterford were to come through this game, they will have Kerry as visitors to Fraher Field in the semi finals.

Munster Colleges GAA

Waterford’s sole representatives in this year’s Dean Ryan Cup (Munster Under 16 ½ Hurling), will be Blackwater Community School from Lismore after they had a 1-15 to 1-12 win over St Caimin’s from Shannon during the week.

Waterford’s other representative’s in the competition De La Salle College suffered a 1-16 to 1-5 loss against Ard Scoil Ris from Limerick on Tuesday.

In the semi final’s Blackwater Community School will take on Midleton CBS after they overcame the challenge of Thurles CBS (1-24 to 1-5) while Ard Scoil Ris will play Our Lady’s from Templemore who beat Rochestown 3-20 to 4-13 on Wednesday.

In the Under 16 ½ ‘B’ Competition Dungarvan CBS are through to the last eight of the competition after they beat St Joseph’s from Tulla and will play Nenagh CBS next time out.

Pobail Scoil na Trionóide from Youghal are also through after they bear the Patrician Academy from Mallow and will play the winners of Castletroy College and Coláiste Threasa from Kanturk in two weeks time.

In the Munster ‘C’ Championship, Waterford’s interest in the competition is halved after this weeks games.

Out of the competition are gone Comeragh College from Carrick-on-Suir who lost to Rice College from Ennis, while Tramore CBS lost to St Anne’s from Killaloe.

St Paul’s are through to the last eight of the competition after they beat Desmond College 3-16 to 3-6 while St Declan’s from Kilmacthomas beat Pallaskenry (5-13 to 1-8).

In the quarter finals, St Paul’s will play Scarriff and Kilmacthomas will play Hazelwood. The good news for both if they were to come through these games is that the two cannot meet in the semi finals, so giving the chance of an All-Waterford final.

In the ‘D’ Competition, Waterford’s last remaining team left in the competition – Mount Sion had a massive 9-15 to 3-9 win over Newport College. In the semi final, the Monastery men will play either Tralee CBS or St Munchin’s.

Dr Harty Cup

The second round of games in this year’s Dr Harty Cup is due to take place next Wednesday and again there will be lots of Waterford Interest.

Blackwater Community School who lost to Dungarvan CBS last time out will be looking for a first win in this year’s competition when they take on Rochestown College from Cork.

Dungarvan CBS will be looking for back to back wins when they take on Midleton CBS.

De La Salle don’t have a game this week, but Pobail Scoil na Trionóide from Youghal will take on last years beaten finalists Our Lady’s from Templemore while Clonmel CBS have a game against Charleville.

Waterford has no interest in the Munster ‘B’ Championship this year but there still is plenty of interest in the lower grades of competition.

In the ‘C’ Competition, there is an all Waterford clash between St Augustine’s from Abbeyside and St Declan’s from Kilmacthomas. Tramore CBS will play Pallaskenry, and Comeragh College from Carrick will play Macroom.

In the ‘D’ Competition, Mount Sion will play Coláiste Chraobhín from Fermoy, Carrick on Suir will play Scoil Mhuire from Thurles and Mean Scoil San Nicholas from Ring will play Gael Scoil Ciarrai.

No times or venues are announced yet for the games, but keep an eye on my twitter account (@thomaskeane1973) and I will have them up there.