Modeligo head to Limerick for Munster Semi Final clash

Modeligo make their second entry into the Munster Club Hurling Championship on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Limerick to take on Limerick champions Feohanagh/Castlemahon in the semi finals of this year’s Junior Hurling Championship.

Modeligo previously played in the competition in 2008 and were beaten by Cork champions Dripsey on a 3-17 to 0-12 score line.

This will be the second game the Limerick side have played in this years championship having beaten Tipperary champions Skeheenarinky at Cahir recently, a game that members of the Modeligo club took the opportunity to make the short journey to see over the Knockmealdown Mountains to see their potential opponents in action.

The Limerick side were only a representative of the Treaty County in the competition when they played Skeheenarinky as they had not won the county final at the time, only winning it last Sunday after a replay against a Na Piarsaigh side who could not play in the Provincial competition as they were a second string side.

The drawn final in Limerick was one that was shrouded in controversy at the end of the hour.

The city side on the night were celebrating on the field after looking up at the score board which showed they were ahead 0-16 to 2-9, but it was up to the Limerick County Chairman Oliver Mann on the night to take procession of the microphone in the Mackey Stand at the Gaelic Grounds and announced that the score on the score board was incorrect that the game had finished in a 0-15 to 2-9 draw.

Strangely the local media after the game in Limerick reported after the game that as the match referee Paddy Lyons was heading to the dressing rooms he confirmed that the score on the score board was correct, but the Limerick County Board insisted on a replay taking place which took place early on Sunday last, this time with no such controversy taking place as Feohanagh/Castlemahon ran out easy winners on a 0-20 to 0-9 score line.

Modeligo head into this game on the back of a great year and what ever happens in this game will not change that.

Both the Junior Hurling and Football leagues in the West of the county have been captured and they then added the Western Final with an excellent win over Colligan who were the favourites of many to win the championship and in the county final they proved far too strong for a Bunmahon side that had surprised many in winning the Eastern championship.

It has to be said that Modeligo travel to Limerick with a very balanced team, and are able to call on some experienced players from the stand if things do not work as planned for the starting fifteen on the day.

Coached by former Ballyduff Upper and Waterford hurler Pa Kearney, they have played an attractive brand of hurling all year and should they go on to December’s final and get the chance to take back to Waterford the trophy that Ballysaggart won last December, they will not let the county down nor will they be lacking support.

In Pa O’Donovan and younger brothers Seanie and Nicky, man of the match in the county final Jamie Troy as well as his brothers Shane and Michael, another set of brothers in Brian and Kieran McCarthy, Thomas ‘Tyler’ Walsh, former Inter county hurler Pat Fitzgerald, and All-Ireland winning minor from 2013 Tom Devine, Modeligo have the players to win this game.

However, while they have trained hard and played some challenge games since their last championship game, nothing beats competitive games which outweighs challenge games or training sessions any day and in the last month, Feohanagh/Castlemahon have played three games and that has to county for something.