West Waterford Championship Draws 2020

The draws for this year’s western championships took place at a West Waterford GAA Board meeting in Dungarvan on Thursday evening last and threw up some very entertaining pairings.

Ten teams will compete in the Intermediate Hurling Championship split into two groups with the top four teams in both groups qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition. The two bottom sides play off to see who drops down a grade in 2021.

Last year’s Divisional and County Junior Champions Saint Mary’s are drawn in Group 1 and will open their campaign with what could well prove to be a very difficult task against Stradbally over the last weekend of March. In the other opening round of fixtures in this group the meeting of Cappoquin and Ardmore who were beaten in last year’s final against Ballysaggart could well prove to be a very entertaining game between two sides with serious expectations of winning this competition while the group is made up by Ballinameela who have a bye in the opening round of fixtures.

Ballyduff Upper who were relegated from the senior ranks last year will be looking to go back up at the first attempt, something they achieve when they were last relegated in 2004. They are drawn in Group 2 and will open their campaign with a game against an An Rinn side that have played in the senior grade themselves in recent years. The second opening round fixture in this group sees Shamrocks take on Clashmore/Kinsalebeg. Modeligo another side expected to make a big push to win this competition complete the group and have a bye in the opening round of fixtures.

If the Intermediate grade in West Waterford could well prove to be a tight competition, the same could well be said of the Junior Grade.

Many are expecting Brickey Rangers who dropped down last year to make the step up at the first attempt, but if they are they will have to beat some very serious opposition along the way. They will also need no telling that the side that drops down in recent years do not automatically go straight back up. They will open their campaign with a game against Tourin. Geraldines and Kilrossanty also clash in the first round of fixtures while the second string sides from Abbeyside and An Rinn also do battle in the opening round of fixtures. Abbeyside last year were beaten in the Western Final of this competition against Saint Mary’s. Colligan are the seventh side vying in this competition.

The top team will advance to the semi finals with the remaining six sides fighting it out in the quarter finals. There will be an open draw for the semi finals.

In the Junior B Championship the second string sides from Lismore, Dungarvan, Ballyduff and Brickey Rangers are all involved as are Abbeyside’s third string side. The top four sides advance to the semi finals.

In the Junior C championship, the second string sides from Cappoquin, Clashmore, Stradbally, Modeligo, Ardmore, Shamrocks and Ballysaggart are all involved as are Kilgobinet and Glen Rovers (Melleray) solitary adult hurling sides. Kilgobinet, Cappoquin, Glen Rovers and Clashmore are in Group 1, while Stradbally, Modeligo, Ardmore, Shamrocks and Ballysaggart are in Group 2. In this competition sides will meet each other on a home or away basis.

In the Western Intermediate Football Championship six teams will be competing where there will be a number of local derby games. Colligan Emmett’s will play neighbours Sliabh gCua in the first round of fixtures. Modeligo who have won this competition in the last two years starts this year’s campaign against Ballinacourty’s second string side while the final first round game sees Dungarvan take on Ballinameela, both of whom have played in the senior grade in recent years.

The top two teams will qualify for the semi finals with the remaining four sides playing in the quarter finals with the third placed team playing the sixth team. The winners of these two games advance to the semi finals with the two losers playing a relegation play off. This strangely means that the third and fourth placed teams be in a relegation play off with maybe the third team missing out on a semi final position on a head to head result with the second team finding themselves relegated.

The Junior Football Championship is split into two groups of four this year. Shamrocks will be hoping to make it three wins in a row this year and that it will be third time lucky in the county final if they do. They will start their campaign in group one with a game against Old Parish while Geraldines will play Ballyduff.

In Group 2 Tallow start with a game against Affane while Ballinacourty’s third string selection start with a local derby clash against Kilgobinet.