AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship final
Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry (Galway) v Watergrasshill (Cork)
SUNDAY, 2:30pm, Croke Park
What do Watergrasshill, Sarsfields and Russell Rovers all have in common? It sounds like the start of a bad joke. It’s altogether more serious, and when it becomes reality this weekend then Cork folk may well be delirious.
The simple answer is they are all All-Ireland club hurling finalists. Uncovering that particular mystery is more Scooby-Doo than Sherlock Holmes.
More of an achievement still is the fact all three clubs belong to the little region of Imokilly on the outskirts of Cork City. Local media have described it as ‘The Bermuda Triangle’. On Sunday, it could be more of a golden one.
Standing in Watergrasshill’s way in the IHC decider are Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry. This has been coming for the Galway outfit, who were defeated in last year’s county final before undoing Kinvara this time around.
Their group matches were each a formality, winning by 20 points and 11 points before crushing Clarinbridge by 25.
Though the win over Kinvara was only by five, the margin was irrelevant as a side containing All-Ireland winner Shane Moloney won a first Galway IHC title since 2009. On that occasion, St Gall’s ended their dreams in the last four of the race for national glory.
The Tribesmen will be sweating over a late appeal for the goal hungry Thomas Murphy, who was sent off in the semi-final win over Wexford’s Rathnure.
Watergrasshill are fairly decent favourites, and Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry manager Mattie Kenny made clear his side face an almighty battle if they are to take home silverware:
“They’re a formidable team. Seven of these guys were involved on the Imokilly team that won the Cork Senior Hurling Championship (Imokilly could not progress beyond Cork due to their status as an amalgamation).
“I’ve watched them play. They play that typical Cork brand of hurling. Very pacy, very skilful, very attacking and they’re going to ask a lot of questions on Sunday.”
AIB All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship final
Russell Rovers (Cork) v St Lachtain’s (Kilkenny)
SUNDAY, 12:30pm, Croke Park
It’s All-Ireland hurling club final day and there’d be few heads to turn at the fact that it’s a Kilkenny-Cork final once more.
2025 marks the fourth year in five that The Cats and The Rebels have been represented in the Junior decider, with Walter Walsh’s Tullogher-Rosbercon defeating St Catherine’s by 11 this time last year.
Only Sligo’s Easkey have intersected the bi-county dominance in the last half a decade, and ironically that was the only year that a Cork outfit took the spoils as Ballygiblin had their name etched on the cup.
A victory for St Lachtain’s on Sunday would mean a ninth title heading to the Marble County in 13 years, and they are slight favourites with recent history on their side against Russell Rovers.
Having beaten Easkey in their semi-final, St Lachtain’s are no strangers to the big occasion, winning Kilkenny senior titles in the 1960′s and claiming All-Ireland Intermediate success 15 years ago.
Former Kilkenny panellist James Maher is a real threat for the Freshford men.
Russell Rovers for their part were beaten All-Ireland finalists in 2020, with Josh Beausang one of their primary ball-winners up top.
Brian Hartnett is another who can do damage, and with the experience of five years ago in the bank, he is primed for another launch on HQ:
“To keep going on through the provincial and get to an All-Ireland final – it’s like lightning striking twice, to be here again.
“It’s a strange one. There was obviously disappointment in 2020. Going up there and not getting the result we wanted.
“We were beaten by the better team on the day, maybe the occasion might have got the better of us.
“That will stand to us now, that a lot of the lads have been in this situation already.”
There’s also irony in the kit situation, with both sides donning a black and amber home kit, the very same colours as last year’s champions Tullogher-Rosbercon.
Russell Rovers will be looking to go one better than last year’s finalists St Catherine’s - who they beat in this year’s county final - but The Cats should edge it.