Na Piarsaigh aiming for three Daly cups in a row

The 2019 Bon Secours Hospital Limerick Senior Hurling Championship roars back into life this weekend with a full round of fixtures. Holders Na Piarsaigh will be hoping for a historic third consecutive championship and sixth since the turn of the decade.

In Group 1, Adare and Kilmallock kick off proceedings on Saturday evening in Bruff. Kilmallock have been defeated by Na Piarsaigh in each of the past two seasons on their way to the title and the Balbec will be desperate to change that this time around.

As for Adare, contrasting to their footballers, recent times have been barren for the hurlers with two draws last summer just enough to maintain Senior ‘A’ status. Kilmallock will look to this game as a chance to lay down a marker.

The following day sees the county champions in action against recently promoted South Liberties in Mungret.

Na Piarsaigh are as formidable as they come and without the burden of an All-Ireland club campaign, will come into this game as fresh as they have in some time.

The Caherdavin side had fourteen points to spare when these sides last met in 2016 and there could be a similar outcome this weekend.

Patrickswell face Doon in the standout tie of the weekend on Sunday in Kilmallock.

Doon reached a first county final in almost two decades in 2018 while Patrickswell are the last side to lift the Daly Cup outside of Na Piarsaigh. With plenty of inter county talent on show, this game should go down to the wire.

The battles between Aaron Gillane and Richie English as well as that of Darragh O’Donovan and Cian Lynch are worth the admission alone. Doon may well edge it but there wont be more than a score between the sides.

Doon beat Patrickswell in last season’s semi final and ‘The Well’ will be looking to reverse that result on Sunday.

Action in Group 2 begins on Friday night with the clash between Ballybrown and Knockainey in Bruff. After relegation last year, Ballybrown will look to bounce straight back to the top tier, starting with this tie.

Knockainey recorded a solitary win against a Cappamore side who would be relegated last year and so Ballybrown should have too much and start their campaign with a first win since 2017.

Elsewhere on Friday, Monaleen take on Ahane in the Childers Road. In their second year in the senior ranks, Monaleen will be looking to build on a positive first campaign last time out where they secured three wins and a draw.

For Ahane, they will have felt aggrieved to miss out on selection for Senior ‘A’ on its inception last year with All-Ireland winning Morrissey brothers at their disposal. Ahane to edge this one.

The tie between newly promoted Garryspillane and Murroe Boher rounds of the action on Sunday in Caherconlish. Murroe qualified for the knockout stages last year but were beaten well by Kilmallock in the Gaelic Grounds.

After finishing level on points with South Liberties but missing out on promotion on head-to-head, they will look to this year as their chance to gain revenge. However, a seasoned Garryspillane, littered with exceptional young talent look poised to cause a shock in the opening round.