WATCH: Mungret St Pauls’s captain Cian O’Brien expecting a “massive battle” against Cappamore in the PIHC decider

Mungret St Pauls take on Cappamore in the Limerick PIHC final this Sunday in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

For the second consecutive year, Mungret St Pauls will contest the Premier Intermediate final as they look to reach the senior ranks of Limerick hurling for the first time this century.

The city side are the form team in the competition, having won seven of their last eight games at the grade, with the final loss to Kildimo Pallaskenry last summer the only blip.

With four wins from four this year, captain Cian O’Brien says the side are happy where they are but insists that there is work to do.

“Really looking forward to it, we were very happy with the first four games and we were kinda ticking boxes as we went along with topping the group then getting over Glenroe the last day in the semi-final so we’ve four hurlers down and one to go.”

“It’s great to see that the things your doing in training are paying off and we felt that we’ve done a lot of the things we wanted to do but there were areas that we wanted to improve on so if we can build on the last day and tidy up a couple of areas we think we’ll be set for the final”

This Sunday’s clash will be the second meeting of the sides with Mungret winning the group stage game by a pair of points. In 2019 the sides played out a draw at the same stage with O’Brien expecting nothing easy from Cappamore once again.

“We’ll be expecting the same as they are every year, they’ve loads of hurling and they’re well able to fight for the ball as well. I think they’re a small bit different this year, they’ve a couple of younger lads coming into the team this year and the way the game has gone, it’s a young mans game, 25 is nearly too old.

“It’ll be a massive battle, but we’re hoping if we can perform as well as we have been that we’ll get over the line.

“Since I’ve been 16/17 playing with this panel, the aim has always been to go senior, we’re confident that once we get there that we’ll hold our own. It’s just trying to get there, it’s nearly easier to stay up there when you get there but it’s harder to make that final step.

“We’ve always been a club that is focused on long-term goals, I think we need to keep remembering that we’ve got a job to do at the moment and our main job is that we get a win in two weeks time.

“It’s great that we’ve plans for building facilities but it’s not worth a whole lot if you’re building facilities and still intermediate.”

Watch the full interview with O’Brien below.

Mungret St Pauls take on Cappamore in the 2021 Premier Intermediate Hurling Final on Sunday October 24 in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Watch live on Limerick GAA TV