Ladies Footballers head to Kilkenny to kick off championship

It is the first of three games for Shine’s team, as they will play a further two matches, both at home, against Sligo and Down.

Graham Shine’s Limerick side get their championship campaign underway this Sunday, as they travel to Kilkenny for the opening round of the Junior Ladies Football championship. The game throws in at 2pm and is the first of three games for Shine’s team, as they will play a further two matches, both at home, against Sligo and Down.

The top two from each group will progress to the semi-finals, with the winner of the competition being promoted to next year’s intermediate championship.

Limerick will be hoping for a case of fourth time lucky as they have been beaten at the penultimate stage of the championship in each of the years since being relegated to the bottom tier.

Limerick beat Louth in the final of the Junior championship in 2018, earning promotion to the Intermediate grade, but got relegated straight back down to Junior in 2019.

Since then it has been a case of near misses with four consecutive semi-final defeats.

The game this weekend will be streamed live and can be purchased here.

Shine’s side had an impressive league campaign, which included a large win over this weekend’s opponents Kilkenny, where a positive group stage effort was let down by a semi-final exit. They will take some confidence from their previous meeting against the Cats who are back in the championship after a hiatus.

When they met in the first round of the league, Limerick powered to a 4-13 to 0-2 win in Dunmore. It would begin a run of disappointing defeats for the Leinster side with a ten point loss to Derry the closest they got to any side. Heavy losses to Leitrim and Fermanagh were sandwiched between the Derry result.

Meanwhile, Limerick were beaten by eventual champions Antrim in the semi-final of the league. Still, it was another positive Spring campaign for Graham Shine and his side who bedded in a couple of new players whilst also welcoming back more.

And it should be as straightforward a start to the championship as it was the league this Sunday when they travel to Kilkenny.

Limerick face Kilkenny in John Locke Park in the first round of the Lidl Ladies All-Ireland Junior Football Championship this Sunday at 2pm.

Watch Limerick v Kilkenny

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