Limerick Intermediate Footbal Championship Preview

Like the Senior Football Championship, the Limerick Intermediate Football Championship will feature four groups of three when it returns this weekend.

Galtee Gaels were 2019 champions with the majority of the 12-teams harbouring genuine aspirations of promotion.

Below Jack Neville previews the championship.

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Group 1

• Claughaun
• Mountcollins
• Rathkeale

Claughaun looked to be the form team heading into the knockout stages of the Intermediate football championship last summer with four wins and a draw from their five games guaranteeing them a berth in the semi-finals. The break seemed to go against them as Gerald Griffins, who had come through the quarters defeated them 0-11 to 0-7 to end their hopes of returning to the Senior ranks for the first time since 2010. They will be hopeful of securing a round one win before facing Rathkeale. However, on Monday it was announced that there was a Covid case among one of thier members which has put their participation in doubt.

The groups opener pits Claughaun against Mountcollins. Since earning promotion to the Intermediate championship in 2013, the West side have only reached the knockout stages on one occasion, in 2017 when they fell to Claughaun incidentally. Last summer they needed a final day win over Kildimo Pallaskenry to avoid the relegation play-off as it proved to be their only win of a disappointing campaign. They are certainly the outsiders in the group.

After losing the decider in 2018, Rathkeale threw away a late six point lead in the quarter-finals to Gerald Griffins in 2019. As such they wlll come into the 2020 campaign with plenty to prove as they will be hoping for third time lucky in the second tier. They are littered with talent and should have more than enough to secure a win from their games to book a last eight spot where they will be hoping to avenge last years collapse. Expect them to defeat Mountcollins and set up a top-of-the-table clash with Claughaun with the sides having played out an entertaining 3-10 to 2-13 draw last year.

Predicted Finish

1. Rathkeale
2. Claughaun
3. Mountcollins

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Group 2

• Gerald Griffins
• St Patricks
• Pallasgreen

Gerald Griffins will come into this championship still harbouring the wounds of last years final loss where they were defeated by Galtee Gaels in a replay. The west side controlled large parts of the first game but needed a late goal to bring it to a replay. In that replay, a second half goal would ultimately prove the difference as they fell to a 1-11 to 0-12 loss. Nonetheless, they will be among the favourites with the likes of Tommy Griffin, Colm McSweeney, Ger Stack and Jim Liston at their disposal.

They kick off the group with a tie against St Patricks. St Pats were relegated from the SFC in 2018 and had three wins from their five group games in their first year back at Intermediate. They were 1-13 to 2-7 losers against Galtee Gaels in the quarter-finals with the Gaels going on to win promotion. Their hurling side have a relegation semi-final awaiting in early September which could have a bearing on the footballers who would be confident of progressing otherwise. However, in Gearoid Hegarty they have one of the county’s top footballers.

Awaiting in Round 2 are Pallasgreen. They will have been very disappointed in their 2019 showing, winning just one game all summer, just twelve months removed form losing in the semi-final to eventual winners Galbally. Contrasting to St Patricks, their hurlers have a quarter-final to look forward to. It is only four years since they plyed their trade at Senior level with Group 2 looking like the Group of Death.

Predicted Finish

1. Gerald Griffins
2. St Patricks
3. Pallasgreen

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Group 3

• St Senans
• Bruff
• Glin

2017 Champions St Senans will once again be a part of the Intermediate championship after their abysmal 2019 in the Senior Championship which yielded five group stage losses before a disappointing loss to Drom Broadford in the relegation final. Injuries to key players was a factor in last years performances and many of those will be back for 2020. The threatened promotion for a number of years prior to 2017 and expect them to be there or thereabouts at the conclusion this year.

In their opener they take on Bruff who had a mixed 2019 campaign. They beat Pallasgreen and Athea to secure their Intermediate status but this only came after an embarrasing 4-21 to 0-1 loss to Rathkeale where they opened the scoring. Nonetheless, Bruff are a hugely experienced side at this level and will look to take advantage of the shortened season and St Senans poor 2019 form.

Glin will be hoping for a much better after escaping relegation by the skin of their teeth last summer. A solitary win over Mountcollins saw them resigned to the decider where they were 1-11 to 0-13 winners over West neighbours Athea. Again they will be looking to take advantage of the fact that there are only two group games with their clash with Bruff likely to determine who heads for the knockout stages and relegation play-offs.

Predicted Finish

1. St Senans
2. Bruff
3. Glin

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Group 4

• Mungret
• Monaleen
• Kildimo Pallaskenry

Mungret St Pauls will come into this competition ruing missed chances from previous years. Last year they held a lead over Galtee Gaels late on before losing out in extra-time. In 2016, there was only a point separating them and Adare, who would go on to win back-to-back senior championships. As such, they will feel like they have the pedigree to go all the way in 2020 and will be looking to lay down a marker against Monaleen’s second side.

Monaleen will be huge underdogs in this competition as the grades only second string team. However, they showed during the 2019 season, that they have more than enough to compete beating the likes of Castlemahon, Kilteely Dromkeen on the way to the final before beating Croom in the decider. It will be extremely tough for them to progress but their underage success in recent years makes them dark horses.

Rounding out the group is 2018 Junior Champions Kildimo Pallaskenry. Their first campaign in the senior division did not quite go to plan for the city side as they only registered a single win from their five group games. However, in Tony McCarthy and Peter Nash they have a pair of senior intercounty footballers. That experience of the IFC last year should prove beneficial but they could also be hampered by their hurling side reaching the last four of the Premier Intermediat championship.