Opinion: Limerick’s “Premier” hurling championship takes centre stage this Thursday

This Thursday all eight teams in Limerick’s Premier Intermediate Championship are in action, with the competition taking a break after Thursday until early August, However, this is set to be changed should Limerick repeat their heroics from 2018.

The games that are down for decision tonight are as follows with the venue in brackets:

• Mungret St Pauls v Dromin/Athlacca (Mick Neville Park)
• Kildimo/Pallaskenry v Blackrock (Kilmallock)
• Pallasgreen v Bruff (Hospital)
• Bruree v Cappamore (Bruff)

As is the nature of the championship, there are no groups with each team playing each other once with the top four advancing to the semi-finals, with the bottom two meeting in a relegation play-off. The beauty about this format is that each team gets to face each other at least once with no teams kept apart until the knockout stages.

However, what makes the Premier Intermediate championship stand out is the sheer level of competition seen week in, week out. While last weeks senior championship threw up a number of shocks, there still is a clear divide between the top four and everyone else. Na Piarsaigh, Kilmallock, Patrickswell and Doon are so far ahead of the pack, it often leads to mismatches as shown in South Liberties opening two games in the competition. Adare to their credit have improved but on their day the top four are far too powerful for the rest.

However, in the premier intermediate grade, rarely do teams canter to victory. Since it’s inception in 2014, the winners of the PIHC are as follows, Bruff (2014), Bruree (2015), Monaleen (2016), Murroe-Boher (2017) and Garryspillane (2018). While the first two winners have since been relegated, Bruff did appear in the final last winter. Monaleen have performed well at senior level, firmly establishing themselves in the top tier while last summer Murroe Boher were only a superior goal difference away from gaining promotion to Senior ‘A’.

After two rounds of the competition in 2019, Mungret and Kildimo/Pallaskenry lead the chasing pack with a pair of wins each. Both these sides reached the semi-finals in 2018 and look set to challenge again this year. Yet Mungret and KP are relatively new to the competition, winning the Intermediate championship in 2016 and ‘17 respectively. Indeed in their first year in this competition Mungret faced Effin in a relegation final, Effin themselves being in the senior ranks just a few years previously.

Bruff currently lie on three points, with newly promoted Dromin/Athlacca a point behind. Pallasgreen, Bruree and Blackrock are all tied on one point, demonstrating the amount of draws already. Amazingly, Cappamore, who were a senior outfit last summer are the only pointless side thus far showing the quality of the competition. For a Feonagh side who reached the semi-finals in 2017, last year would end in relegation for Seamus Flanagan’s side such is the nature of the beast.

Although only six of John Kiely’s senior squad ply their trade at this grade, the talent on show is there for all to see. For every Kyle Hayes, David Reidy or Sean Finn, there are relatively unknown starlets dotted through the competition ranging from KP’s Liam Griffin to Pallasgreen’s Brian Fanning to Mungret’s Paul O’Brien.

While the Munster championship is little over three weeks away, try to get your last fix of hurling in beforehand this Thursday.