PREVIEW | 2022 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship

Kilmallock enter the competition as champions as they outlasted Patrickswell in last October’s final before going on to reach the Munster decider.

The Limerick Senior Hurling Championship kicks off this evening with twelve teams vying for the Daly Cup title.

Adare and Ahane meet on Thursday evening with the other first round games split between Friday and Saturday.

Na Piarsaigh are favourites for a seventh title since 2011 while Kilmallock are the holders. They beat Patrickswell in last year’s final before losing to Ballygunner in the Munster final.

Last year’s finalists as well as Na Piarsaigh and Doon have been the final four in each year since 2017 as the rest of the field look to break the monopoly on semi-final spots.

Adare and Ahane are the other teams in group one while the second group is very difficult to call. Ballybrown were relegated from the top tier but are favourites to bounce back while Kildimo Pallaskenry were county cup champions in their first year back in the senior ranks.

South Liberties pushed Kilmallock all the way in last year’s quarter final while premier intermediate champions Mungret St Pauls will be keen to have a say on proceedings.

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With Limerick’s All-Ireland campaign coming to an end less than a forntight ago, a couple of teams will be without key players, notably Patrickswell who will have to plan in place of Cian Lynch who picked up an injury prior to the final with Kilkenny.

But with the championship reverting to two groups of six, having five group games allows for some leeway with Kilmallock proving the value of peaking at the right time following on from their opening day loss last year.

It is all to play for as arguably the premier competition in the country returns with each team harbouring genuine ambitions of success.

Group One

Adare

Last Year: Quarter-finals, promoted from Group Two.

Key Players: Declan Hannon, Ronan Connolly, Willie Griffin

Total Titles: 5

Last Title: 2009

Odds: 20/1

First Round Fixture: v Ahane

Ahane

Last Year: Beat Ballybrown in relegation final

Key Players: Tom & Dan Morrissey, Ciaran Barry

Total Titles: 19

Last Title: 2004

Odds: 25/1

First Round Fixture: v Adare

Doon

Last Year: Lost semi-final to Kilmallock

Key Players: Richie English, Darragh O’Donovan, Barry Murphy, Pat Ryan, Adam English

Total Titles: 0

Last Title: N/A

Odds: 5/1

First Round Fixture: v Na Piarsaigh

Kilmallock

Last Year: Champions. Beat Patrickswell in final

Key Players: Graeme Mulcahy, Oisin O’Reilly, Michael Houlihan, Aaron Costello, Barry Hennessy, Robbie Hanley

Total Titles: 12

Last Title: 2021

Odds: 11/2

First Round Fixture: Patrickswell

Na Piarsaigh

Last Year: Lost semi-final to Patrickswell

Key Players: Mike & Peter Casey, Conor Boylan, William O’Donoghue, David Dempsey.

Total Titles: 6

Last Title: 2020

Odds: 4/6

First Round Fixture: Doon

Patrickswell

Last Year: Lost to Kilmallock in final

Key Players: Diarmaid Byrnes, Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch.

Total Titles: 20

Last Title: 2019

Odds: 11/2

First Round Fixture: Kilmallock

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Group Two

Ballybrown

Last Year: Lost Group One relegation final to Ahane

Key Players: Aidan O’Connor, Colin Coughlan, Josh Adams

Total Titles: 2

Last Title: 1991

Odds: 33/1

First Round Fixture: Blackrock

Blackrock

Last Year: Beat Monaleen in relegation final

Key Players: Jimmy Quilty, Paudie Leahy, Richie McCarthy, Dylan Dawson

Total Titles: 0

Last Title: N/A

Odds: 100/1

First Round Fixture: Ballybrown

Garryspillane

Last Year: Knocked out in group stages

Key Players: Mark Quinlan, Dylan O’Shea, Eoin O’Mahony, Eoin Sheehan

Total Titles: 1

Last Title: 2005

Odds: 80/1

First Round Fixture: South Liberties

Kildimo Pallaskenry

Last Year: Knocked out in group stages

Key Players: Kyle Hayes, Darren O’Connell, Barry O’Connell

Total Titles: 0

Last Title: N/A

Odds: 50/1

First Round Fixture: Mungret St Pauls

Mungret St Pauls

Last Year: Won Premier Intermediate Championship

Key Players: Rory & Barry Duff, Patrick Begley

Total Titles: 0

Last Title: N/A

Odds: 50/1

First Round Fixture: Kildimo Pallaskenry

South Liberties

Last Year: Lost to Adare in promotion final

Key Players: Barry Nash, Brian Ryan, Conor McSweeney

Total Titles: 7

Last Title: 1981

Odds: 20/1

First Round Fixture: Garryspillane