PREVIEW | First Munster Senior Football final for Newcastle West in 35 years as they face Kerins O’Rahillys

Dromcollogher Broadford were the last and only Limerick club to win the championship when they were crowned champions in 2008.

Newcastle West have the opportunity to clinch their first ever Munster Senior Football Club Championship when they take on Kerins O’Rahillys in Saturday’s final. The time and date for the game was changed on Friday with Mallow now hosting at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

It’s the first final appearance for Newcastle West since 1987, where they were beaten 5-15to 2-03 by Nemo Rangers who claimed their seventh of 17 Munster titles, the most of any side in the competition’s history.

Despite qualifying for the provincial championship on five separate occasions including this year’s campaign, it’s the first time they’ve reached the final since the defeat in ’87, with two semi-final and two quarter-final defeats following the Magpies. 1992 and 2019 saw NCW crash out at the quarters while heart-breaking semi-final defeats to Clonmel Commercials and Nemo Rangers in 2015 and ’21 respectively put them in touching distance of a final.

But 2022 was a year of redemption for Jimmy Lee’s men who have been unstoppable since the first whistle of the Limerick SFC. An opening day win against Monaleen would be the first of eight so far this season, including their extra-time final win over Adare.

Their Munster championship campaign began less than a fortnight ago, as they avenged their 2015 defeat against Clonmel Commercials with a 1-16 to 1-11 win over the Tipperary champions, despite being massive underdogs before the game. Emmet Rigter bagged the all-important goal to seal a Munster final place against the Kerry outfit.

Newcastle West – Path to the final

Limerick SFC

• R1 : 2-7 : 0-8 v Monaleen (W)
• R2 : 2-9 : 0-8 v Oola (W)
• R3 : 3-13 : 0-7 v Galbally (W)
• R4 : 1-16 : 0-6 v Claughaun (W)
• R5 : 0-12 : 0-11 v Fr. Casey’s (W)
• SF: 1-10 : 0-10 v Monaleen (W)
• Final: 1-11 : 2-5 v Adare [AET] (W)
• Munster SF: 1-16 : 1-11 v Clonmel Commercials [AET] (W)

Their opponents, Kerins O’Rahillys, are also set to make their second Munster Senior Football final appearance following the 2009 defeat to Kilmurry Ibrickane that ended 0-7 to 0-6 in the Clare sides favour. Kilmurry Ibrickane were beaten by Drom Broadford in the final the previous year as they remain Limerick’s sole winner of the competition.

Kerins O’Rahilly’s run to the Munster final has been far from straight forward as the Strand Road side were beaten in each of their county championship ties. However, East Kerry’s triumph in the championship meant the club champions progressed as Kerry representatives. They were 0-15 to 0-14 winners over Templenoe in October’s senior club decider.

They kicked off their Munster campaign with a narrow 1-9 to 0-8 win over Eire Og Ennis a fortnight ago. Tommy Walsh hit the back of the net for O’Rahilly’s and added another two points to get them over the line after they lost David Moran to a red card early on. The Tralee outfit can boast a number of All-Ireland winners in their ranks including Moran, Walsh, Barry John Keane as well as the likes of Cormac Coffey and Jack Savage.

Kerry’s dominance and Limerick’s lack thereof in the Munster championships has KOR favourites to win the tie with 4/9 odds while Newcastle West are priced at 9/4.

However, NCW were heavy underdogs last time out against Commercials but sent the 2016 champions packing after extra-time.

It’s been fourteen years since a team for Limerick has jotted their name on the roll of honour, while Kerry haven’t been successful in the competition since 2018, despite having five of the last ten years to their name.

Last 10 Munster Senior Club Championship winners 

• 2012: Dr Crokes (Kerry)
• 2013 :Dr Crokes (Kerry)
• 2014: Austin Stacks (Kerry)
• 2015: Clonmel Commercials(Tipperary)
• 2016: Dr Crokes (Kerry)
• 2017: Nemo Rangers(Cork)
• 2018: Dr Crokes (Kerry)
• 2019: Nemo Rangers(Cork)
• 2020: N/A
• 2021: St Finbarrs (Cork)

A new name will be etched on the title come Saturday night, but will it be Newcastle West or Kerins O’Rahillys?

Newcastle West face Kerins O’Rahillys this Saturday at 3pm in Mallow in the Senior Munster Club Football Championship Final.