Talking Points | NCW pick up memorable Munster win, drama for KP & Doon complete U21 three-in-a-row

The Limerick football contingent kicked off their Munster Club championship campaigns at the weekend.

It was an eventful first weekend of December for Limerick GAA with three sides in Munster Club Football Championship action.

The Premier U21 Hurling final also took place with plenty to digest after Saturday and Sunday.

Newcastle West end 13-year wait

In 2008, Dromcollogher Broadford became Limerick’s first ever Munster champions as they beat Clare kingpins Kilmurry Ibrickane in the decider after disposing of Nemo Rangers in a memorable semi-final.

Since then, Drom, Monaleen, Ballylanders, Newcastle West and Adare have all been beaten in the first hurdle in the provincial championships.

But after a thirteen year wait, Newcastle West finally picked up a win in Munster as they outlasted the Nire 0-8 to 0-6 on Saturday afternoon.

In tricky conditions, the Magpies had to work very hard to build up a lead before holding their opponents scoreless in the final twenty minutes.

Bigger tests lay ahead in the form of Austin Stacks in the semi-final on December 18/19 but NCW’s win is another step in the right direction for Limerick football.

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Kildimo Pallaskenry fall in Munster after ‘ghost goal’

Heading towards the half with a deserved four point lead, Kildimo Pallaskenry would have been delighted with their performance away to Corofin in the Munster Club IFC. Peter Nash’s excellent goal helped them assert their dominance with John Chawke’s side in control.

But on the stroke of half time, Corofin had a goal wrongly allowed to stand with Diarmuid Cahill handpassing over the line, with the umpires insisting that KP defender Brian Howard carried the ball over the line despite not taking a backward step.

Munster IFC quarter final

35| GOAL COROFIN. Huge controversy, Diarmuid Cahill handpasses over the head of Jamie Hickey past the line, caught behind the line by Brian Howard but the goal is awarded by the referee.

Kildimo Pallaskenry 1-4
Corofin 1-3

— Jack Neville (@JackNev30) December 5, 2021

In the end, Corofin were the better side over the course of the hour, completely dominating the second half, outscoring Kildimo Pallas 0-10 to 0-2.

But while there will be ‘what-ifs’ for the city club, KP will look back fondly on 2021 as they secured dual senior status as they now prepare for a maiden season in the top tier of Limerick football.

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Doon’s time is coming

Finalists in 2018 and 2020, twice Doon have suffered Limerick SHC final defeats to Na Piarsaigh as their search for a first ever senior title goes on.

But there is little doubting that their time is coming as they secured a third successive Premier U21 title on Sunday afternoon beating Na Piarsaigh 3-19 to 1-14.

Once again the star of the show was 18-year-old Adam English who continues to justify the hype surrounding him. The starlet scored 1-6 from play with a further five from placed balls in another exhibition type performance.

Look at the wheels on Limerick U20 hurler Adam English ⚡⚡pic.twitter.com/DzYbiPFYLp

— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 19, 2021

He scored 0-16 in his senior championship debut earlier this summer as well as a stunning solo goal for the Limerick U20s against Clare.

Outside of English, the Doon side contained the likes of Chris Thomas, Eddie Stokes, Cian O’Donovan and Jack Ryan who were all regulars for the senior side earlier this year.

Doon have reached five successive semi-finals in the SHC and with the talent coming through, not to mention All-Ireland winners in Richie English, Darragh O’Donovan, Barry Murphy and Pat Ryan, it is only a matter of time before they make the breakthrough.

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Attention shifts to the Munster Club Hurling Championships

Just one Limerick side remains in the Munster Club Championship after both KP and Mountcollins were beaten in their respective quarter-finals.

And this weekend, three more Limerick teams will make their provincial debuts this season as Kilmallock, Mungret St Pauls and Caherline prepare for the hurling championship.

Kilmallock and Mungret St Pauls will welcome Cork opposition to the TUS Gaelic Grounds while Caherline travel to Kildorrey to take on Ballygiblin.

Each side will harbour genuine aspirations of winning the competition with the Balbec having experience of doing just that in 2014.

They face Midleton in the Gaelic Grounds with Mungret welcoming Courcey Rovers 24 hours previously.

Limerick’s last Munster title came in 2017, but could one of the aforementioned teams end that wait? This weekend will tell a lot.