WHILE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS have yet to begin in some counties, others are nearing the closing stages and some are already finished.
St Mullins’ were crowned Carlow hurling champions last weekend to join Abbeydorney (Kerry hurling) and Dicksboro (Kilkenny football) as their county kingpins.
Here are four storylines to watch out for during this weekend’s action.
Cliffords continue Fossa odyssey
Fossa was a small club outside Killarney that nobody paid much attention to until the Clifford brothers took things by the scruff of the neck and started hauling them up the ranks.
All-Ireland junior champions in 2023, they came within 60 minutes of making the implausibly difficult leap into the top eight clubs in Kerry for whom senior status is reserved.
At the weekend, they defeated Kerins O’Rahillys in the intermediate championship quarter-final. The Tralee club were contesting an All-Ireland senior semi-final in January 2023 before their shock relegation later that year.
Some buachaill 👏👏 #davidclifford #Arkle pic.twitter.com/FWHhyv2A67
— Pat Healy (@patcashhealy) August 17, 2024
But Fossa’s route to promotion could require them to navigate past two clubs who have been crowned All-Ireland senior champions in past decades.
Their semi-final opponents are Laune Rangers and should they make it back to the final, joint-record Kerry champions Austin Stacks could await them.
Fossa beat Stacks in last year’s semi-final thanks to 0-13 from David Clifford (0-10 from play) and 0-5 from Paudie plus a penalty each in the shoot-out. Can they keep up the heroics?
They face Laune Rangers at Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday (4pm throw-in) with Stacks meeting Glenbeigh-Glencar beforehand.
Clare’s champions face off
TG4’s pick of the games is the Clare group stage meeting of Clonlara and Éire Óg Ennis as John Conlon and Ian Galvin face off against Hurler of the Year front-runner Shane O’Donnell and David Reidy.
It’s a second-round game with plenty riding on it as the pair aim to box out 2017 All-Ireland champions Ballyea, who are led by Banner captain Tony Kelly.
Champions Clonlara opened with an eight-point victory over Ballyea, while Éire Óg pipped Clooney-Quin with a last-gasp winning point to cement their comeback victory.
Managed by former Clare boss Gerry O’Connor, Éire Óg are hunting a first Clare title in 34 years after their agonising near miss to Ballyea in 2022.
With Kelly’s side awaiting them in their final group game and only two teams to progress, the margin for error is limited.
Throw-in at Tulla is 2.30pm on Sunday.
Gunners close in on number 11
It’s 56 not out for Ballygunner in the Waterford senior hurling championship as they edge closer to an 11th title in a row.
The 2022 All-Ireland champions survived a straight red card issued to former Déise hurler Shane O’Sullivan to overcome De La Salle in a repeat of last year’s final. Kevin Mahony (1-4) and Dessie Hutchinson (0-6) led the way with their hauls entirely from open play.
Their semi-final opponents are Passage who played with 14 men for 57 minutes of their quarter-final but still hauled back a seven-point deficit to stun Roanmore.
They’ve met in the 2016 and ’20 finals but the Gunners had too much on both occasions.
The venue is Walsh Park at 3.30pm on Sunday after Abbeyside encounter Mount Sion in the other semi.
Kilmacud aim to kick on
Kilmacud Crokes were given plenty of it in their Dublin SFC opener against 14-man Skerries Harps and things don’t get much easier with record winners St Vincent’s up next.
Skerries took Crokes for three first-half goals but without Shane Walsh, Paul Mannion (0-6) and Sligo debutant Paddy O’Connor (0-4) got them over the line for a two-point win.
Vinnies made the knockout stages last year after bouncing straight back from relegation. Having defeated Thomas Davis with six points to spare in their opener, they know Saturday’s victors will take control of Group 4.
Crokes will hope to show progression as their bid for four Dublin titles in a row rumbles on. The last team to do so? The great Vincent’s side of the 1950s and ‘60s.
Throw-in at Parnell Park is 5.30pm with Ballymun Kickhams against Ballinteer St John’s as the curtain-raiser.