Three Tipperary teams in action in Munster Club hurling championship semi-finals

Three county hurling champions will represent Tipperary in the Munster Club Championship semi-finals this weekend.

They will be led by senior champions Loughmore/Castleiney, who take on Ballygunner on Sunday at Walsh Park at 1.15pm in a game that will be shown live on TG4.

The referee is Cork’s Ciaran O’Regan.

On the same day Cashel King Cormacs and their supporters face a long journey to Kerry to play Abbeydorney in Abbeydorney at 1.15pm in an Intermediate game in which Waterford referee Nicky Barry will be the man in the middle.

Moyle Rovers, meanwhile, will be the first team in action on Saturday, when they face Cork’s Russell Rovers in Midleton at 1.15pm in the Junior semi-final.

The referee here is Seaghan Walsh of Waterford.

Double champions Loughmore, now suitably rested from their exertions on two fronts in the county, will no doubt relish another crack at all-conquering Ballygunner, who are going for four in a row in the province.

The game will revive memories of their clash at the same stage three years ago, when Ballygunner emerged victorious by 2-11 to 0-12 after a controversial encounter in Dungarvan in which Loughmore’s Noel and John McGrath were sent off by Limerick referee Johnny Murphy.

The Waterford champions beat Doon by five points in the quarter-final a fortnight ago, on a day when goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe came to their rescue with some crucial saves.

They were also grateful to the scoring prowess of their rich array of attacking talent that includes Pauric Mahony, Patrick Fitzgerald and Dessie Hutchinson, and they had the man of the match in joint captain and midfielder Conor Sheahan.

Loughmore will be the rank outsiders, but ample evidence of their perennial stomach for the battle came when they beat Clonmel Commercials in the county football final just seven days after they had seen off Toomevara in the hurling equivalent.

They’re an irrepressible team, and a club that never quite knows when it’s beaten. They will be looking towards players such as John McGrath, the shining light of their county campaign, as well as Noel McGrath, Ciaran Connolly, Lorcan Egan, Ciaran McCormack, Brian McGrath and Joey Hennessy to dig deep again this Sunday in an effort to cause an upset.

In the Intermediate quarter-final two weeks ago, Cashel King Cormacs faced and passed a stern test of their credentials when they produced a late surge to get the better of Newcastle West.

The Limerick team looked the likely winners when they went five points clear deep into the second half. However, Cashel found a way back into the contest thanks to Eoghan Connolly’s accuracy from placed balls, including a 65, a free from inside his own half and another long range effort; as well as scores from Devon Ryan, all of which helped to get them over the line by the narrowest of margins, 0-20 to 2-13.

Cashel won’t be taking anything for granted on Sunday, but they’ll be hoping that they’ll have enough about them to overcome the challenge of the Kerry team, even away from home.

Moyle Rovers had a facile 12-points win over Kilgarvan in the Munster Junior quarter-final in Ardfinnan, but they now face a much stiffer task when they journey south to Midleton to play Russell Rovers.

The Powerstown/Lisronagh side have many capable players within their ranks, including Dara Ryan (who scored 14 points against Kilgarvan), Ben Owens, Shane English, Riain Quigley and Anthony Phelan, as well as goalkeeper Brian Gleeson.

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A trip to Cork is never the easiest of assignments and they’ll be up against it on Saturday, but they’re sure to give it a right go as they attempt to reach their first provincial final since 2007, when they beat Barryroe in the Munster Club Junior final in Fermoy.