PREVIEWS: Championship battle begins as Tipperary clubs set sights on county glory

FBD Insurance Senior Championship

Round One of the FBD Insurance Senior Championship gets underway this weekend, with the county’s top clubs beginning their quest for county honours. In Group 1, reigning champions Tipperary face a trip to Kilcolman to take on Burgess Duharra, with the sides having met in the group stages also last year.

Burgess Duharra pushed Tipperary hard for long periods before the champions eventually pulled away. The loss of Caoimhe Maher through a cruciate ligament injury is a massive blow; however, with Amy and Tara Kennedy among their attacking threats, Burgess Duharra will provide a stern test. Thurles Sarsfields, with five senior inter-county players expected to feature, will be looking to begin their campaign strongly as they aim to retain their county title.

Elsewhere in Group 1, Cashel King Cormacs will look to put last year's disappointing championship, which saw them contest the relegation final, behind them when they take on Moneygall.

Karin Blair will be a key player for Cashel following an excellent season with Tipperary, while the Fahie sisters, Lillie and Anna, Grace Moloney and promising youngster Emma Bonner will also be ones to watch. Moneygall bring plenty of experience, with Julie Kelly and Mary Ryan joined by attacking threats Mairead Teehan and Caitlin Treacy.

Moycarkey Borris, meanwhile, have a bye in the opening round. Having quickly progressed from Junior B to Junior A and then Intermediate champions in a number of years, they now face the major challenge of stepping up to senior level, with Sarah Corcoran and Kate Ralph among the players to watch.

In Group 2, Drom-Inch welcome Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams in their opening fixture. Drom & Inch will look to the likes of Eimear McGrath in attack, along with Tipperary minor captain Ciara Cahill and Mairead Eviston, while Knockavilla will be hoping Eimear Heffernan can continue the form she showed with Tipperary this year.

Tipperary captain Caoimhe McCarthy will likely start in midfield for the visitors, who had a great year last year, reaching their first-ever senior semi-final. The other Group 2 fixture sees Silvermines take on Eire Og Annacarty in what could be one of the games of the weekend.

Silvermines have plenty of talent, with the Cunneen family trio of Ellen and Niamh Cunneen and their first cousin Maeve among their key players, while Eire Og Annacarty can call on the likes of Jean Kelly and Eva O’Dwyer. Clonoulty-Rossmore have a bye in Round One.

Having won the senior league, they will be hoping to go one step further in the championship this year. The absence of Courtney Ryan will be a loss, but the return of Clodagh Quirke from injury is a major boost. At the same time, young players including Roisin Ferncombe and Sophie Maher impressed during the league and will be hoping to make their mark in the championship.

FBD Insurance Intermediate Championship

The eagerly anticipated FBD Insurance Intermediate Championship gets this Friday evening underway, with Toomevara and Newport/Ballinahinch meeting in the opening game of Group 1. In what promises to be a highly competitive group, both sides will see this as an important opportunity to get their campaign off to a winning start and take an early step towards the knockout stages.

The other Group 1 fixture sees Shannon Rovers take on Cahir. Having won the Intermediate Championship two years ago, Shannon Rovers found themselves relegated from Senior last year despite some strong performances and will be determined to bounce straight back.

Under the management of Sabrina Cahalan and Aoife McLoughney, they have plenty of talent, with Aine Slattery in goals and Eimear Fogarty and Laura Leenane among those expected to play key roles.

Cahir impressed last year, reaching the semi-final, where they were narrowly defeated by eventual champions Moycarkey-Borris. Roisin Howard will be a key player for them and one to watch throughout their campaign.

The fifth team in Group 1 is Brian Borus, who make the step up following a hugely impressive Junior A Championship success last year. They have already made a seamless transition to the higher grade, winning the intermediate league earlier this year.

In Group 2, Borris-Ileigh and Nenagh Eire Og meet in the opening round, with the sides having produced an excellent contest when they met last year. Borris-Ileigh possess plenty of talent, with Julieanne Bourke anchoring the defence at centre-back, Nicole Walsh providing an important presence further out the field, and an exciting forward line featuring Ava Beavins and Grace Stapleton.

Nenagh Eire Og will look to Grace O'Brien as a key player, with Grace Cleary also expected to make a significant contribution. The other Group 2 fixture sees last year's beaten finalists Boherlahan Dualla face Holycross Ballycahill.

Boherlahan will be determined to go one step further this year and have a strong spine to their team, with Sarah Delaney at centre-back, Ellie Ryan in midfield and Clodagh Horgan and Abbie Horgan providing a threat in attack. Holycross Ballycahill enjoyed an excellent first season at Intermediate level last year and will be looking to build on that experience, with Claire Stakelum, Lorna Dwyer, Lauren McCormack and Izzy Carr among their key players.

With three of the four teams in Group 2 progressing to the knockout stages, every game will be crucial as the championship gets underway.

FBD Insurance Junior A Championship

The opening round of the FBD Insurance Junior A Championship gets underway this weekend, with Moyle Rovers and St Rita's Fethard meeting on Saturday evening in what promises to be a closely contested opening fixture.

Moyle Rovers won the Junior B title last year and have plenty of talent within their ranks, but they face a strong St Rita's Fethard side backboned by the talented Spillane sisters, who came agonisingly close to reaching the Junior A Final last year, losing to Kiladangan in extra time in the semi-final. A tight encounter is expected as both sides look to make a winning start.

Elsewhere in Group 1, Cashel King Cormacs face Kilruane MacDonaghs, with both sides looking to make a positive start to their championship campaign. In Group 2, Templemore welcome Gortnahoe Glengoole, while Lorrha take on Kiladangan. Kiladangan will be determined to go one step further this year after losing last year's Junior A Final, and having already secured the Junior A League title, they will enter the championship with plenty of confidence.

Templemore will also be one to watch, with a number of talented players coming through from their successful minor team. Gortnahoe will look to the influential Sophie Pembroke, while Lorrha will be anchored by the talented Clodagh McIntyre. With plenty of quality throughout the competition, the Junior A Championship promises plenty of excitement from the opening weekend.

FBD Insurance Junior B Championship

With 13 teams battling it out for honours, the FBD Insurance Junior B Championship promises to be one of the most competitive competitions of the year, with plenty of games and plenty of action from the opening weekend.

In Group 1, Carrick Swans take on reigning league champions Clonoulty Rossmore, who were beaten finalists last year and will be determined to go one step further this time around.

The other Group 1 fixture sees Ballingarry face Eire Og Annacarty, while Roscrea have a bye this weekend. Roscrea impressed during the league campaign, eventually losing out to Clonoulty-Rossmore, and will be hoping to carry that form into the championship.

In Group 2, St Patrick's make the step up from Junior C and will be hoping to make an immediate impact at the higher grade when they take on Holycross Ballycahill. Ballybacon-Grange and Slieve Felim Rapparees meet in the other Group 2 fixture.

Group 3 sees Drom & Inch travel to Portroe, while Ballina welcome Silvermines. With such a large and competitive field, every result will be important, and the Junior B Championship looks set to provide plenty of exciting contests as clubs battle for a place in the knockout stages.

FBD Insurance Junior C Championship

The FBD Insurance Junior C Championship reaches new heights this year, with a record 16 teams competing across four groups of four. Fourteen of the teams are second adult teams, while Moyne Templetuohy and Rockwell Rovers are entering their first adult team, adding another interesting dimension to the competition.

In Group 1, Thurles Sarsfields make history by entering a second adult team for the first time, with Newport-Ballinahinch their opening opponents.

Group 2 sees Borris-Ileigh face Kiladangan, while Toomevara welcome Moyne Templetuohy.

In Group 3, Cahir meet Moycarkey-Borris, while Rockwell Rovers, last year's beaten finalists, welcome Boherlahan Dualla. Group 4 sees Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams take on Moneygall, while Shannon Rovers welcome Burgess-Duharra.

With so many second teams involved, the availability of players from the clubs' higher-level teams could have a significant bearing on how the championship develops. Rockwell Rovers will be hoping that their experience of competing in the Junior C Championship in recent years can finally lead to success this time around, while Toomevara have been consistently competitive at this grade in recent seasons.

Knockavilla Kickhams enter the championship as Junior C League champions and will be among the teams to watch, while the competition also provides an excellent opportunity for emerging young talent, with promising players coming through at clubs such as Borris-Ileigh and Thurles Sarsfields.

With a record entry and plenty of clubs looking to develop their next generation of players while mixing with some of their experienced players, the Junior C Championship promises to be an exciting competition from the outset.