Tasty draws as CCC look into August Championship start

THE Louth CCC are looking at the possibility of starting the club championships in August this summer following last Thursday night’s draws in Darver.

In the last number of years the championships have kicked off in early July with the group stages run off before the August Bank Holiday break, but this year they may run off all 11 rounds of the club leagues before starting into the championship in early August.

Last summer there were two rounds of league played in August after the group stages and prior to the championship quarter-finals, so clubs are likely to welcome the move, particularly those with county players.

An August start would see clubs re-united with their county men for a number of league games before the serious business of the Championship gets underway.

Meanwhile, last Thursday’s draw threw up a few tasty looking groups in all three grades.

Top of the list is a proverbial group of death in the Anchor Tours Senior Football Championship, which has paired Dreadnots against 2016 finalists Sean O’Mahony’s and St Mary’s.

Group C is also fraught with danger for Geraldines, St Patrick’s and last year’s beaten finalists Dundalk Gaels.

Champions Newtown Blues will kick off their title defence against Naomh Mairtin and Kilkerley Emmets, while the weakest looking section is undoubtedly Group D, where O Raghallaigh’s, St Joseph’s and O’Connell’s will all fancy their chances of making the quarter-finals and, just as importantly, avoid a relegation scrap.

There’s another group of death in the CTI Business Solutions Intermediate Football Championship and it’s a repeat of the 2016 line-up of Clan Na Gael, St Bride’s and Mattock Rangers.

In the junior grade favourites Roche Emmets and Glyde Rangers will clash in the group stages for the second year running, with Dowdallshill drawing a very short straw against last year’s beaten semi-finalists and finalists respectively.