First round all-Kerry ties in Cups and Shields

THE eagerly awaited draws for the GUI Cups and Shields have been made and were circulated to the clubs on Monday last.

All matches will be played on a home and away basis with the first team drawn having three matches at home and two matches away. If both teams cannot mutually agree a date on which to play, then the deadline date for the completion of the round is automatically designated as the match date.

As all competitions are being played under a new format with the home and aware system as well as the Pierce Purcell and Jimmy Bruen Shields being played as fourballs instead of foursomes, it is impossible to predict the outcome of matches, so I will leave my famous predictions until 2021 and we’ll just have a look at the draws.

Beginning with the blue riband event of Irish Inter-club golf, the Senior Cup, Tralee play Killarney and Doneraile play Kanturk at the top of the draw in West Munster with Dooks against Berehaven and Ballybunion against Newcastlewest at the bottom half and all first round games to be completed by August 9.

In the Junior Cup, it is not as straightforward with three teams receiving byes into the second round as Ballybunion take on Ballyheigue Castle and Berehaven play Glengarriff with the winners meeting in round two, while Dooks play Kenmare with the winners meeting Waterville.

Doneraile take on Newcastlewest with the winners playing Tralee and Kanturk play Killarney with the winners playing Castlegregory.

The deadline for the completion of Round One is August 3 while the second round must be completed by August 16.

In the Jimmy Bruen Shield, Ballybunion take on Newcastlewest and Beaufort play Killarney with the winners meeting in the next round.

Dooks play Waterville and the winners are home to Berehaven in Round two while Castlegregory play Ballyheigue with the winners hosting Tralee as Glengarriff play Kenmare and Kanturk play Doneraile with the winners meeting in round two.

The deadline date here for the completion of round one is August 9 and August 19 for round two.

Finally, in the Pierce Purcell Shield, Kenmare play Ross, Tralee play Waterville, Beaufort play Glengarriff, Ballyheigue play Castlegregory, Ballybunion play Dooks, Killarney play Doneraile and Newcastlewest play Kanturk.

Berehaven have a bye into round two and will be away to the winners of the Ballybunion versus Dooks match. Completion dates for round one is August 3 and August 12 for round two.

Clubs should be aware that none of these matches in any of the four competitions can be played before July 20.