Tralee and Killarney through in Junior Cup Qualifiers

TRALEE and Killarney will contest the West Munster final of the Irish Junior Cup after both clubs successfully came through the section qualifiers at Newcastlewest and Ring of Kerry last weekend.

My predictions took a bit of a battering after my 100% last weekend but I did manage to correctly predict that Tralee would get through and the outcome of a handful of other matches.

Let’s begin at Newcstlewest on Saturday where I managed to correctly predict the right result of all four matches as Ceann Sibeal beat Doneraile by 3.5 to 1.5, Ballybunion beat Ballyheigue (4-1), Tralee beat Castleisland (3-2) and Newcastlewest beat Kanturk (4-1).

However, Ceann Sibeal beat Ballybunion by three and a half to one and a half against my prediction but I correctly forecast a Tralee win over Newcastlewest (3-2) and that Tralee would win the final which they did against Ceann Sibeal (3-2).

Down south at Ring of Kerry, my predictions took an awful battering as I really fancied the host club to come through but they failed to do so.

Beginning on Saturday, Dooks beat Killorglin (4-1) in the morning’s only game and then received a walkover from Ross as did Be- rehaven from Waterville in the afternoon.

I will state again that this is simply not good enough and has become a real problem all over the West Munster area over the last number of years.

Yes, there are occasions when it cannot be avoided due to exceptional circumstances but it’s happening all too often and there are some clubs who are habitual offenders.

Anyway, back to action where on Saturday afternoon Ring of Kerry beat Glenagarriff by 3.5 to 1.5 and Killarney beat Kenmare by the same margin.

On Sunday morning Dooks beat the hosts (3-2) and Killarney beat Berehaven (4-1) with Killarney going on to beat Dooks in the final (4-1).

So, Tralee take on Killarney in the West Munster Area final at a date and venue yet to be decided at the time of writing and the winners go through to the Munster semi-finals at Cork Golf Club on the weekend of August 13 and 14 where they will play the winners of the South Area final which will be contested by Fermoy and Bandon.

In the other semi-final East Clare or Nenagh from the North Area will play Williamstown or County Tipperary from the East.