Northern flavour to Group D in Premier Junior Championship

PROBABLY out of all the groups in all the competitions, Group D in the Premier Junior Championship just pops off the page and what it says, screams rather, is that this is the group of death.

Here you’ve got the three last winners of the North Kerry Senior Football Championship going head to head in a group. You’ve got Listowel Emmets – who will feel they probably should have reached the semi-finals last year – you’ve got Ballydonoghue – who’ve flattered a little to deceive but who have secured Division 2 football for this season – and you’ve got St Senans – who were in last year’s Premier Junior and who are the reigning back-to-back North Kerry champions.

Talk about tasty and there to potentially spoil the party is

South Kerry outfit Skellig Rangers, who aren’t ranked as highly in the league as any of their rivals, but who could well watch the North Kerry sides take points off each other, allowing them to slip through at the post.

There are other very interesting groups in this year’s championship, but none comes close to Group D for intrigue. Group B is arguably the next closest group for that sort of intrigue, with an on the up Churchill (promoted from Division 4 last year) facing off against Brosna (relegated from intermediate) alongside an improving Ballymacelligott and a St Michaels / Foilmore side who find themselves in a little bit of a slide having been relegated down to Division 5 for this season.

In Group C, meanwhile, it looks likely to be a shoot-out between Keel (last year’s semi-finalist) and Firies for a place in the semi-finals – but we woudln’t really disregard the chances of Finuge or Listry either for that matter.

In Group A a lot of focus will once again centre on Fossa and the wunderkind of the GAA world David Clifford. If he hits form Fossa are capable of winning any game against any opposition.

Still the loss of big brother Paudie to injury last year hampered their chances, but with him back to full fitness by April (hopefully) Fossa can push on.

That said last year’s Junior champions Ballyduff won’t stand on ceremony, while both Gneeveguilla and St Pats are more than capable of topping this group if things go their way.

When you look across the groups the one thing that strikes you is that unlike a lot of previous year’s there’s no obvious front-runner. You could make the case for last year’s defeated finalists, St Senans, who have strengthened since last year, but given the group they’re in there’s no guarantee they can even get out of their group.