Clubs will find out their route to glory when draw is made

CLUBS around Sligo will learn their route to potential glory later this year when the draws for the club championships are made tomorrow [Wednesday].

After the initial plan from the Competitions Control Committee (CCC) indicated the August Bank Holiday weekend as the date for the resumption of activities, the GAA’s move to bring forward the club window by two weeks to July 17th means clubs around the county will get their first taste of action in a fortnight’s time.

The weekend of July 18th/19th will see the football action resume with the CCC opting to pick up from where the warm-up competitions (Kiernan, Benson and Abbott Cups) were left in March.

In hurling, the Dermot Molloy Hurling League reverts to a knockout format with the quarter-finals pencilled in for the same weekend.

The following week, July 25th/26th, the Senior and Intermediate championships in football begin.

In the two grades, there will be two groups of five teams, with the top two in each progressing to the semi-finals.

The bottom two teams in each will go into the relegation play-offs.

The Junior A football championship will have two groups of four teams; the Junior B competition four groups of three teams.

Both of those competitions get underway on the August Bank Holiday weekend, while all four football finals are scheduled for the weekend of September 19th/20th.

The Senior Hurling Championship will take on a new format, with the six teams being split into two groups of three.

The top two teams in each will book a place in the semi-finals. The hurling championship is set to begin on August Bank Holiday Monday, with the final set to take place on September 26th/27th.

There will be significant anticipation ahead of the club championships for all clubs after such a lengthy period away from the playing fields.

While 2020 has been a historic year for many reasons outside of sport, it could also prove to be a significant milestone for club football in the county as Tourlestrane bid for their fifth senior title in a row.

Should they do so, they would become the first side ever to complete the feat.

However, the winners of this year’s championship will not play in the Connacht series - provincial and All-Ireland club competitions have been cancelled for 2020.

There are a number of rivals who will harbour ambitions of dethroning Eamonn O’Hara and Gerry McGowan’s charges.

St Mary’s and Tubbercurry are likely to feature heavily while last year’s finalists Coolera/Strandhill and semi-finalists Shamrock Gaels are among the others who could also make their mark.

Geevagh return to the senior grade having won last year’s Intermediate championship.

The second tier takes on, as ever, a competitive look once again in 2020.

St Molaise Gaels, having suffered relegation from the top flight in 2019, will be hopeful of an immediate return.

St Michael’s, meanwhile, are the other new addition to the Intermediate championship having taken last year’s junior crown.

St Patrick’s head in the other direction - they will take their place in the Junior A Championship in 2020 alongside Owenmore Gaels and Cloonacool.

All three of those clubs will expect to feature prominently in the promotion race.

The increasingly interesting hurling championship will take on an even more competitive look from the off with the introduction of a smaller group format.

There is little room to manoeuvre in a three-team group with two sides advancing from each.

After their historic success last term, Naomh Eoin seek to retain their title but any of the other clubs in the competition have the ability to get their hands on silverware.

Easkey will aim to go one better than last year’s final defeat while Calry/St Joseph’s and Coolera/ Strandhill, both recent winners, will consider themselves as potential challengers.

Western Gaels lost out narrowly to the eventual champions in last year’s semi-final while Tourlestrane possess all the necessary tools to make a big impression.

Tomorrow evening’s draws take place at 9pm, and will be broadcast on Ocean FM.

SHOULD TOURLESTRANE WIN 5-IN-A-ROW THEY WOULD BECOME THE FIRST SIDE EVER TO COMPLETE THE FEAT.