Club draws made
Gorey’s first defence versus Rathnure
FIRST-TIME Pettitt’s Senior hurling champions Naomh Eanna will take on Rathnure in their initial title defence after the draws for the various championships were made on Saturday.
This will be a repeat of last year’s first round, won by the black and ambers in Hollymount on a 2-14 to 2-12 scoreline, but it was onwards and upwards for the Gorey side thereafter as they won their next seven matches on the bounce to clinch the title.
They now find themselves in a new position, up on a pedestal as holders, and that Rathnure tie will be followed by games against Glynn-Barntown, Oylegate-Glenbrien, Oulart-The Ballagh and Shelmaliers in that order.
Interestingly, five of the six teams in Group B locked horns last year too, with the only exception seeing Shelmaliers replacing Ferns St. Aidan’s.
The latter will commence Group A with a local derby versus Rapparees, and there’s another meeting of neighbours – and a second repeat of a 2018 first round – in the form of last year’s runners-up St. Martin’s versus St. Anne’s.
Fethard produced the fairytale hurling story of last year, and their first Pettitt’s Senior championship game since the relegation final loss of 2001 to Duffry Rovers will pit them against Faythe Harriers.
The Senior football championship is notable for the absence of a sponsor at present, as Tom Doyle Supplies are not renewing their long-standing agreement with the County Board.
First-time winners Shelmaliers will meet Fethard in round one of Group B, and the sequence thereafter will see them up against Horeswood, Starlights, St. Anne’s and Glynn-Barntown in that order.
Last year’s runners-up Kilanerin have been kept apart from them in Group A, and they will meet Gusserane before games follow versus St. James’, St. Martin’s, Castletown and Sarsfields respectively.
One interesting clash to mark the start of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship will pit the side relegated from the top flight, Buffers Alley, against the team promoted from Intermediate ‘A’, Taghmon-Camross.
Further down the line, the Permanent TSB Junior ‘A’ hurling championship has been bolstered in size from ten to twelve teams.
Titleholders Glynn-Barntown move up and are replaced by relegated Clongeen, but none of the remaining nine teams have dropped down and they are now joined by both of the 2018 Junior ‘B’ finalists – Oylegate-Glenbrien, who have an All-Ireland decider in Limerick on Saturday against Cappamore, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown who have also opted to move up which is a positive decision.
Clubs also agreed on a format for the All-County Leagues of two groups of six as per championship status, with each team playing against the sides in the opposite group, i.e. the teams they will not be meeting in the championship.
Under this format, there will be no relegation and no promotion, but there will be semi-finals and finals.
Confirmation of entries for the league must be sent to maryfoleypro@hotmail.com prior to 5 p.m. this coming Friday, February 8.
Pettitt’s SHC Group A: St. Anne’s v. St. Martin’s; Faythe Harriers v. Fethard; Rapparees v. Ferns St. Aidan’s. Pettitt’s SHC Group B: Rathnure v. Naomh Eanna; Glynn-Barntown v.
Shelmaliers; Oylegate-Glenbrien v. Oulart-The Ballagh.
SFC Group A: Gusserane v. Kilanerin; St. James’ v. Sarsfields; St. Martin’s v. Castletown.
SFC Group B: Fethard v. Shelmaliers; Horeswood v. Glynn-Barntown; Starlights v. St. Anne’s. The Courtyard Ferns IHC Group A: Taghmon-Camross v. Buffers Alley; Monageer-Boolavogue v. Crossabeg-Ballymurn; HWH-Bunclody v. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown. The Courtyard Ferns IHC Group B: Askamore v. Cloughbawn; Blackwater v. Adamstown; St. James’ v. Shamrocks. Amber Springs/Ashdown Park Hotels IFC Group A: Ferns St. Aidan’s v. Taghmon-Camross; Naomh Eanna v. Bannow-Ballymitty; St. Mary’s (Rosslare) v. Ballyhogue. Amber Springs/Ashdown Park
Hotels IFC Group B: St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) v. Crossabeg-Ballymurn; Duffry Rovers v. St. Fintan’s; HWH-Bunclody v. St. Joseph’s.
Top Oil IAHC Group A: Oulart-The Ballagh v. Duffry Rovers; St. Patrick’s v. Shelmaliers; Tara Rocks v. Ballygarrett.
Top Oil IAHC Group B: Our Lady’s Island v. Craanford; Rathnure v. Gusserane; Liam Mellows v. Geraldine O’Hanrahans. Joyces Expert IAFC Group A: St. Martin’s v. Adamstown; Craanford v. Kilmore; Volunteers v. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown. Joyces Expert IAFC Group B: Kilanerin v. Cloughbawn; Réalt na Mara v. St. Patrick’s; Clongeen v. Geraldine O’Hanrahans. Permanent TSB JHC Group A: Monageer-Boolavogue v. Rapparees; Buffers Alley v. Glynn-Barntown; St. Martin’s v. Bannow-Ballymitty. Permanent TSB JHC Group B: Horeswood v. Marshalstown-Castledockrell; Faythe Harriers v. Davidstown-Courtnacuddy; St. Mary’s (Rosslare) v. Ferns St. Aidan’s. Enniscorthy Farm Systems JFC Group A: Gusserane v. Kilrush; Naomh Eanna v. Glynn-Barntown; Castletown v. Sarsfields. Enniscorthy Farm Systems JFC Group B: Davidstown-Courtnacuddy v. Monageer-Boolavogue; Starlights v. Shelmaliers; Oylegate-Glenbrien v. Blackwater. Permanent TSB JAHC Group A: Oylegate-Glenbrien v. Kilmore; Craanford v. St. Fintan’s; Naomh Eanna v. Oulart-The Ballagh. Permanent TSB JAHC Group B: Rathgarogue-Cushinstown v. Clongeen; Tara Rocks v. Adamstown; Ballyhogue v. Cloughbawn. Enniscorthy Farm Systems JAFC Group A: Monageer-Boolavogue v. Shamrocks; St. Anne’s v. Clongeen; HWH-Bunclody v. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown. Enniscorthy Farm Systems JAFC Group B: St. Martin’s v. Adamstown; Ballyhogue v. Marshalstown-Castledockrell; Our Lady’s Island v. Volunteers.