Two more brand new pairings for Senior club finals

THE OUTCOME of Sunday’s Senior football semi-finals, coupled with the draw for the hurling, has thrown up an interesting aside to highlight the relatively open nature of both championships. For the second year in succession, both deciders will feature first-ever pairings, following in the footsteps of Naomh Eanna versus St. Martin’s and Shelmaliers against Kilanerin in 2018.

Castletown and Gusserane have enjoyed a very healthy rivalry down through the years, but they have never met in a final before so new ground will be broken in Innovate Wexford Park on October 13.

While the efforts of all teams are to be commended at this stage of the year, the fact that two traditional strongholds of the game will lock horns on the big day should lead to an engrossing contest.

I had no skin in the game last Sunday, but I was happy to see both clubs advancing to the final for that reason alone, given their wonderful commitment to the promotion of football over the years.

That’s not meant to denigrate the achievement of St. Martin’s and Glynn-Barntown in reaching the semi-finals in any way, and it could be argued that the attempts of both to perform at the highest level in both codes ultimately curtailed their hopes.

While the Senior hurling didn’t make the progress anticipated last Saturday for a perfectly understandable reason, the semi-final draw made the following day also ensured a brand new pairing for the decider.

St. Martin’s are set to take on Ferns St. Aidan’s, while Rapparees await the outcome of the meeting of Shelmaliers and St. Anne’s.

None of the six potential permutations have been seen before on the biggest occasion of all, so we’ll have something new to look forward to on two successive Sundays later this month.

The next few weeks will bring competitive club action in the county for this decade to an end, and that got me thinking about how the domestic scene has unfolded since 2010.

Castletown’s last Senior football success was achieved nine years ago, so naturally enough they will be hoping to end this particular era on a similar high note.

That was the start of a fraught two years for clubs in the top flight of course, because the moves to reduce the grade from 16 to twelve teams got under way in earnest.

In order to do that, six teams, three per year, had to be relegated both in 2010 and 2011, allowing for the fact that the two Intermediate winners had to be accommodated.

And the first three to make the drop in football were Bannow-Ballymitty, Glynn-Barntown and Ballyhogue, with Sarsfields surviving on the last day against their Wexford District rivals.

Of the 16 teams that started out in Senior football in 2010, six didn’t feature in the grade this season: Ballyhogue, Taghmon-Camross, Bannow-Ballymitty, Adamstown, Clongeen and Duffry Rovers.

On the Senior hurling front, Oulart-The Ballagh were comfortable 1-14 to 0-6 final victors over St. Martin’s nine years ago.

The three clubs that didn’t make it out of the relegation quagmire were Marshalstown-Castledockrell, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown and Blackwater, with none of that group returning since.

Cloughbawn, Buffers Alley and Askamore are the others who didn’t end the decade as they had started it, namely in the top flight.

As for clubs moving steadily in the opposite direction, two in particular spring readily to mind.

Crossabeg-Ballymurn were only a Junior ‘B’ football outfit in 2010, and are now edging closer to becoming a Senior team for the first time ever. On the hurling front, St. James’ were still campaigning in the Junior ‘A’ grade, but they are now worthwhile contenders for honours in the second tier.

Given the difficulties involved in retaining status, the clubs who have been exclusively Senior throughout the decade deserve the height of praise.

Rathnure, Faythe Harriers, St. Martin’s, Glynn-Barntown, Rapparees, Ferns St. Aidan’s, Oulart-The Ballagh and Shelmaliers fill that category in hurling, while in football it’s a case of fair dues to Fethard, Castletown, Gusserane, Shelmaliers and Sarsfields, with St. Anne’s only dropping out for the 2020 campaign.