Intriguing TG4 Championship Games in prospect.

Intriguing TG4 Championship Games in prospect.

TG4 Championship action continues this week-end with championship
action in Ulster Connaught and Munster. In Ulster Down take
on Monaghan at Clones on Sunday at 12.45, with the home
team raging favourites to reach another final. Down could
cause them a few problems though and should draw inspiration
from their male counterparts from the week before. Monaghan
will be under strength with injury to Edel Byrne and Niamh
Kindlon two of their stars in last years All-Ireland final.
They should have enough in reserve to advance.

Cracker in store.
In Munster there should be a cracker in store when Cork
take on Kerry in a do or die battle at Carrigaline on Saturday
evening at 7.30pm. Kerry really impressed as contenders
for the Championship with their fine league showing. Things
went a bit of the rails for them when they suffered a 2-17
to 2-7 loss to Waterford in the first round, they too have
been ravaged by injuries. Cork on the other hand with a
very young team showed good form in defeating Clare, but
came back to earth with a bang when Waterford inflicted
a heavy defeat on them last week on a score line of 2-08
to 2-6. Cork will be missing their capt Mary O’Connor on
Saturday she will be in Antrim playing for the camogie team,
while Valerie Mulcahy one of the stars of the Munster team
in the Inter Pros’s will be in Belfast playing soccer. Kerry
like Cork will have a very young team with 8 minors in the
line up but the influence and experience of Geraldine O’Shea
and Patrice Dennehy in particular could swing the game for
Kerry.

The Waterford-Clare game is of academic interest with Waterford
already through to the Munster final and Clare the Munster
Champions of 2001 out. They play at Emly on Saturday at
3.30

Mayo will be challenged.
For the past number of years Mayo have had things all, their
own way in Connaught. In fairness they did not leave the
Province down appearing in the last 4 All-Ireland finals,
winning 3 and losing dramatically to Laois, in the other.
Roscommon gave them a run for their money last year. Now
a new threat has emerged with the huge upsurge in Galway.
Galway, minor and Junior Champions last year are really
set to roll, whether they can do it on Saturday at McHale
Park at 5pm remains to be seen. They will be quietly confident
themselves after a good league run. One thing is certain,
Mayo will have to be a their very best to prevail. They
have an injury worry about their star player Cora Staunton,
but they have a very good panel in depth.. Galway have great
strength in key positions with Anette Clarke, Lisa Coohill
Patricia Gleeson and Gillian Joyce, but overall they have
a very balanced with hard running direct players. No doubt
they will cause Mayo problems but with capt Helena Lohan,
Claire Egan, Christiana Heffernan Marcella Heffernan and
a fit Cora Staunton and home advantage Mayo should shade
it.

A number of TG4 Junior games are down for decision. On Sunday
Sligo play Mayo at Tubbercurry 1pm. Leitrim Play Galway
at Dromod 6pm. Cork Play Kerry at Carrigaline at 6pm on
Saturday Monaghan B Play Cavan on Sunday at Clones at 7pm

Fr. Liam Kelleher PRO 087-8516984