PREVIEWS: Sligo and Galway clubs target AIB All-Ireland Club Championship semi-final slots

CLUBS from Sligo and Galway are overseas on Saturday as they aim to book places in the semi-finals of the 2024 AIB All-Ireland Club Championships.

Sligo and Connacht champions Coolera/Strandhill are in Maastricht (2pm) for a clash with Europe’s Paris Gaels/Bordeaux in the Junior quarter-final, as Galway and Connacht standard-bearers Annaghdown prepare for their meeting with Scotland’s Dunedin Connolly’s (1.30pm) in the Intermediate quarter-final.

The winners of the Coolera/Strandhill v Paris Gaels/Bordeaux fixture will meet Mungret St Paul’s (Limerick) in the Junior semi-final, fixed for Saturday November 30.

Meanwhile, Cork’s O’Donovan Rossa await the winners of the Dunedin Connolly’s/Annaghdown clash in the last four of the Intermediate series, with that fixture scheduled for Sunday December 1.

Paris Gaels/Bordeaux (Europe) v Coolera/Strandhill (Sligo); Maastricht, 2pm

It’s been a phenomenal year for the Coolera/Strandhill club in Sligo – and it could get even better this weekend.

The ladies have already conquered Connacht, following victory over St Fursey’s, while the men are gearing up for a senior provincial decider.

Coolera/Strandhill have their sights set now on the last four of the AIB All-Ireland Junior Championship, with Limerick and Munster champions Mungret St Paul’s awaiting the winners of Saturday’s quarter-final.

Coolera/Strandhill, captained by Mayo native Edwenia O’Malley, formerly of Louisburgh, are in Maastricht to take on Paris/Bordeaux, who will be no pushovers.

Paris/Bordeaux are the first French side in history to progress to an All-Ireland junior quarter-final.

The team, which was formed earlier this year as an alliance between Paris Gaels and Burdigaela (Bordeaux), overcame all-Britain Champions Wandsworth Gaels in a thrilling encounter at McGovern Park in Ruislip on Saturday October 26th.

Paris/Bordeaux: M Legueut; A O’Neill, E O’Connell, F Lézin; N Debruille, R Ferguson (capt.), F O’Reilly; A Fee, P Walsh; M Thibaudeau, M Malone, M Pradella; M Silva, H Nic Sceachain, S Laffan.

Coolera/Strandhill: B Harte; L Kilfeather, H Gilligan, E O’Malley (capt.); S Gilligan, E Cawley, N O’Callaghan; R Goodwin, S Dalton; S McDaniel, H Cotter, E McIntyre; L Kerrigan, O Murphy, A McDaniel.

Dunedin Connollys (Scotland/Britain) v Annaghdown (Galway); Wardie Playing Fields, Granton Road, Edinburgh, 1.30pm

Annaghdown were All-Ireland Intermediate club champions in 2016 and they have the scent of potential glory in their nostrils once again.

Annaghdown clinched a return to the senior ranks in Galway with a county final victory over Oughterard recently, before going on to land the Connacht title by seeing off the challenge of Sligo’s Drumcliffe-Rosses Point.

Now, Annaghdown are just three games away from matching their exploits of 12 years ago but they first have to negotiate a tricky trip to Edinburgh.

Dunedin Connollys defeated Liverpool opponents John Mitchels to clinch the All-Britain title earlier this month and now have home advantage in All-Ireland quarter-final.

O’Donovan Rossa will be keeping a close eye on this one – as the Cork champions will take on the winners in the semi-final.

Dunedin Connollys: M McDermott; C McHugh, N Sexton, E Hutson’ M Harper, T Kelly, E Cable; S Reynolds, N Ryan; S O’Sullivan (capt.), C Hawkes, L Regan; K Dennehy, C Connor, C Deeney.

Annaghdown: E Lynch; R Fahy, I Claffey, M Canavan; Chelsie Crowe, Chloe Crowe, B Quinn; S O’Grady, R Naughton; R Quinn (capt.), C Hegarty, J Burke; E Keane, C McCarthy, B Naughton.