U-21 championships to produce lively fare

With just one week to go to the opening games in the 2011 Clare U-21 Hurling Championship (A, B and C divisions) clubs will finalise their preparations this weekend.

Over the past seven or eight weeks, all will have been busy with training and challenge games ahead of the start up of a championship, which will dominate the domestic scene over the next few weeks.
The B championship attracted the biggest entry with 15 teams taking part. In both the A and C championship, there are just eight teams.
Three quarter-final games in the race for the A title will be played on St Patrick’s Day with the remaining tie, the meeting of Inagh-Kilnamona and the amalgamation of O’Callaghan’s Mills and Broadford, going ahead on Sunday week.
This is due to the fact that the Mills and Broadford will each compete for the B title. They will play their first round games in this competition on St Patrick’s Day.
Tulla and Bodyke have amalgamated for the B championship. The amalgamation’s game against Tubber will not be played until Sunday week as Tulla and Bodyke play in the C competition on St Patrick’s Day.
Sixmilebridge and Newmarket will have teams in both the A and C championships.
Opinions are divided as to who will win the A championship and the expectation is that it will be one of the most competitive for many years.
Inagh-Kilnamona won the minor A title three years ago, Kilmaley were winners in 2009 while Newmarket won last year’s title. Sixmilebridge were close to winning all three titles.
Éire Óg are the title holders and their line up will include a good sprinkling of last year’s team which surprised the then holders Sixmilebridge in the final.
The Ennis side take on Cratloe in the opening round and the South East Clare side won’t be easily beaten with the likes of Conor McGrath, Cathal McInerney and Liam Markham in their line-up.
The meeting of Newmarket and Kilmaley, the minor champions of the past two years, should provide plenty of entertainment. Sixmilebridge will carry the favourites’ tag into their game with Clonlara who will be looking to Darach Honan for many of their scores.
The remaining quarter-final could well prove to be the tie of the opening round as Inagh-Kilnamona take on a Broadford-O’Callaghan’s Mills combination that is expected to have a big say in the destination of this title.
There are some very strong contenders in the race for the B title and these include Crusheen and Clarecastle who have dropped down from the A division last year, and Ballyea who have had impressive minor teams in recent years.
A first round game that could well prove interesting is the meeting of South East Clare neighbours Meelick and Parteen in the C championship. Because of the involvement of players from both clubs with Ard Scoil Rís in the All-Ireland colleges semi-final next week, this game will be played on Tuesday week under lights in Sixmilebridge.