The knockout stages of the Galway senior and intermediate hurling championship gets underway this weekend, with fifteen games of consequence to be played across six venues which will leave sixteen teams with no further fixtures to look forward to this year and one demoted to a lower grade.
Beagh have proudly held on to their senior status since winning their second intermediate title back in 2002, with Joe Gantley still proudly carrying the torch from that era. Whether they will be able to evade the trap door on this occasion will be tested by a solid Ahascragh-Fohenagh side on Saturday afternoon in Duggan Park.
That is the second of five matches to be played at the Ballinasloe venue in the space of 48 hours, with an intermediate relegation battle getting things underway beneath the Friday night lights as Annaghdown take on Kiltormer. The other intermediate relegation play-off sees Kilbeacanty and Skehana/Mountbellew/Moylough square off in Carnmore on Sunday at noon.
The Sunday afternoon double header in Ballinasloe is a pair of Senior B quarter finals, with a resurgent Liam Mellows taking on Padraig Pearses at 315pm, while Kilnadeema-Leitrim will be hopeful of advancing when they take on Portumna at 5pm. The other game at the venue on Saturday also carries plenty of weight with both sides probably wondering how they are in this position, Gort taking on Oranmore-Maree in the first of the senior A relegation play-offs.
Kenny Park in Athenry will host the four senior A preliminary quarter finals over Saturday and Sunday, with reigning champions St. Thomas’ first in action against Craughwell at 245pm. Craughwell have not been at the business end of the competition since 2021 and last crossed swords with St. Thomas’ six years ago when losing 2-21 to 3-13 in the group stages and a major upset is not expected.
There could, though, be fireworks in the second game at 430pm when Clarinbridge and Ardrahan cross swords. Johnny Glynn’s return to the Ardrahan ranks helped propel them to a crucial final day win over Castlegar as Sean Gardiner converted a dozen frees. Clarinbridge fell to a demoralising six-point loss to Loughrea last time out and will need Evan Niland and Joshua Ryan to be at their best if they wish to progress.
Sunday afternoon’s fare starts with a hard-to-read Castlegar side taking on Kilconieron at 1pm, with the city side tipped to have just enough firepower to book a last eight berth. Cappataggle and Killimordaly then go head to head at 245pm with the men in red and black favoured to take advantage of a leaky Killimordaly defence which has conceded two goals per game to date. The second senior A relegation play off sees Maigh Cuilinn take on Mullagh in Gort on Sunday at 130pm.
All four of the intermediate preliminary quarter finals will throw in on Sunday, with Clarinbridge’s game against Rahoon-Newcastle, Ballygar’s joust with Turloughmore, and Killimor’s contest with Craughwell all throwing in at 12noon. Two north Galway sides meet in Pearse Stadium at 145pm when last year’s semi-finalists Sylane take on Abbeyknockmoy.
