The re-fixture for last Sunday’s abandoned county hurling semi-final between Clarinbridge and Craughwell takes place this Saturday in Duggan Park at 2.30pm.
Clarinbridge are hot favourites to advance to a second consecutive final and are 3/10 to win with Mulhollands, with Craughwell at 11/4.
Clarinbridge will look to big displays of leadership and hurling from Brian Burke at full-back, and Liam Donoghue, David Forde and Jamie Cannon in the half-backs.
Team manager Johnny Lee will look to Galway u-21 captain Barry Daly to provide a high-energy performance around the middle of the park to drive them on, while up front Mark Kerins, Eoin Forde, Paul Coen, and Alan Kerins will be expected to post a winning tally.
Craughwell will need Niall Healy at full-forward and Alan Callanan and Keelan Cullinane in the corners to keep their good form going strong if they are to take the spoils.
Manager Mike Clarke will know his side will have to produce a really top-class performance to defeat the current All-Ireland champions and the never-say-die attitude that stood them in good stead in the final quarter in their win over Sarsfields will have to be on display from the start this Saturday.
Most people expect a Gort v Clarinbridge county final and it is up to the underdogs to prove those pundits wrong.
Footnote: Last week I queried who had won the 1931 county hurling title and Garret Byrne kindly forwarded the following reply and sent in some articles on the matter. Thank you.
“In 1931 Craughwell played a match against Letitrim and won. But there is no mention of that being a final. In the 1932 match preview, it mentions previous titles won by Craughwell, and the most recent was 1930.
Mullagh won that 1932 final by 0-15 to 0-8.
Interestingly the 1929 final was played in May 1931, between Mullagh and Clarinbridge, in which Mullagh won.
One suggestion is that the 1931 championship was never actually completed, and Craughwell were deemed to be the winners.”
