The Allianz League Hurling final takes place on Sunday amid the opening weekend of Championship action in the football, with league champions Mayo quickly into the heat of battle once more.
Kevin McStay’s side have all the wind in their sails but will be wary of Roscommon coming to Castlebar and blowing them completely off course.
Up in Ulster, Armagh must attempt to banish the memory of their league relegation by dispatching Antrim, while on Easter Sunday, Kilkenny and Limerick head south to Pairc Ui Chaoimh to decide the Division 1 hurling final.
McGeeney hoping to get back on track
Armagh vs. Antrim – Athletic Ground, Armagh – Saturday 8th April – 5.00pm – Live on BBC2 NI
Division 1 of the Allianz League didn’t make for great watching for anyone of an Ulster persuasion as three of the bottom four were from the northern province.
A record of only two wins in seven games saw Armagh join rudderless Donegal in being relegated and that will have proved a massive letdown for Kieran McGeeney after the huge promise his side displayed late last summer en route to eventual penalty shootout defeat to Galway in Croke Park.
Antrim also had two league wins from seven this spring, albeit swimming in the calmer waters of Division 3, and they aren’t likely to match up to Armagh come the final whistle on Saturday evening.
Captain of Armagh for their only All-Ireland title back in 2002, McGeeney is now eight years at the helm as manager and he is in real need of a statement season. With the likes of Donegal in disarray, his side find themselves very much on the right of the Ulster draw and, at the least, the Orchard County needs to end a 15-year absence from the showpiece game in Ulster football in Clones next month.
Limerick should have edge on Cats
Limerick vs. Kilkenny – Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Sunday 9 th April – 2.00pm – Live on TG4
Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League final is a rematch of the 2022 All-Ireland final as Limerick, the best team in the country, face the last side to beat them in a knockout championship game.
Goals were key for the Cats in their semi-final win over Cork, a game they won on a 2-22 to 0-22 scoreline when they had the benefit of home advantage in Nowlan Park last month.
From the early league struggles and a comprehensive loss to Tipperary in the same venue in early February, Derek Lyng and his backroom team have made fine strides in their first season in charge of Kilkenny.
Billy Drennan is the league’s highest scorer, notching 2-65 in six games, and his accuracy from set pieces will be vital on Sunday.
Limerick are a stiffer challenge and it could be a learning curve for this developing Cats outfit. Having had nine regulars missing for their opening night defeat to Cork, John Kiely’s team have swatted aside all comers since and have been going through the gears in doing so.
Kilkenny will be relying on getting goals if they are to keep tabs on a Limerick side that is strong in every area of the field. It could prove a futile challenge, however, and the Treaty Men will be exceedingly hard to topple.
Mayo unlikely to drop their guard
Mayo vs. Roscommon – MacHale Park, Castlebar, Sunday 9th April – 4.00pm – Live on RTE2
It’s still quite difficult to adjust to but, such are the vagaries of the new condensed inter-county season, Mayo and Roscommon will battle for a Connacht Championship semi-final spot on Easter Sunday.
For Mayo, this comes a mere seven days after they landed the National League final with a fine win over Galway in Croke Park, thus completing a hugely satisfying spring campaign for new boss Kevin McStay.
Aidan O’Shea looks revitalised in his new role in the inside forwards and, as they’ve done in the past, Mayo appear to have freshened up their panel almost without anyone noticing.
Suddenly they’ve gone from a team that was ‘past it’ to a vibrant new commodity that is being touted as real challengers to Kerry in the race for the Sam Maguire in the months to come.
The Rossies, by contrast, saw their early season spurt largely come to a grinding halt as the league wore on.
There will be a carnival atmosphere in Castlebar in Sunday and it will come as a massive shock should Mayo drop the ball in this one.
