Kilkenny IHL- Thomastown the early favourites but a host of other contenders lie in wait

As ever, the intermediate hurling grade in Kilkenny looks to be very strong again this year.

Danesfort ended a brief stint in the second tier when defeating perennial bridesmaids Thomastown in last year’s county decider.

It was an especially tough pill to swallow for the Grennan boys as the game went to extra-time before the ’Fort emerged victorious.

Danesfort look well equipped to challenge well in this year’s senior championship while, on the other hand, Thomastown have to work their way through the dark waters of another intermediate campaign.

The South Kilkenny side have lost out to Danesfort (2022), Lisdowney (2020) and Tullaroan (2019) in three of the last four finals, so the desperation stakes are sure to be reaching peak levels as the club looks to repeat their sole championship victory in 1983.

One major positive in the club will be the fact that they captured their first ever under-21 Roinn A title last winter so there is a talented crop coming through the ranks.

When it comes to the league, Thomastown have had no issue with scooping up silverware — they even beat Danesfort in last year’s final before the same two teams met on county final day a couple of weeks later.

For the 2023 league, Thomastown have been drawn with Dunnamaggin, Carrickshock, O’Loughlin Gaels, Rower-Inistioge and championship newcomers Blacks and Whites in Group B.

The Skeough men return to this level after claiming junior success against Windgap last term but on the back of Eddie Scally departing the scene as manager it’s hard to gauge how they will get on as they play intermediate hurling for the first time since 2010. Neighbours Graignamanagh relegated Blacks and Whites after only a year in the intermediate over a decade ago so they’ll be looking for a longer stay on this occasion.

While Blacks and Whites are going up, it’s Lisdowney that have made the drop from the senior ranks. They lasted two years in total in the top tier and, despite a number of promising performances, they eventually fell through the survival trapdoor when losing out to Graigue-Ballycallan in the relegation final.

If that disappointment hasn’t knocked too much wind out of their sails, they are a team that have enough quality to at least be in contention for the Hanrahan Cup come October.

As is traditionally the case in this tier the championship looks wide open. There are a number of clubs that could hold out realistic aims of making the latter stages.

Last year’s beaten semi-finalists, the Rower-Inistioge and Carrickshock, are two of the teams that will fancy going close. The Rower dropped down to intermediate two years ago but with star man Richie Leahy away travelling, it remains to be seen if the club will have the services of the 26-year-old available to them once it comes to crunch time.

Carrickshock have been big players in recent seasons with Richie Power steering the ship from the manager’s hot seat.

Both clubs are involved in a stacked league group though, with the O’Loughlin Gaels second string side and an ever-emerging Dunnamaggin rounding off the six strong teams.

Group A looks a bit less cut-throat with Lisdowney the stand out team on paper. As well as the recently relegated North Kilkenny team, St Martin’s (Muckalee) Conahy Shamrocks, Fenians (Johnstown), Mooncoin and Young Irelands take their place in a group that kicks off on Friday, August 4.

Out of that bunch, it’s Mooncoin and Conahy Shamrocks who arguably look to have the most potential on offer — both have won All-Ireland junior club hurling titles in the not so distant past.

The rest of the teams are fascinating in their own right with St Martin’s under new management with former Laois and James Stephens boss Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett taking on the role.

The Saints lost all their league games last year but still did enough to fight off any relegation trouble when overcoming St Lachtain’s.

Lachtain’s, who were in the county final a year previous, duly fell to Fenians in the intermediate relegation decider as the Johnstown side saved themselves on the last day while Freshford drop down to the junior championship.

NOTE: The Junior League/ Championship also commences in the next few weeks and the draw is as follows.

Group One - Kilmacow, Tullogher-Rosbercon, St Lachtain’s, Cloneen, St Patrick’s, Piltown.

Group Two - Windgap, John Lockes, Barrow Rangers, Emeralds, Galmoy, Slieverue.

Group Three - Lisdowney, Clara, Mooncoin, Rower-Inistioge, Thomastown, Erin’s Own, Shamrocks, Dicksboro.