Preview- Pressure starts to build as knockout hurling season begins

The first knockout stage of the Kilkenny hurling championships will be held this weekend as the pressure stakes increase around the county.

With preliminary and first round games in the senior, intermediate and junior grades on the cards some clubs will see their season come to an end this weekend with a number of exciting contests in prospect.

As well as that there are four league finals between senior and intermediate grades on what is a hectic weekend of action around the county.

LISTEN: Kilkenny Championship Preview Interviews 

While the stakes may not be as high as the championship contests, there will still be many eyes on the Park on Sunday as O’Loughlin Gaels and Thomastown do battle for league honours in what is a repeat of last year’s county final.

Both teams have been hugely impressive this term with O’Loughlin’s defeat to Bennettsbridge after being already qualified the only black mark.

The game will be preceded by the Shield final meeting of Glenmore and Mullinavat with the ’Vat looking to defend the title for a second successive season.

All four clubs don’t have to worry about the championship for another week but for two of Erin’s Own (Castlecomer), Shamrocks, Tullaroan and Bennettsbridge, their season will be at an end while Dicksboro, Graigue-Ballycallan, Clara and Lisdowney will be desperate to avoid the relegation final.

It’s the same schedule of games in the intermediate grade with James Stephens and Danesfort in the league final and Young Irelands and Dunnamaggin in the shield final at Kilkenny HQ on Saturday.

The rest of the weekend sees Tullogher Rosbercon face Carrickshock and Mooncoin take on Rower Inistioge in the round one games while the relegation battle consists of Fenians v Blacks and Whites and St Lachtain’s v St Martin’s. There is also a couple of preliminary round one games in the junior grade but the sad passing of Luke Harney last weekend means that the schedule has been altered for the next few weeks. Our thoughts are with everyone in the Kilmacow club.

The junior county final will now be played a week later on October 25/26 which coincides with the senior county decider. The intermediate final remains in its scheduled date a week earlier.

This time next week we will all be a lot clearer on where the destination of the major prizes may lie in October as the club hurling season gets ready to reach fever pitch.

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