Preview- All to play for as hurling club year nears final frenzy

As the calendar turns into October, the major prizes are just around the corner as the Kilkenny Club Championship nears it’s conclusion.

It’s another bumper weekend of action with games in the St Canice’s senior hurling championship, Michael Lyng Motors intermediate hurling championship and the JJ Kavanagh junior hurling championship.

Add in the Kilkenny Vehicle Centre Minor A and B finals in UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday and there is something for all hurling supporters in the county.

Like last weekend with the Fenians eventually succumbing to the drop to the junior grade, arguably the most important game is the meeting of Graigue Ballycallan and Lisdowney in the senior relegation final in Freshford.

Both sides are searching for a first win in either league or championship in 2025 with the trapdoor to intermediate looming large. It’s a repeat of the same subsequent fixture in 2022 which Ballycallan won out in and like most games of this nature, tensions will run extremely high with a place in the top tier of Kilkenny hurling on the line.

The loser of Saturday’s high noon clash will be replaced in the senior championship by one of four teams who all do battle in Sunday’s intermediate semi-finals.

The double-header in the Park sees red hot favourites James Stephens take on last year’s beaten finalists Young Irelands with Dunnamaggin and Danesfort serving as the curtain raiser. The games throw-in at 2pm and 4pm respectively.

Danesfort and the Village met in the league final and it will be no surprise if that is also the pairing for the championship decider but both Gowran and Dunnamaggin will have something to say about that.

The Premier Junior Hurling Championship is also reaching fever pitch with three semi-final spots up for grabs between Saturday and Sunday.

The first two games see the recently relegated Conahy eyeing an immediate return to intermediate level as they take on a St Patrick’s of Ballyragget team that have taken more than one scalp in recent weeks and the other tie pits Barrow Rangers up against Emeralds in Muckalee.

The last of the premier junior games is on Sunday as a Billy Drennan-led Galmoy take on Kilmacow in Clara.

The final spot in the semi-finals of the overall junior hurling championship is reserved for the winner of the Section B championship which pits the second teams of Thomastown and O’Loughlin Gaels against each other for a final that takes place in Callan on Saturday.

Not to be outdone the minor finals are all on their own in Nowlan Park on Saturday with a big city derby the highlight as James Stephens meet Dicksboro in the A decider with the meeting of Carrickshock and Rower-Inistioge preceding it in the B final.