St. Thomas’ and Portumna in big crowd puller

Dara Bradley

IT’S the Clash of the Titans: The reigning All-Ireland and county champions St Thomas’ do battle with three-times All-Ireland title holders, Portumna, in the tastiest tie of the 2013 Galway senior club hurling championship.

New kids on the block, St Thomas’ versus the wily battle-hardened side that dominated club hurling throughout the ‘naughties’, winning five senior county titles between 2003 and 2009, Portumna. A crowd puller if ever there was one. Given that these two heavyweights didn’t meet during St Thomas’ march to glory last year, this encounter at Kenny Park on Sunday will arouse even more interest in what has the potential to be a rip-roaring contest.

Another game of the seven round one group matches to be played this June Bank Holiday Weekend, Castlegar versus Craughwell, may not be as glamorous but it will attract a fair amount of interest nonetheless. With former Galway and Offaly manager, John McIntyre, Connacht Tribune Group sports editor, in one corner (Castlegar) and Stephen Glennon, chief sports journalist at the Tribune in the other (Craughwell), there’ll be more than a passing interest among neutrals.

Will Glennon get one over his boss, McIntyre, is the big question – and will they still be talking to each other next week?! Aside from the personalities on the line, given that Castlegar knocked Craughwell out of the championship last year, this opening round group C match already has an edge to it.

In the same group, the almost perennial ‘bridesmaids’, beaten finalists again in 2012, Loughrea, will be looking to account for Kinvara, who had a surprise win over Sarsfields to qualify them for this stage.

The 2011 champions Gort will expect to beat Turloughmore although it should be a close affair while the novel pairing of Padraig Pearses and Kiltormer – they haven’t played each other in two decades – could go either way. Mullagh hammered Ardrahan when they last met in 2010 but, given they’ve a few injuries, this weekend should be a much closer contest.

Killimordaly, the 2012 intermediate champions, will take heart from the football club championship last weekend where the promoted team, Carna/Caiseal shocked the county champions Salthill/Knocknacarra in round one, as they face the 2010 county and All-Ireland champions, Clarinbridge. Programmes costing €2 will cover the three group rounds. The winners in each group are paired against each other with the losers facing off in round two in order to keep the third round competitive. Read more in this week’s Connacht Tribune.