Tough draw for Castlegar in senior hurling title race but Mellows fare better

REIGNING county senior hurling champions Sarsfields will have their credentials seriously tested in 2016 after they ended up in a group of heavy-hitters when the draws for the 2016 county hurling championships were made on Tuesday night.

The men from New Inn/Bullaun, who won their seventh SHC title last November, will open their campaign against St. Thomas, with Loughrea facing Turloughmore and Castlegar taking on Gort in the other Group ‘A’ fixtures.

2016 county finalists Craughwell, now under player/manager Fergal Healy, also have a difficult group opener after being drawn to play Portumna. Cappataggle and Liam Mellows and Padraig Pearses and Ardrahan cross swords in the other Group B opening day ties.

In Senior ‘A’, the top two in each group qualify for the quarter-finals with the next two going through to the preliminary quarter-finals.

The restructuring of the competitions into Senior ‘A’ and ‘B’ championships has ensured the games in Senior ‘B’ are just as competitive. Ironically, 2015 intermediate holders Abbeyknockmoy begin life back in top flight hurling against Moycullen, the team they defeated in last year’s decider.

That will be a must-win game for both in Group ‘A’ given they will face stiff opposition in their remaining matches against Tommie Larkins, Beagh, Kiltormer and Killimordaly.

In Group ‘B’, Kilnadeema / Leitrim, Clarinbridge, Mullagh, Athenry, Carnmore and Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry will vie for the top position to ensure automatic qualification for the knockout stages. Teams finishing second and third in their Senior ‘B’ group must play off against a team in the opposite group to advance.

As for the intermediate championship, 2015 semi-finalists Kinvara and Ahascragh/Fohenagh have been kept part, with the latter drawn in a more difficult section containing Rahoon/Newcastle, Kilconieron, Ballinderreen, Annaghdown and Oranmore/Maree.

While no dates have been officially released for the senior and intermediate championships, 2015 U-21 ‘A’ winners Kilnadeema/Leitrim will begin the defence of their title against Oranmore/Maree on April 9th/10th. The other two teams in their group are Turloughmore and Kilconieron.