After the high octane action in the Golden Gloves Tournament at St Paul's in Belfast last weekend the spotlight on handball tomorrow falls on the Inter-club 40x20 Championships being fought out, at various venues, with Breacach from Tyrone, Belfast club St Gall's and Cavan's Kingscourt chasing titles.
In Cullohill Co Laois, at the Open Club semi-finals. the Breacach boys from Beragh, hoping that it will be third time lucky, will tackle a strong Coolboy (Wicklow) team that includes Michael Gregan, Jerome and Johnny Willoughby while Breacach have stalwarts in Pól Clarke, Johnny Woods, Shane O'Neill, Sean and Conor Kerr.
It should be quite a battle as Kerry's Glenbeigh, who have a bye in the other semi-final, stand by awaiting the winners in the evening's final.
Breacach reached the final for the past two years but lost out to Kilkenny and Kells in the 2016 and 2017 deciders.
St Gall's also travel to Laois for the Junior semi-final in Leixlip where they will clash with Wexford team Templeudigan.
Back-boning the Belfast team will be Jordan O'Neill and Mark Rainey with the winners to meet either Kilworth (Cork) or Moycullen (Galway) who meet in the other semi-final.
Moycullen look pretty strong with Diarmuid and Darragh Mulkerrins included in the team, both of whom competed in the Golden Gloves last weekend.
The Junior B club championship semi-finals, at Curraghboy, Co Roscommon, features Kingscourt and Windgap from Kilkenny. The Cavan team includes Diego Di Folco and Conor Owens.
The winners of that semi will then play the winners of the Hospital (Limerick) v Newport (Mayo) battle for a place in the final.
All-Ireland Inter-club Team Championships
At Cullohill Laois – Open Club SF1: Coolboy (Wicklow) v Breacach (Tyrone):
Coolboy (Michael Gregan, Jerome Willoughby, Michael Lennon, Johnny Willoughby, Keith Kavanagh) Breacach (Pól Clarke, Sean Kerr, Johnny Woods, Shane O'Neill, Conor Kerr)
Glenbeigh (Kerry) Bye
At Leixlip – Junior SF1: Templeudigan (Wexford) v St. Gall's (Antrim):
St Gall's (Jordan O'Neill, Mark Rainey, Conor Hartigan, Lee McCann, Conal Doyle)
At Castleknock – Junior SF2: Kilworth (Cork) v Moycullen (Galway)
At Curraghboy – Junior B: SF1: 11am Windgap (Kilkenny) v Kingscourt (Cavan)
Kingscourt (Diego Di Folco, Conor Owens, Adam Crosbie, Cillian O'Reilly, Joe Dillon Jr).
SF 2: Hospital (Limerick) v Newport (Mayo)
-end-
