PREVIEW: The Harps face Ballyhale Shamrocks in historic Leinster Club clash

The Harps will take to the provincial stage for the first time in their history on Sunday afternoon when they welcome Kilkenny giants Ballyhale Shamrocks to Laois Hire O'Moore Park for a mouthwatering AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final.

It is another remarkable milestone for the Durrow-Cullohill outfit, who will make their debut in the competition just three weeks after getting their hands on the Bob O'Keeffe Cup for the first time.

The Harps produced a stunning performance to defeat Camross by 16 points in the Laois Senior Hurling Championship final, bringing an end to a 42-year wait for the club's first senior crown. Their rise to the top has been nothing short of meteoric. The club were only crowned Premier Intermediate champions in 2020 and arrived into this year's senior championship without having reached a semi-final since 2012, never mind a county final.

However, they have taken the step up in remarkable fashion, producing a series of impressive performances to claim the biggest prize in Laois club hurling. Their route to the title included a victory over Borris-Kilcotton before they knocked out reigning champions Clough/Ballacolla, who were chasing a second three-in-a-row and their sixth title in seven years.

They then saved their best performance for the final, where they dismantled Camross, the most successful club in Laois Senior Hurling Championship history with 27 titles, to secure their maiden Bob O'Keeffe Cup.

Now comes an entirely different challenge as they prepare to face one of the most decorated club sides in the country.

Ballyhale Shamrocks have won the Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship on 12 occasions, while they have also finished runners-up three times, including last season when they lost to Wexford's St Martin's in the final. Their provincial success has regularly been followed by All-Ireland glory, with the Kilkenny club having lifted the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship on nine occasions.

They arrive in Portlaoise as Kilkenny champions once again after producing a dominant display against Tullaroan in the county final on Sunday, October 25, winning by 22 points.

Ballyhale have an outstanding collection of talent at their disposal and will be determined to get their latest provincial campaign off to a winning start.

This is the second successive season that the Laois senior champions have been drawn against the Kilkenny champions. Clough/Ballacolla came agonisingly close to eliminating Ballyhale in last year's Leinster semi-final at Nowlan Park, but three late points from Darragh Corcoran, TJ Reid and Eoin Cody saw the Kilkenny side prevail by 1-15 to 1-12.

The Harps will be hoping to produce a similarly competitive performance and show that their county final demolition of Camross was no fluke.

There is also plenty of momentum within the club at present, with several of their leading players continuing to feature in the Laois U-20 Hurling Championship. The Harps are chasing a remarkable fifth consecutive county U-20 title and have already secured their place in this year's final after winning their opening two games.

While their attention will eventually turn back to that competition, Sunday's meeting with Ballyhale represents an opportunity for the club to measure themselves against one of the biggest names in club hurling.

It is undoubtedly a huge step up for a club making its first appearance in the Leinster senior championship, but having already overcome the biggest hurdle in their history by winning the Laois title, The Harps will be determined to make the most of the occasion.

The Harps and Ballyhale Shamrocks meet at Laois Hire O'Moore Park on Sunday, November 8, with throw-in at 2pm.