Clough-Ballacolla take aim at Shamrocks Ballyhale as The Harps look to extend U-20 dominance

Sunday’s GAA schedule features two key fixtures, with Clough-Ballacolla set for a major test in the AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals, while The Harps and Abbeyleix contest a place in the Laois Shopping Centre U-20 Hurling Championship decider.

AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final 

Clough-Ballacolla(Laois) vs Shamrocks Ballyhale (Kilkenny) in UMPC Nowlan Park at 1.30pm

The headline game sees Laois Senior Hurling champions Clough-Ballacolla make the trip to UPMC Nowlan Park to face Kilkenny giants Shamrocks Ballyhale. Clough-Ballacolla, who recently lifted their fifth Laois SHC title in six seasons, had to battle hard two weeks ago to get past Westmeath’s Castletown Geoghegan.

Willie Dunphy’s two goals proved decisive as they edged a tense quarter-final 2-16 to 0-20, surviving a late surge from the 14-man Westmeath outfit before closing it out with frees and a vital point from Padraigh Brennan. The victory came three weeks after Willie Hyland’s men retained the Laois crown, and now they face the toughest assignment provincial club hurling can offer.

Shamrocks Ballyhale come into the semi-final with the competition’s richest pedigree, having claimed the Leinster title 12 times, most recently in 2022 and 2021. That 2021 victory included a resounding win over Clough-Ballacolla in the final, a harsh day for the Laois champions in their maiden Leinster decider.

Ballyhale’s quarter-final performance this year was typically assured as TJ Reid struck 12 points, 11 from frees, while Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen added three points apiece in their win over Kilcormac–Killoughey.

The news is less positive for Mullen, who is set to be ruled out after undergoing surgery on a broken thumb sustained late in that game during the incident that sparked a melee between both sets of players, which led to a Kilcormac–Killoughey supporter entering the field and later being arrested after he had swung a punch in the direction of Mullen. The Kilkenny player was always going to be missing this game as he received a one-match ban for his involvement in the melee at the end of the Kilcormac-Killoughey game.

Even without Mullen, the Kilkenny champions present a massive challenge to Clough-Ballacolla as they look to reach yet another provincial final. 

Laois Shopping Centre U-20 Hurling Championship Semi-Final 

The Harps v Abbeyleix in The Harps GAA at 11.30am

In the day’s other big fixture, The Harps and Abbeyleix meet in Durrow in the semi-finals of the Laois U-20 Hurling Championship.

The Harps are chasing a remarkable fourth consecutive title at this grade and reached the last four in commanding fashion by topping Group B. They opened with a 4-15 to 0-16 win over Camross, followed it with a 1-16 to 1-8 victory against Borris-Kilcotton, and finished their group campaign in style with a 2-22 to 1-7 triumph over Clough-Ballacolla.

Abbeyleix arrive as runners-up from Group A, where they finished behind Castletown, who meet Clough-Ballacolla in the other semi-final next weekend. Abbeyleix recorded victories over Ballyfin-Mountrath and Rathdowney-Errill, with their only setback coming in the opening round against Castletown, a heavy 4-14 to 1-5 defeat. They will need a near-perfect performance on Sunday if they are to halt The Harps’ bid for four-in-a-row and book their own place in the final.

READ NEXT: Clonad no match for Clane in Leinster Club JHC semi-final