North v South - Kilkenny’s geographical hurling and camogie divide to be played out
This Saturday, North takes on South at UPMC Nowlan Park in a unique hurling and camogie double-header, raising funds for Kilkenny GAA, Kilkenny Camogie and two charitable causes.
From Eddie Keher and Denise Gaule in the South to Ann Downey and Tommy Walsh in the North, Kilkenny has produced some of the greatest hurlers and camogie players the game has ever seen.
Driven by club, county or school/college loyalty, players from both north and south have delivered many special days while proudly wearing a badge that is dear to them. That determination to win is now going to take a new form, as players park club rivalries to team up for their region.
This Saturday, North takes on South at UPMC Nowlan Park in a unique hurling and camogie double-header, raising funds for Kilkenny GAA, Kilkenny Camogie and two charitable causes.
The North will proudly support Cois Nore Cancer Support Centre, while the South will line out in support of the Dillon Quirke Foundation.
Each club has nominated a representative (not currently involved with Kilkenny), with supporters encouraged to donate to their club’s nominated player. Funds raised that exceed €500 will go directly back to the participant's local club.
After costs, 10% of everything raised goes to Cois Nore and 10% to the Dillon Quirke Foundation.
The camogie match throws-in at 12.30pm. The North is captained by Mary O’Connell (Clara) and the South by Sinead O’Keeffe (Thomastown).
Meanwhile, the hurling will follow at 2.30pm. The North is captained by Conor Delaney (Erin’s Own) and the South by Richie Leahy (Rower Inistioge).
Co-Founder and CEO of SocialTies, Walter Walsh, is no stranger to big occasions in UPMC Nowlan Park. During an inter-county career spanning over a decade with Kilkenny, the Tullogher Rosbercon clubman won three All-Ireland medals in black and amber.
Now, his business life and love of hurling are combining with the idea for North vs South, a weekly GAA podcast on the Kilkenny Cats App, which is under the SocialTies umbrella.
“I’m definitely really excited about it, and there’s been a good bit of build-up to it,” Walsh told Kilkenny People Sport.
Walsh admitted there was some reluctance at the start, but after an apparent interest from the public who reached out to the former Kilkenny forward, the wheels were put in motion.
“We were definitely a bit apprehensive about it. I was like, ’Will they want to come in and play this match?’ And nearly everyone Shane (Walsh) and I asked are doing it. There’s one player who changed his flights to come back a day early to play in it. So when I heard that, I was delighted, as it means players want to be part of it,” he explained.
The SocialTies CEO was also keen to stress that while the match may be very much a new fixture on supporters’ calendars this season, it will be far more of a challenge match.
“It’s not like a game that lads will be taking easy,” he explained, adding, “the panels are quite small for that reason. We’re not going to make 15 changes in each game from each team.”
“This is a game that I’m going to be telling myself and the players that we have to win because we want it to be competitive. We want this maybe to happen again next year, and it has to be a good game, a competitive game, for people to want to come back and watch it, and for it to be a spectacle.
The organisers are hoping the inaugural event will run smoothly, provide an enjoyable experience for spectators and players, and deliver a competitive game that leaves a positive impression.
"There may be a lot of children coming into the game, and I suppose at the end of October there’s not a whole lot of hurling going on, so hopefully it’ll be a good spectacle.
“A lot of players playing this game are the best players in the club who weren’t on the county panel in 2026, and it’s the same for camogie as well. That’s going to make for a really good game.
“A lot of these players are the best players they have been throughout the championship as well," he added.
"It’s a great opportunity to play in UPMC Nowlan Park. I played there a couple of weeks ago, and it’s a great honour to play there as well. Especially as a club player, you don’t get to play in Nowlan Park too often, so that alone, it’s nice to represent your club as part of the South team or the North team. It is an honour.”