Easter Gaelic Games Egg-stravaganza
By Shane Brophy
Lent comes to an end this Easter Sunday when after a period of sacrifice for forty days, people than indulge once more. In a Gaelic Games sense, it is a feast this week as Tipperary teams face into key championship games, the highlight being the start of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday when Tipperary host six-time defending champions Limerick.
The bonanza of action began last Monday evening with the Tipperary minor footballers falling to Limerick in their second game of the championship, followed last evening (Tuesday) with the under 20 footballers having a must-win game against Cork with a place in the Munster final at stake but ended up drawing in controversial fashion which saw them miss out on score difference.
This evening (Wednesday) it is the turn of the under 20 hurlers to take to the pitch when they travel to Sixmilebridge to take on Clare in their third game of the round-robin, with much of the focus on that game as to whether captain Sam O’Farrell and leading forward Darragh McCarthy will line out ahead of Sunday’s senior game where both players would be expected to start.
Thursday is the only evening where there is no game so it provides time for a breather before the action resumes on Friday evening in Thurles when the minor hurlers face a must-win game against Limerick to stay in the championship.
Onto Saturday, it is the turn of the Tipperary senior footballers when they travel to Ennis very much as underdogs for their Munster semi-final against Clare. Away from Gaelic Games, there is Nenagh Ormond’s AIL playoff against Blackrock College at New Ormond Park.
On Sunday, all eyes will be on FBD Semple Stadium where a crowd in excess of 30,000 is expected to see if Tipperary can earn their first victory over Limerick since 2019 in all competitions and produce an upset in the first round of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship at 4.00pm.
The match will be preceded at 2.00pm pm by the clash of the same counties in the quarter final of the Munster Senior Camogie Championship with the prize of a home semi-final on offer for Denis Kelly’s charges against old nemesis Waterford.
The action wraps up on Easter Monday when Tipperary will look to become the inaugural winners of the Munster Under 23 Camogie title when they take on Cork in Kilmallock at 1.00pm.