Patrickswell and South Liberties renew old rivalries in Limerick club hurling quarter final

PATRICKSWELL and South Liberties meet this Sunday afternoon to complete the line-up for the semi finals in the Bon Secours Limerick senior club hurling championship.

Fifty years after their 1972 Limerick SHC final clash, these old rivals meet in Fitzgerald Park in Kilmallock this October 9 at 2pm.

They are bidding to reach a last four tie against Kilmallock or Na Piarsaigh - that semi final draw will take place after the final whistle.

Patrickswell have been practically ever present in the Limerick SHC semi finals across the last decade - The Well absentees in 2013 and ‘14 in years when they won back-to-back County Cup titles.

Today they meet South Liberties, who are appearing in a third straight quarter final.

The famed green and gold hoops are in their 13th season back in the senior ranks and play in their sixth quarter final but are yet to enjoy victory.

Today's quarter finalists last met in the Limerick SHC quarter finals in 2018 when the side in blue and gold were 1-26 to 1-13 winners.

The last meeting of the teams in the championship was in 2019 - Patrickswell also winners on that occasion in a group fixture.

Liberties scored five goals last year and they went oh so close to knocking out eventual winners Kilmallock in the quarter final, while the year before that it was Doon that ended their campaign.

Patrickswell won just two of their five group games to reach this quarter final - losing to Kilmallock, Na Piarsaigh and Doon, with victories over Ahane and Adare.

Last year's finalists were without a number of players earlier in the campaign but were close to full strength in the final rounds - albeit without two-time Hurler of the Year Cian Lynch. 

Patrickswell will have Diarmaid Byrnes, Aaron Gillane, Mark Carmody, the three O'Brien brothers and two Kirby brothers as key men, while Liberties will look to Barry Nash, Brian and Tom Ryan, Conor McSweeney and Barry Cooney to try and defy the odds.