PREVIEW: Team-by-team guide to the Limerick premier intermediate hurling championship

THE Lyons of Limerick Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship gets underway this week with two games down for decision.

On Thursday, July 25 at 7pm in Sean Finn Park, Rathkeale Granagh Ballingarry face Newcastle West in a local derby. Effin take on Garryspillane in Bruff on Saturday at 7pm.

The first round game between Blackrock and Bruff takes place on Froday, August 23.

The first round meeting of Glenroe and Na Piarsaigh will now take place on Monday, August 26 in Caherconlish at 7pm.

The premier intermediate hurling championship is a round-robin series with each team playing seven games, the top four teams after that reach the semi-finals, while the bottom team is relegated.

BRUFF

SQUAD: Danny O'Leary (Joint Captain), Kevin Bonner (Joint Captain), Eric Finn (Vice Captain), Sean Finn, Patrick Finn, Paul Browne, Chris Browne, Colin Madden, Bradley Mc Namara, Conor McEniry, Darragh Butler, Daire O'Brien, David Browne, Gavin Bracken, Sean Murnane, Diarmuid Dennehy, Colm O'Loughlin, James O'Riordan, Paul O'Riordan, Michael O'Riordan, Evan O'Neill, Josh Keating, Rory Coleman, Ross O'Brien May, Jason Hayes, Killian Bennett, Owen Meany, Jack Hogan, Jack O'Neill, Jack Boddy, Conor Hynes, Cormac Daly, Ben Noonan, Tádgh Boddy, Sean Casey and Barry Callinan.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Mossie Boddy, John A Moran, Danny Moloney, Tony Clancy and Declan O'Sean.
KEY PLAYERS: Sean Finn, Paul Browne and Limerick U20 player Sean Casey.
PROSPECTS: Reached last year's Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final where they were defeated by last year's county champions Dromin-Athlacca.

BLACKROCK

SQUAD: Richie Murphy, Adrian Cooke, Daithi Heffernan , Killian Ahern, Ciaran Considine, Paudie Leahy, Brian Moloney, David Moloney, Richie McCarthy, Sean O'Neill, Liam Walsh, MJ O'Dwyer, Darragh Considine, Niall Moloney, Nigel Hosford, Daryl Crotty, Aidan Gilligan, Jimmy Quilty Jnr, Jimmy Quilty Jnr, Colm O'Keeffe, Ian O'Brien (Captain), Ruairi O Shaughnessy, Barry O'Shaughnessy, Simon Hennessy, James Philpot, Shane Lyons, Callan Ensor, Niall Ryan, Sean Dwyer, Blake O'Doherty, Brian Hennessy and Declan Gilligan.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Jimmy Quilty and Aidan Fitzgerald joint coaches/Managers, Selectors: Peter Sullivan and Peter Finn.
KEY PLAYERS: Jimmy Quilty Jnr, Richie McCarthy and Colm O'Keefe.
PROSPECTS: Blackrock were defeated by one point in last year's county final to Dromin-Athlacca by one point and they will be looking to go one step further than last year.

EFFIN

SQUAD: James O’Leary,, Mark Mullins , Alan Byrne , Sean Canning, Michael Rea , Nickie Quaid , Conor Kearney, Clive Doherty, Fergal O’Connor, Ruari O'Connor, Patrick O'Donovan, Ewan Dillon, Cillian O'Riordan, Thomas Quaid, Pierse O'Kelly, Ryan O’Neill, Hugh O’Neill, Patrick Carroll, Robert Cagney, Enda Kelly,Frankie Herr, Darren Sheehy, Jack Quaid, Jason O'Keefe, Ben Donovan, Cathal Canning, Jack Byrne, Finbarr Quain, Hughie Cronin, Jo Jo Fitzgerald, Reece Massey, Donal O'Leary, Trevor Lowe, Sean Manning and Kieran Stubbins.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Adrian Barrett, John Fitzgerald, Denis O'Donovan, PJ O'Connor.
KEY PLAYERS: Nickie Quaid, Fergal O'Connor and Paddy O'Donovan.
PROSPECTS: Effin were defeated in last year's county semi-final by Blackrock.

GARRYSPILLANE

SQUAD: Adam  Sheehan, Andy Dooley, Ben Ryan, Billy O'Keefe, Bryan Heavey, Calum Sheehan, Cian Ryan, Ciaran Sheehan, Colin Ryan (Captain), Darragh Keogh, Declan Heavey, Dylan O'Shea, Eoin O'Mahony, Evan O'Connor, Hugh Flanagan, Jack Gallagher, Jack O'Keeffe, James O'Sullivan, Jamie Morrissey, Jamie McGrath, John English, Josh Dineen, Mark Quinlan, Owen O'Sullivan, Peter Morrissey, Robert Sampson, Roibeard Donovan, Ryan Tobin and Shane Ryan.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Aaron Considine, Darragh Moloney, Donie Ryan, Michaél O'Donnell, Mike O’Dell and Ian Maunsell
KEY PLAYERS: Mark Quinlan, Colin Ryan and Bryan Heavey.
PROSPECTS: Relegated from Senior B in 2023 and Garryspillane will be looking to make the jump straight back up .

GLENROE

SQUAD: David McCarthy, Bob Frewan, Eoin Gallahue, Shane O'Donoghue, Brian O'Connell, Shaun Moloney, Darren McCarthy, Oisin Browne, Cillien O'Brien, Mark O'Connell, Paudie McGrath, Ciaran Kelly, Zach McCarthy, Darren Frewan, Mossy O'Brien, Jordan Sheehy, Darren Caroll, Scott Ryan, Johnny Tallon, Liam Dennehy, Keelan Riordan, Ian O'Sullivan, Sean Clancy, Tommy McDonnell, Cian Browne, Billy Lonergan, Conor Fenton.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Stephen McCarthy, Michael Webster, Ger Leahy, Mike Sheehy and Danny Murphy.
KEY PLAYERS: David McCarthy, Mark O'Connoll and Limerick U20 player Liam Dennehy.
PROSPECTS: Glenroe finished seventh in the Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship where they just avoided relegation and they will be looking to have a more positive campaign in 2024.

GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY

SQUAD: Denis O’Connor, Eoghan Casey, John Kealy, Niall Cahill, Sean O’Connor, Brian Sheehy, David Condron, Ronan Mullane, Jack Cagney (Captain), Colm Noonan, Josh Mulcaire-Quille, Darragh Casey, Mike Russell, Luke Flynn, Cathal O’Keeffe, Paudie Murphy, Damian O’Donovan, Eoin Lynch, Keith O’Kelly, Mark O’Shea, Eoin Horgan, Eoin Herlihy, Sean Murphy, Owen Lynch, Padraig McKenna, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor O’Donoghue, Jack Hartnett, Ed Sheehy, Ian Sheehy, Tommy O’Donovan, Gearoid Lynch and Sean O’Gorman.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Micheál Clancy, Paul O’Grady, Eoin Kennedy, Steven Stapleton, James Flynn, Cathal O'Brien.
KEY PLAYERS: Luke Flynn, Jack Cagney and Damian O'Donovan.
PROSPECTS: Last year's Intermediate Granagh Ballingarry have been promoted to the Premier Intermediate grade and their first aim will be to retain their status this year.

NEWCASTLE WEST

SQUAD: Aaron Neville, Andrew Lyons, Brian Curtin, Brian Foley, Brian Hurley, Bryan Nix, Cathal Hayes, Colm Foley, Con Hayes, Conor Walker, Diarmaid Kelly, Diarmuid Lyons, Eoin Hurley, Ethan Hurley, Evan McMahon, Jody Woulfe, John Whelan, Lee Woulfe, Maurice Murphy, Michael Blashkiv, Michael Cremin, Mike McMahon, Mike Quilligan, Patrick Noonan Sweeney, Ruadhan O’Connor, Seamus Hurley, Todd Donovan and William Hurley.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Derry McMahon, Chris Sexton, Tom Ryan, Eoin Cremin, Mike Mulcahy and Darragh Murphy.
KEY PLAYERS: Brian Hurley, Ethan Hurley and John Whelan.
PROSPECTS: Newcastle West finished in fifth place last year and they will be looking to reach the knockout stages this year.

NA PIARSAIGH

SQUAD: Andrew Stack, Bradley Moran, Cathal McMullan, Charles Hogan, Cian Brosnan, Conor Richardson, Darragh Jordan, David Sheppard, Dean McLoughlin, Dillon Skehan, Dylan Lynch, Evan Condon, Evan O'Brien, Evan Sweeney, Gearoid Synnott, James Daly, James Finn, James Naughton, James O'Brien, Jim Beary, John Fitzgerald, John O'Keeffe, Josh Sheehan, Kevin Daly, Kieran Daly, Marcus Hogan, Mark Hogan, Mark O’Connor, Niall Buckley, Padraic Heaney, Pat Gleeson, Patrick O'Neill, Ronan Benson, Steven Mitchell and Wayne Kearns.
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Emmet Beston, Tomás Downes, Joe Heaney, Bernie Buckley

KEY PLAYERS: Pat Glesson, Wayne Kearns and Evan Sweeney.
PROSPECTS: Na Piarsaigh narrowly missed out on the knockout stages finishing sixth last year. It shows the strength of the Caherdavin club to have their second team competing in Premier Intermediate.