Dromin-Athlacca hoping to return to the senior grade at first attempt

The action gets underway on the Ennis Road at 1.30pm in what is sure to be an enthralling contest.

The pair have already met in this year’s championship, a round four clash in Kilmallock that went down to the wire in August.

Bruff were able to come out on top on the day with Owen Meaney securing three of the last four scores on the day to get his side over the line.

Dromin-Athlacca had scored 2-4 without reply either side of the interval in this clash where they looked like extending their 100% record in the championship at that stage.

Green flags were raised when David Fitzgibbon and David Breen found the back of the net for the 2023 Premier Intermediate champions.

The south Limerick side were able to bounce back superbly well and a county final awaits.

Dromin-Athlacca have the chance to regain promotion back to Limerick hurling’s elite following relegation last year.

Selector Paul Neenan says ‘there’s nothing like’ county final week as his side seek to get their hands on the Michael Fox Memorial Cup.

“It's great, there's nothing like a county final week.

"The buzz in the camp is great and the fact that it's our local neighbours adds a bit of spice to it as well.”

Neenan says Limerick’s Premier Intermediate Championship is ‘cutthroat’ and states it’s very hard to get this far into the championship ‘without a few bumps in the road.’

"The Premier Intermediate championship has been cutthroat since it was introduced in 2014 and it's very, very hard to get through it without a few bumps in the road.

“It's been a good journey so far and a good championship and we are where we need to be now.”

Dromin-Athlacca, similarl to Bruff, were pushed all the way in their semi-final clash with Murroe-Boher.

Inter-county star David Reidy was in fine form, scoring 11 points on the day to get his side over the line in what was a breathless 0-19 to 0-18 win in Kilmallock.

Late scores from Jack Fitzgibbon and David Reidy gave the south Limerick men a late lead and they managed to hold on.

Trailing by two deep into injury time, Seanie Tobin tapped a 21-yard free over the bar to half the deficit.

However, the south Limerick side were able to win the resultant puckout to claim the win.

Neenan states that both semi-final performances will stand to the two teams.

"Both semi-finals went down to the wire and I think it'll help both teams that they were two good battles and two good contests. "Murroe-Boher had done exceptionally well in the group stages to get through undefeated which is a very, very difficult thing to do.

"We were confident enough in ourselves that we could go out to Kilmallock and give a good account of ourselves and we came out on the right side of the line.”

Neenan added there will be ‘good fun’ in the lead up to the final and admits it would be ‘massive’ for the club should they get over the line on Sunday against their near neighbours.

"There's lots of ties over and back with schools and other sports, camogie, rugby, everything.

"It'll be good fun around the two parishes leading up to it. It means everything to the players.

"To get back up to senior, for the level of players we have, they deserve to be playing at that kind of level.

“It would be a massive thing for a small country parish with a small population to be back playing with the big teams in Limerick,” Neenan concluded.

Co-Captain Shane Scully is also looking forward to Sunday’s tie.

“The mood is great around the place. You can't ask for anymore from the start of the year.

"All we wanted to do was to get into the last four.

"Once we got into the last four, we were able to get over the line and now we're exactly where we want to be.

"There's a good buzz around the place and we've been training hard so all good,” he said.

After a positive start to this year’s championship, he says his side went through ‘a bit of a rough patch’ but that positive form was re-ignited in recent rounds.

The latest chapter of their championship journey was that captivating tie with Murroe-Boher.

"We got off to a good start with the first three matches.

"We went through a bit of a rough patch then but we gathered that back in the last match so we're going well and we're training hard.”

Scully says it was a ‘very tough’ clash from the very first whistle against Murroe-Boher a fortnight ago.

"It was a very tough match to be fair.

" From the start, right through to the very end.

"There was nothing easy the entire game. Every point was earned and Murroe-Boher are a very good squad so we are very happy to have gotten out of that game.”

Dromin-Athlacca are no strangers to each other with the pair have already met in this year’s championship.

The neighbouring clubs met in round four where Bruff ran out one-point winners in what was a 1-18 to 2-14 win.

"They've beaten us already this year so it'll definitely be a very tough game. All we can do is bring our A game and do all we can can. We're looking forward to it.”

Scully says it would be ‘unbelievable’ for his side to get their hands Michael Fox Memorial Cup.

The club were relegated from the senior championship in 2025.

"It would mean everything, we can't wait. 2023 was when we did it last and it was unbelievable

"There would be nothing better than to do it again."

The Premier Intermediate Hurling final will be shown live on Limerick GAA TV.