Athea ready to host Munster Championship clash against Tipp opponents
Athea line out in their first foray into provincial action with their Junior Football Championship clash with Tipperary’s Mullinahone-CJ Kickhams at 1.15pm
GAA Coverage in association with Lyons of Limerick Ford
ATHEA will be the first Limerick side to take to the field in the Munster GAA club championships on Saturday afternoon.
They line out in their first foray into provincial action with their Junior Football Championship clash with Tipperary’s Mullinahone-CJ Kickhams at 1.15pm.
Munster officials confirmed the club’s home pitch in Athea was suitable to host the game, with a big crowd expected to cheer on the recent county champions.
Their Tipperary opponents had two injury-time goals from hat-trick hero Eoin O’Dwyer see them win their county title against Fr Sheehy’s last month. Ned O’Meara was also in scoring form for the Premier champs, kicking 1-4.
2010 All-Ireland winner with the Tipp hurlers Paul Curran lines out at midfield for Mullinahone who also have Premier U20 hurler Sam Rowan in their ranks.
Mullinahone have twice before faced Limerick opposition in the Munster Championship - when they defeated Mountcollins in the 2011 intermediate quarter-final before their 2019 junior semi-final win over Croom.
A Limerick side has never won this competition as Dromcollogher-Broadford - Munster club SFC champions in 2008 - remain the last local side to taste provincial football success.
At junior level, Castlemahon in 2022 are the last local side to win a game in the competition.