AIB Club Championships: This week's fixtures and previews

Each weekend brings with it novel stories and anecdotes. New match-ups, recent or old rivalries. Players that we enjoy during the summer with their county are now battling it out with their childhood friends.Others that have set the standard in one code — a Jamie Barron or a Keith Higgins — are currently lighting the torch in the other. There's always something happening in the AIB Club Championships.

Abbeyside/Ballinacourty v TheNire - Waterford SFC Final

TheNire hail from a parish of the same name and Ballymacarbry and are known as Four mile water in hurling. No surprise then that they go into this Waterford football final with plenty of small ball specialists, the most high-profile right now being 2016 All Star nominee Jamie Barron. Liam Lawloris a former county full-back and actually began his hurling career with ClonmelOg, as he grew up close to the Tipperary border. In theNire full-forward line alongside him is Shane Walsh, a fine fielder of the ball who has also lined out for the Deisein championship hurling. The likes of Thomas and Maurice O’Gorman, and Brian and Tommy Wall, have done likewise for the county footballers.

Patrickswell(Limerick) v Glen Rovers (Cork) - AIB Munster SHC Semi-Final

There’s an old adage that when Patrickswell are going well, so too are Limerick. Four times their players have captained Limerick to league titles, and the same with Munster Championships. Add into the mix that Diarmuid Byrnes was the victorious Under-21 All-Ireland captain in 2015. Barry Foley, aged 39, scored four points in All-Ireland final against Wexford20 years ago and is now playing midfield with Jack Kelleher, who was born after his teammate made his bow for the county. When Foley won his first of seven county titles in 1993, the likes of Byrnes and Cian Lynch hadn’t been born either. One hundred years after their formation, this is the first time that Glen Rovers have retained the Sean OgMurphy Cup in Cork since 1960.

Cuala(Dublin) v Borris-Kilcotton(Laois) - AIB Leinster ClubSHCquarter-final

Cualagot themselves a new set of jerseys midway through the season but already they look out of date. That’s because the defending champions had four stars put on their sleeves to denote each county title triumph in their history. After first using the new shirts against St Vincent’s on September 24 in the final group game, they won their fifth crown when beating Kilmacud Crokes last Saturday. But now they will be a star shy against Borris-Kilcotton this Sunday at Parnell Park. When their opposition won the Laois title, they were bringing home the Bob O’Keeffe Cup named after one of the own players. O’Keeffe, an All-Ireland medallist with the O’Moore County in 1915 and president of the GAA from 1935 to 1938, was a native of Mooncoinin Kilkenny but taught in Laois and hurled forKilcotton.

Raharney(Westmeath) v St Mullins (Carlow) - AIB Leinster Club SHC quarter-final

Many of Raharney’s players also line out in football with Killucan and manager Johnny Greville has seen several of the same group play somewhere between 15 and 20 games in the past three to four months. Dual star Brian Smyth, who is based in London, missed the county final win ove rClonkill after dislocating his shoulder in the football semi-final loss to St Loman’s.

Castleknock v St Vincent's - Dublin SFC Final

Castleknock appear in a maiden Dublin SFC final on Sunday after only being formed in 1998 and the name that jumps off the team-sheet is of course Ciaran Kilkenny. But they have some other inter-county experience too in the form of Peter and James Sherry — the latter who debuted for Fermanaghin 2003 and captained the side under Malachy O’Rourke. St Vincent’s have current Slig oand Mayo stars in the ranks, Brendan Egan and Enda Varley respectively, and are looking to extend their record county title haul to 28.

Fixtures

Saturday 5 November

AIB Connacht club SFC quarter-final
Tourlestrane (Sligo) v Castlebar Mitchels (Mayo), Markievicz Park, 2pm

Dublin SFC final
Castleknock v St Vincent's, Parnell Park, 3pm

AIB Connacht club JHC final
Calry-St Joseph's (Sligo) v Michael Breathnach (Galway), Connacht GAA, 2pm

AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Quarter Finals
O’Dempseys (Laois) v Round Towers (Kildare), O'Moore Park, 2pm
Arklow Geraldines (Wicklow) v St Colmcilles (Meath), Pearses Park Arklow, 2.30
St. Josephs (Louth) v Fingallians (Dublin), Cluskey Park, Dromisken, 2pm
Cappincur (Offaly) v Rosemount (Offaly), O'Connor Park, Tullamore, 2pm

AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Hurling Quarter Finals
Bray Emmets (Wicklow) v Castletown (Laois), Bray Emmets, 2pm
Raheny (Dublin) v Celbridge (Kildare), O'Toole Park, 2pm
Kiltale (Meath) v Oylegate Glenbrien (Wexford), Trim, 2pm

AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Semi Finals
Kilcullen (Kildare) v Bracknagh (Offaly), Kilcullen, 2pm
CFCW (Westmeath) v Rosenallis (Laois), Castlepollard, 2pm

AIB Leinster Club Junior Hurling Quarter Finals:
St Fechins (Louth) v Mooncoin (Kilkenny), Gaelic Grounds Drogheda, 2pm
St Oliver Plunketts (Westmeath) v St James (Wexford), Robinstown, 2pm
Ratoath (Meath) v Clodiagh Gaels (Offaly), Ratoath, 2pm

AIB Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final
Newport (Tipperary) v Lismore (Waterford), Fraher Field, 2pm

AIB Ulster Intermediate Hurling Club Championship Semi-Final
Eoghan Rua (Derry) v Bredagh (Down), Loughgiel Shamrocks GAA, 2:30pm


Sunday 6 November

AIB Leinster club SHC quarter-finals
Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford) v St Rynagh's (Offaly), Innovate Wexford Park, 2pm - Deferred Coverage on TG4
Raharney (Westmeath) v St Mullins (Carlow), Cusack Park, 2pm
Cuala (Dublin) v Borris-Kilcotton (Laois), Parnell Park, 2pm

AIB Munster club SHC semi-finals
Patrickswell (Limerick) v Glen Rovers (Cork), Gaelic Grounds, 3.30pm
Ballyea (Clare) v Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary), Cusack Park, Ennis, 2pm - Live on TG4

AIB Waterford SFC final
Abbeyside/Ballinacourty v The Nire, Fraher Field, 2.45pm

AIB Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final
Kilmoyley (Kerry) v Monaleen (Limerick), Gaelic Grounds Limerick, 1:30pm

AIB Munster Junior Football Championship quarter-final
Gabriel Rangers (Cork) v Meelick (Clare), Clonakility, 2pm

AIB Connacht Intermediate Football Championship semi-finals
Ballinamore Sean O'Heslin's v St Molaise Gaels, Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, 2pm
Monivea-Abbey v Westport, McHale Park, 2pm

AIB Connacht club IHC final
Ballyhaunis (Mayo) v Ahascragh-Fohenagh (Galway), Athleague, 2pm