Make the most of it.
This is the second last big club weekend of the year but what a weekend of GAA it is.
In the hurling, Saturday sees the Leinster junior and intermediate finals throw-in as a double-header in Nowlan Park. The Kilkenny clubs traditionally never blink there and it’s hard to see this weekend being any different.
The Munster junior final also takes place with a wonderful story emerging from one of the clubs involved, Waterford’s Ballinameela.
Then on Sunday, the big one, the battle of the Ballys with Ireland’s most successful club team Ballyhale taking one of Ireland’s largest clubs in Ballyboden. That promises plenty.
In the football, there are two Ulster finals, the intermediate and the senior while the Munster junior also goes to post.
We’ve taken a look at the form, the history and the match-ups and here’s our accumulator for the weekend that’s in it.
Ballyhale Shamrocks -2 against Ballyboden at 10/11
How do you stop the unstoppable? Ballyhale have so many class players in attack, from TJ Reid to Colin Fennelly to youngsters Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody to name but a few.
Ballyboden are gritty and they’ll turn the Cullen Park showpiece into a dogfight, but the Shamrocks have the firepower to win, and if they really stretch their legs, win by a couple.
Watch deferred on TG4.
Graigue/Ballycallan -5 against Portlaoise evs (Defferred TG4)
The Kilkenny intermediate championship is always one of the most competitive of the whole lot and Graigue/Ballycallan won a strong renewal this year.
A young team on the whole, with the likes of Billy Ryan and his brother Sean, Jesse Roberts and Conor Murphy hurling well, they also have the experience of Eddie Brennan and James Ryall to call on.
*** OUT NOW ***@TheGAAHour w/ @paddypower
⭐️ Eddie Brennan interview
⭐️ New colour sliotars
⭐️ Wooly's offensive mark ruined
https://t.co/bylIXcPCIL— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 29, 2018
Bank on them to do the business.
Mullahorn 7/4 to beat Naomh Eanna
Mullahorn had a woeful year at senior in Cavan last year but the drop down to intermediate seems to have revived them this year. A couple of their older heads have really put the heads down this year, none-more-so than handball star Paul Brady and with youngsters Cian O’Reilly and his brother Cormac coming of age, the battle-hardened underdogs could have enough to upset the odds.
Gaoth Dobhair -1 to beat Scotstown evs (Live TG4)
If Gaoth Dobhair win, they win well. A dazzling, fast-paced running team, they hit you in fits and bursts and though they can be vulnerable at the back, especially given the loss of key man Kieran Gillespie, their attacking unit usually comes up with the goods.
Scotstown won’t give them anywhere near the space Crossmaglen did, but Mac Niallais, Mulligan, Carroll, Cassidy or one of the Ó Baoills will break through.
Watch it live on TG4.
Beaufort 1/8 to beat Dromtarriffe
Never back against junior champs coming out of Kerry.
They’ve coasted through the Munster championship to date, winning by double figure margins all the way through and if there was a handicap available for junior football, we’d be on it this weekend.
Dunnamaggin 1/5 to beat Na Fianna
The same story as above. Never bet against junior champs coming out of Kilkenny. Dunnamaggin fared well in the Kilkenny intermediate league this year, they trounced the Dublin champs by 20 points last time out. No disrespect to the Meath champs but Dunnamaggin should be just too good.
Ballinameela 7/4 to beat Cloughduv
Blood is thicker than water and Waterford champs Ballinameela have 13 brothers on their starting team. Waterford teams traditionally do well in this competition, Ardmore winning the All-Ireland last year and Ballysaggart reaching the final a couple of years ago.
Unbelievable stuff from @Ballinameela, a club that only has 45 playing members 🙌 https://t.co/g4QpnEKDuL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 30, 2018
These lads are worth a punt too.
Stick on a euro, and you’ll win €78 for yourself. It’s worth a tipple at 78/1.
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