Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship Final

Adare (Limerick) v De La Salle (Waterford), Semple Stadium, Thurles, 2.00 pm.

It will be a historic day for the Munster championship as, irrespective of who wins, new champions will be crowned, bringing to 22 the number of clubs who have won the hurling title since the official launch of the championships in 1971. De La Salle won the Waterford title for the first time this year and are now bidding to join Mount Sion and Ballygunner as Waterford winners of the Munster crown. All Star forward, John Mullane is De La Salle’s best known player but they can also call on his county colleagues, Kevin Moran and Brian Phelan to lead what is sure to be a stirring effort to land the big prize.

Adare are in the Munster championship for a second successive year but have been more successful this time. They lost to Loughmore-Castleiney in last year’s semi-final but gained revenge on Tipperary champions this year when they beat a highly-rated Toomevara side in the semi-final. Mark Foley, Wayne McNamara, Donncha Sheehan and Timmy Houlihan are Adare’s best known players on what is a well-balanced squad. Adare are bidding to become the first Limerick club to win the Munster title since Kilmallock were successful in 1994. Kilmallock, Patrickswell and Ballybrown are the Limerick clubs who have won the Munster title so far.

Paths to the final

Adare 1-11 Toomevara (Tipperary) 0-10
Conor Fitzgerald shot 0-6 as Adare beat Toomevara in the Gaelic grounds. A blistering start which yielded 1-4 in the first quarter set the Limerick champions on their way to victory and while Toomevara cut the gap to two points in the second half, Adare powered on to earn a place in the Munster final for the first time.

De La Salle 0-18 Sarsfields (Cork) 0-16.
Brian Phelan scored 0-5 and John Mullane and James Quirke 0-4 each as De Salle clinched a place in the final for the first time. The sides were level on eleven occasions, including half-time (0-9 each). It was equally tight in the second half before De La Salle edged home to complete a great week, having won the Waterford title for the first time seven days previously.