The draw for this year’s Senior Hurling Championship took place last week in the Salthill Hotel. Pearses have been drawn in Group D along with Kiltormer, Beagh and Tommie Larkins. Beagh only booking their place proper in the Group over the weekend, with their Replay win over Liam Mellows.
Pearses will of course be renewing rivalry with Tommie Larkins for the third successive year, having defeated them in the teams’ last meeting in the Group stages last year. Pearses’ last SHC meeting with Beagh was in 2008, losing out to them in the Group. There have always been very little between Pearses, Beagh and Tommie Larkins in previous encounters and it promise to be similar this time around.
Pearses last played Kiltormer in Senior Championship back in 1992, when they were All-Ireland Club Champions. Like Pearses, Kiltormer qualified from Round 1, when they looked impressive in defeating Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry. Pearses and Kiltormer have been installed as favourites by bookmakers, as they both qualified from Round 1. In truth all teams in this group will fancy their chances of qualification.
The full group draw is as follows:
Group A: Portumna, St Thomas’, Clarinbridge, Killimordaly.Group B: Gort, Turloughmore, Mullagh, Ardrahan.Group C: Castlegar, Craughwell, Kinvara, Loughrea.Group D: Tommie Larkins, Beagh, Pandamp;aacute;draig Pearses, Kiltormer.