AS the club hurling season comes to a close, details have been confirmed for the AIB All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals.
Derry champions Sleacht Néill, fresh from their massive comeback win against Portaferry in the Ulster Championship final, will take on Cork and Munster winners Sarsfields in Kildare.
♦ Subscriber exclusive: Ask our GAA writers a question
The game is fixed for Sunday, December 15, at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge, Kildare, with throw-in scheduled for 1.30pm.
The maroon and white hoops of Robert Emmetts will hope that they can go further than they have before and reach an All-Ireland Senior Hurling final, becoming the first club from Derry to make it to the promised land.
The other semi-final features Dublin and Leinster champions Na Fianna and Galway champions Loughrea at Semple Stadium in Tipperary also on Sunday, December 15, with throw-in scheduled for 3.30pm.
The champions of the Galway Senior Hurling Championship get an automatic ‘bye’ to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals due to the insufficient level of competition in Connacht to sustain a provincial championship.
The last Connacht Senior Hurling Championship was held in 2007, when Galway’s Portumna thrashed Ballina of Mayo 6-23 to 0-7 to make it 18 provincial titles in a row for Galway sides and 34 out of 37 overall for the clubs from the tribe.
This year, the fight for the Tommy Moore Cup has been blown wide open, with Loughrea the only one of the four semi-finalists to have played in a final before, the Galway side finishing runners-up to Henry Shefflin’s Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2007.
Full fixture and tv details
AIB All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals
Sunday, December 15
Sarsfields (Cork) v Sleacht Néill (Derry), St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare (1.30pm)
Loughrea (Galway) v Na Fianna (Dublin), Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co Tipperary (3.30pm)
Both fixtures will be shown live on TG4.