The Wexford Senior Hurling Championship is back in action, with games re-commencing last weekend…
Now into round two, there are some exciting clashes to look forward to. The game between Ferns and Naomh Eanna is probably the pick of them, while Oylegate’s clash against Faythe Harriers has the makings of an exciting encounter too.
Here, we go through our predictions for Round 2 of the Wexford Senior hurling championship.
St Annes vs Crossabeg/Ballymurn
Crossabeg/Ballymurn are grateful to see Oisin Foley back in action for their club team, having not featured with the Wexford Senior hurlers throughout the 2024 campaign. It may be closer than people might think, but St Annes are a strong outfit and they will be hard to beat throughout this campaign, with Dee O’Keeffe and Liam Óg McGovern leading the pack. They looked impressive with a 14-point win over Oulart-The Ballagh last weekend. Prediction: St Annes by 6.
Glynn-Barntown vs Oulart The Ballagh
Glynn Barntown struggled throughout last season and found themselves in a relegation battle. Although they survived the drop, their exploits in the first round wouldn’t fill supporters with confidence as they struggled against Naomh Eanna. Oulart The Ballagh will see this as one that they can win. Nicky Kirwan, still going strong at full-forward, is always one to watch and could cause some damage. Prediction: Oulart The Ballagh by 5
Oylegate-Glenbrien vs Faythe Harriers
This is an interesting clash to say the least. There’s no doubt that the hardest thing to do when playing Faythe Harriers is to mark Lee Chin. Oylegate will be hopeful that either Shane or Damien Reck will be able to put a stop to the Wexford town talisman. Chin has been named at full-forward, while Shane Reck has been named at full-back. It could be an excellent battle; the winner of this battle will likely be on the winning team. Prediction: Oylegate by 3
Rapparees vs Clougbawn
The recently promoted Cloughbawn will take on a depleted Rapparees side this weekend. They’re without Liam Ryan, Ben Edwards and Dillon Redmond, with Ryan recovering from injury while the latter of the two are currently abroad. This is one that Cloughbawn will think that they can win and I think that given the players the Rapps are missing, they could do it too. Former Wexford hurler Harry Kehoe is named in full-forward and during his Wexford hurling days, he was always good for keeping the score-board ticking over. It could be the same again this weekend. Prediction: Cloughbawn by 2
Naomh Eanna vs Ferns St Aidans
These two teams look to be the best teams on paper. They showcased that they’re not just a team on paper after their opening games. Naomh Eanna, who are the reigning champions, easily dismantled Glynn-Barntown, while Ferns had a solid 13-point win over Crossabeg/Ballymurn. There’s some great match-ups here, and there’s no doubt that it’ll go down to the wire. Prediction: Naomh Eanna by 1
St Martins vs Shelmaliers
This will be another titanic battle. The Shels are always a solid outfit in both codes of the Wexford Senior Championships. They had an impressive 4-11 to 1-16 win over neighbours Faythe Harriers in a derby battle. In the second derby battle in quick succession, they’ll be hoping to continue their winning streak. They may find it hard to stop Rory O’Connor, who has continued his excellent form into the club championship, scoring 1-15 of his sides 1-18 in their previous game. That stat may be somewhat concerning as a St Martins supporter though, as perhaps it suggests that the rest of the team are not firing off all cylinders. Prediction: St Martins by 2
Jason Redmond
From Gorey, Jason is the owner of Wexford Weekly. He is also a post-primary English and History teacher.