Dublin SHC ready for lift-off this week

Thu, 5th April 2018

Cuala begin the defence of their Dublin SHC 'A' title this weekend with the commencement of the competition beginning with Thursday night's double-header in Parnell Park.

The back-to-back All-Ireland club senior hurling champions, who will be without their injured captain Paul Schutte, face St Brigid's, whom they narrowly defeated in last year's SHC quarter-final, in their Group 3 opener in Parnell Park on Saturday (5.45).

Last year Cuala were defeated by southside rivals Ballyboden St Enda's in their opening round-robin before recovering over the course of the group stages and book their berth in the knockout games.

Mattie Kenny's men will be attempting to capture the New Ireland Assurance Cup (Dublin SHC) for their fourth year in-a-row a feat last achieved by Boden who went onto capture five in-a-row from 2007-2011.

The only other clubs to do four in-a-row are Faughs 1920-23, Commercials 1895-1899 (five) and Garda 1925-1929 (also five in-a-row).

Cuala had to show all their big-game experience in the knockout stages of last year's competition when overcoming St Brigid's, St Vincent's and then Kilmacud Crokes in the county final.

They defeated Crokes 1-13 to 0-13 in the decider with the only goal of the contest coming in the 19th minute of the opening half when Darragh O'Connell broke onto a long delivery from Colm Cronin before finishing clinically past Eoin Dalton.

Crokes applied plenty of aerial pressure on Cuala late on but Seán Moran, Oisín Gough and Cian O'Callaghan defended stoutly to capture the title.

In the semi-final the Dalkey men were level with St Vincent's, 3-11 to 2-14, entering the final quarter but key scores from David Treacy (frees) and 1-1 from Con O'Callaghan saw them home, 4-16 to 2-16.

It was even closer in the SHC quarter-final when this weekend's opponents, St Brigid's, were narrowly edged out 3-14 to 2-15 in a dramatic finale to their duel in O'Toole Park.

Brigid's started very well that day with a Cian O'Sullivan goal following good work by Eoghan Dunne.

Both sides were reduced to 14 players during the early passage with John Sheanon (Cuala) and Paul Winters (St Brigid's) seeing red.

By the half-time interval the defending champions had moved 2-6 to 1-8 clear with Con O'Callaghan accounting for both goals.

However, points from Cian O'Sullivan and Johnny McGuirk had Brigid's in front well inside the last ten minutes before Cuala came with a winning surge with David Treacy and Jake Malone points before Seán Treacy hit a vital late goal.

THIS WEEK'S DUBLIN SHC 'A' SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 5

Dublin SHC Group 2: Na Fianna v Whitehall Colmcille (Parnell Park, 6.45)

Dublin SHC Group 2: Kilmacud Crokes v Naomh Fionnbarra (Parnell Park, 8.15)

Saturday, April 7

Dublin SHC Group 1: St Vincent’s v Raheny (Parnell Park, 4.0)

Dublin SHC Group 1: O’Toole’s v St Jude’s (O’Toole Park, 4.0)

Dublin SHC Group 3: Cuala v St Brigid’s (Parnell Park, 5.45)

Dublin SHC Group 3: Ballyboden St Enda’s OFF Craobh Chiaráin (O'Toole Park, 5.45)

Sunday, April 8

Dublin SHC Group 4: Lucan Sarsfields v Crumlin (O’Toole Park, 2.15)

Dublin SHC Group 4: Setanta v Ballinteer St John’s (O’Toole Park, 4.0)

DUBLIN SHC: ROLL OF HONOUR (New Ireland Assurance Cup)

Faughs (31) - 1892, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1930, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1999.

St Vincent’s (13) - 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1993.

Commercials (9) - 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1916.

UCD (8) - 1934, 1947, 1948, 1961, 1968, 2000, 2004, 2005.

O’Toole’s (8) - 1969, 1977, 1984, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002.

Cuala (6) - 1989, 1991, 1994, 2015, 2016, 2017.

Kilmacud Crokes (6) - 1966, 1974, 1976, 1985, 2012, 2014.

Garda (6) - 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931.

Young Irelands (6) - 1932, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1965.

Ballyboden St Enda’s (6) - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013.

Craobh Chiaráin (5) - 1971, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006.

Kickhams (4) - 1889, 1890, 1908, 1924.

Rapparees (3) - 1891, 1894, 1912.