Preview: Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Quarter-final

By Conor Martin

The race for Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship glory heats up this Sunday as we reach the quarter-final stage. The two winners of this weekend’s games will join Kilamcud Crokes and St Vincents in the semi-finals after the pair won their respective groups.

First up at Parnell Park on Sunday are Lucan Sarsfields and Whitehall Colmcilles, who throw-in at 2pm.

Ben Coffey has been inspirational for Lucan this Championship and helped them get their first point on the board in a bruising encounter against Cuala before Charlie Carter’s men beat St Brigids and defending champions Na Fianna.

It would prove to be a dramatic game in which Coffey amassed an impressive 14 points for himself while teammate John Bellew rattled the net with a dramatic last-gasp goal and Sarsfield’s now look to use the momentum from that statement win as they go in search of a back-to-back semi-final.

Whitehall also have two wins, a draw and a defeat to their name. Paddy Spellacy has been impressive and demonstrated that against St Judes he showed how clinical he can be from the dead ball as he scored 10 points for himself and his club. While Dublin inter-county hurler Eoghan O'Donnell is a steady hand in defence for the Collins Avenue club.

Northsiders Na Fianna will need to shake off their late defeat to Lucan Sarsfields and refocus on retaining their Dublin senior hurling crown this weekend as they take on the team they won their first-ever Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship title against last year.

Na Fianna opened their defence of the Championship by thrashing St Brigids and played out a thriller with Kilmacud Crokes before they got back to winning ways against Cuala.

New Dublin hurling manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s men suffered defeat last time out, as previously mentioned to Lucan Sarsfields. A brace from Joe Kavanagh and Colin Currie were the Mobhi Road men raising green flags in that encounter. AJ Murphy, Dónal Burke and Gavin King all have enough to ensure Na Fianna take another step to a successive title.

Last year's beaten finalists, Ballyboden St Endas, are going in search of a first Dublin senior title since 2018. The Firhouse men seem to be edging closer to Championship glory if the following pattern is anything to go by. In 2021, they went out in the quarter-finals; in 2022, they lost in the semi-finals; and in 2023, they were beaten in the final.

Bouncing back from a narrow two-point opening Championship defeat to St Vincents. Enda Kinsella’s men in blue and white stripes beat Whitehall Colmcilles, St Judes and Craobh Chiaráin to finish second with six points.

James Madden, Niall McMorrow, as well as Luke McDwyer, are just a few who make up a talented panel, and if they knock out the defending title holders, Na Fianna, who broke Ballyboden hearts last year, then they’ll be full of belief they can end their wait for an eighth Dublin Senior Hurling Championship title.