THE most exciting period of the Muskerry GAA playing scene is at hand as the coming weekend will see the contenders for ultimate victory in the divisions premier championships being further reduced. On Saturday the first finalists for the Quish's Junior Hurling Championship will be known while on Sunday evening Ballincollig who qualified for the Ross Oil Junior Football Championship final last week will know their opponents in same.

The junior hurling championship semi-final between Ballincollig and Grenagh will bring a large attendance to Ballyanly on Saturday afternoon as both sides have some excellent hurlers in their ranks. These two sides met in the first round of the competition when Ballincollig gained a dramatic last minute victory thanks to a goal from Brian Glavin but it proved to be very much a wake up call for Grenagh who lined out without the services of Tom Kenny.

The latter were a changed side for their losers group outing when they performed impressively to comprehensively defeat Donoughmore and following that performance they were clearly installed as favourites to capture the blue riband of Muskerry hurling. They will be determined on Saturday to make amends for their first round defeat at Ballincollig hands and they will be a formidable side when they take the field at full strength.

Ballincollig have lost Conor Sexton and David Bowen two players who contributed significantly to their first round and were subsequently promoted to their intermediate side, but those losses will be compensated by the availability of players like Ciaran O'Sullivan, Stephen O'Donohue and John Paul Murphy who were out of the country at intermediate championship time.

There will certainly be plenty of top class hurlers in action in Ballyanly on Saturday with Grenagh who will be expecting huge performances from stalwarts Tom Kenny, John Russell, and DD Dorgan the favoured side, but Ballincollig will be anxious to emulate their junior football counterparts and reach the divisional final. We consequently have the ingredients for exciting contents that could go down to the wire.

The Ross Oil Junior Football Championship semi-final between reigning champions Blarney and Iveleary will take place at Coachford on Sunday evening at 6.30 and this is another game that should produce exciting fare. Iveleary are cock-a-hoop at present following their exciting well merited victory over Dripsey in last Saturday's quarter final and a repeat performance will give them a good chance of surmounting the Blarney challenge.

The latter displayed clearly in last years championship that they are capable of playing good football however and they have also done well this season to overcome their first round defeat at hands of Ballincollig. Victories subsequently over Canovee and Donoughmmore gave them a semifinal place and they will face Iveleary on Sunday with a good degree of confidence.

Iveleary have reliable adefenders in Mick Creed, Kevin Hourihan, and Donal Cotter. John Flynn was a big figure at centre field on Saturday last and they have good forwards in Brian Cronin and Donal O Sullivan and their supporters will be hoping that they will be at their best. Paul O Leary, Donal Cronin, and Peter Ahern, Ray O Leary, John Hurley and Trevor Hegarty are likely to figure prominently for Blarney who will put out all the stops in their quest for another final appearance.

Fixtures

Championship SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4 At Ballyanly. Quish's Super Valu Junior Hurling Championship semi-final Ballincollig v Grenagh 4pm At Annahala Minor (B) Football Championship Semi-final Aghabullogue v Bèal Athan Gaorthaigh 6.30 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5 at Coachford Ross Oil Junior Football Championship Semi-Final Blarney v Iveleary 6.30 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6 At Coachford Junior (B) Hurling Championship Cloughduv v Inniscarra 6.30 At Cloughduv Junior (B)Hurling Championship Macroom v Kilmichael 6.30 League Fixtures SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4 Junior (B) Hurling League Blarney v Donoughmore 6.30 Junior (C) Football League Dripsey v Kilmurry 6.30 Junior (C)Football League Clondrohid v Cill Na Martra 6.30 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6 Junior (B) Hurling League Ballinora v Grenagh 6.30 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8 Junior (C)Football League Bèal Athan Gaorthaigh v Clondrohid 6.30 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 9 O Crualaoi Butchers Junior Football League Donoughmore v Inniscarra 6.30 Ref M Moynihan (Grenagh)

- Aubert Twomey's