Previews: Massive day of action on the horizon for Kildare club sides in the Leinster Championship

Leinster JFC semi-final

Kilcullen v Bracknagh(Offaly), venue: Kilcullen, Saturday 2PM

Kilcullen’s Leinster adventure continues on Saturday, but they face the stiffest test of their provincial campaign to date when they host Offaly Intermediate champions Bracknagh in their home pitch.

Quite why Leinster GAA have opted to include an Offaly intermediate side in the Leinster Junior Football Championship is a question that has been asked regularly in the last number of weeks, but Bracknagh’s results thus far do not suggest that they are too strong for this grade. They needed a replay to get past the challenge of St Kevin’s(Louth) in the first round, though they trashed Wicklow champions Ashford by 14 points in the last round.

Kilcullen’s progress has taken in wins in Maastricht and Newbridge, with both Amsterdam and St Patrick’s of Carlow defeated en route to the last four.

Home advantage is a massive factor for the Rags, and they will undoubtedly be cheered on by a large band of supporters. Bracknagh is a small village located less than three miles from the Kildare border, so they won’t be facing into any long journey to make it up to Kilcullen.

The home side will be looking to the likes of David Marshall and Colm Fox in attack to provide the bulk of their scoring threat, while Sean Byrne and Darren Barker will be needed to provide a platform in midfield. In defence, Franny Shortt has been nothing short of superb all year, and he will be relied upon to shut down a Bracknagh attack that has been averaging 19 points per game in the Leinster Championship.

A win for Kilcullen would surely rank among one of the most famous victories in the history of the club.

Leinster IFC semi-final

O’Dempseys(Louth) v Round Towers, venue: O’Moore Park, Saturday 2PM

Two weeks have passed since Round Towers squeezed to a one-point win over Two Mile House in the most dramatic of circumstances in the replay of this year’s Kildare Intermediate Championship final, which has given them plenty of time to both celebrate and regain their focus ahead of their Leinster Championship jaunt.

Glenn Ryan will surely have his side well primed for battle once again, and they have had plenty of opportunity to shake of any niggling injuries that may have been carried through their battles with Two Mile House.

O’Dempseys present a formidable challenge however, and having easily accounted for St Brigids Kilashee of Longford in the first round, they will have plenty of confidence entering this game.

There is no lack of star quality among their ranks either, with intercounty stars Peter O’Leary, Robbie Kehoe and Conor Meredith providing the backbone of the side, while U21 star Michéal Finlay is their main scoring threat.

He registered six points from play in their victory over the Longford side, and with other sharpshooters such as Stephen O’Leary and Barry Kelly alongside him, Mikey Kelly and his Round Towers colleagues will have their work cut out in defence.

The familiar confines of O’Moore Park will be a help to the Laois representatives, though it isn’t too far a trip for the Kildare Town side to be facing into either.

Leinster IHC quarter-final

Raheny(Dublin) v Celbridge, venue: Raheny, Saturday 2pm

More than a month will have passed between the day Celbridge regained their Kildare SHC title and the day that the Kildare representatives will line out for their first game in the provincial series.

The north Kildare side will go into this tie as favourites, and considering that they are facing a Dublin side that couldn’t win in their own intermediate grade in the county, they are justifiably seen as the likely victors.

Celbridge contested two Leinster finals in a row in 2010 and 2011, and they will be gunning to make it back to the Leinster decider once again in 2016. Their team seems well primed to make an impact at this level now, with the likes of Niall O’Muineachain, Fergal Conway, Gerry Keegan and Mark Moloney all in fine form throughout the club championship in Kildare.

A short trip to the capital should provide Celbridge with a great opportunity to make a good start in the provincial series, and victory over Raheny would provide them with the chance to take on either Bray Emmets of Wicklow or Castletown of Laois in the semi-final.