Monivea Abbey v Kilmeena – Connacht IFC semi-final preview

On a weekend of Galway v Mayo club championship clashes, the Connacht Intermediate club semi-final meeting of Monivea Abbey and Kilmeena should draw a huge crowd to Tuam Stadium on Sunday at 1.30 pm. The newly crowned Galway intermediate champions Monivea Abbey will be without All-Star midfielder Cillian McDaid for the foreseeable future, but even without their talismanic captain, Monivea Abbey powered past Kilconly by 0-14 to 0-11 in the recent Galway Intermediate county final. Kilmeena beat Ballinrobe 1-11 to 1-9 in the Mayo Intermediate county final, which means they will be operating in the Mayo senior championship for the very first time in 2024. Following their Mayo junior success in 2021, Kilmeena went on to win the All-Ireland junior club final in 2022 and also qualified for the Mayo intermediate final last year only to lose to Ballyhaunis. They also played a provincial quarter-final last weekend, where four second-half goals from Caolach Halligan (2), county star Jack Carney, and Niall Feehan helped them to a comfortable 4-18 to 0-8 win.

Ahead of Sunday’s game in Tuam Stadium, Tommy Devane caught up with the Monivea Abbey manager Francis ‘Bunt’ Roche…