Middle East League Heads To Qatar

Round 3 of The Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce Middle East League takes place in Doha, Qatar, this weekend, with Jumeirah Gaels hoping to continue their strong run of form.

After a 10-week break since Round 2 in Sharjah due to the customary Christmas pause, the Middle East campaign resumes at Doha Sports Park on Saturday.

Jumeirah Gaels will be hoping to continue their sizzling form after winning the last round in Sharjah, beating the hosts by a point in the decider. Gaels are expected to make one change to the team from Round 2, with Maynooth ace Ruadhán Ó Giolláin set to return from a hamstring injury. Talismen Peter Acheson (Tipperary), Eric Lowndes (Dublin) and Jack Savage (Kerry) will lead from the front, but Gaels are sprinkled with class all over the park, with Brosna man Eamon Kiely a constant threat from deep. Savage returns to the Gaels after an incredible run with his home club, Kerins O’Rahilly, kicking seven points in the All Ireland Semi-Final defeat.

For Abu Dhabi, Roscommon wing-back Ronan Daly could make his debut this weekend after moving to the capital before Christmas. The Padraig Pearses clubman is a lethal weapon going forward and will surely be key to Abu Dhabi’s aspirations of a first tournament triumph this season. Although they have yet to register a tournament win this campaign, could this be the round where they clinch victory and lead the table heading into the final tournament?

Last year’s league winners, Dubai Celts, failed to fire in the last round in Sharjah and will be aiming to relight that sparkle that saw them secure victory in the season opener in Bahrain. Big performances will be expected from their ace marksmen Shane Killoran, Paul O’Donoghue and Cormac Coffey if they are to push their way back into contention for back-to-back league titles. Caherciveen man O’Donoghue brings plenty of experience to the attack while Kerins O’Rahilly man Coffey is excellent on both sides of the ball, recently restricting Galway’s Shane Walsh to a point from play in Croke Park.

Other teams to watch in Qatar are Sharjah and Al Reem. Both sides have the potential to threaten a semi-final and final place on their day, especially with the likes of Niall Rooney (Monaghan) and Danny Neville (Limerick) starring for the respective teams.

In the intermediate division, hosts Qatar GAA will be hoping to repeat their epic double in Sharjah before Christmas. The hosts travelled to Sharjah in November and left with both cups, with their men’s team sealing their victory in epic fashion with a golden score.

Here’s hoping for similar levels of drama when the league rolls into Doha on Saturday!