Shamrocks 2-7, Ballymartle 1-8
It will be a repeat of the 2015 final between Shamrocks and Ballinhassig after Shamrocks just about got the better of Ballymartle on Saturdfay night in Belgooly. This was a low scoring, bruising encounter and it was only with 7 minutes to go that Shamrocks went into the decisive lead. Shamrocks will know a repeat of this performance against the current holders will not do at all.
Ballymartle played with the strong breeze in half number 1 and opened the scoring. Shamrocks leveled and looked the better team playing against the breeze. They went a goal up 1-2 to 0-2 after 8 minutes and were in control. Ballymartle battled back into the game and approaching HT were 1-3 to 0-5 behind. With the second last kick of the half, they got a real boost when a free from way out the wing ended up in the Shamrocks net. 1-5 to 1-3 at halftime for Ballymartle.
Shamrocks played with the wind in half number 2 but took an age to get going. Ballymartle offered up serious resistance around the middle of the field in particular. The teams traded points every so often and the margin was one point with 7 minutes to go when Shamrocks capitalised on a Ballymartle slip in defence and scored a goal to not only put themsleves in front by two with time running out but to drag their perfornmance off the floor. Ballymartle brought it back to one but Shamrocks pushed it out to two again and the defence held on in the frantic last few minutes.

Captain Barry Mulqueen talks to the players in the pre match huddle