The dates, times and venues have been confirmed for the 2026 TUS Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals, with all four ties set to take place at county headquarters, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, across Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th.

The Saturday double-header gets underway with Clooney-Quin renewing their quarter-final rivalry with Scariff. The sides met at the same stage three years ago in an absorbing contest that could not be decided after normal time. On a sodden evening Scariff eventually prevailed in extra time, helped by an extraordinary haul of 3-12 from inter-county forward Mark Rogers. In his brother Paul, Scariff have added another point of attack where both Patrick Crotty and Keelan Hartigan have also been excellent throughout the group stages. 

That 2023 result is firmly in the past for a new-look Clooney-Quin side however . Under the guidance of Fergal Lynch, they have matured into serious contenders for the Canon Hamilton, underlined by their qualification this far from the summit of Group Three to back up their run to last year's county final. Any team with Peter Duggan is a hazardous prospect and Jerry O'Connors return from injury has seen him re-discover the form that ignited last season's championship.  A potentially cracking tie gets underway at 3:00pm. 

The second game of Saturday's double-header sees Cratloe face Inagh Kilnamona. This is an intruiging pairing - Cratloe squeezed through the round-robin stages by the skin of their teeth,  two draws teeing them up for contention before securing their quarter-final place with a last gasp Cathal Lohan strike to earn a one-point victory over Feakle. Yet, importantly, they remain unbeaten and with all three group ties being rescued at the death they have already demonstrated their ability to perform when their backs are against the wall. With a mix of seasoned campaigners such as Conor McGrath, Conor Ryan and Shane Gleeson holding down the core and the likes of Cathal Lohan, Jamie Moylan , Daire Neville and Marc O'Brien still perhaps establishing themselves in championship hurling - the question for pundits beforehand will be, are too many of  Cratloe's key players either beyond or before their prime?

‘The Combo’, on the other hand, have been one of the championship's standout sides. They dispatched Ballyea with more to spare than most pundits foresaw in the opening round and have quietly continued to build momentum ever since. Eugene Cullinan’s side are the leading challengers to Éire Óg's crown in the eyes of many. If Fred Hegarty, Aidan McCarthy and Conner Hegarty play like they did in the group stages,  Cratloe will have to produce character and their best  performance yet if they are to upset the favourites. A 5:00pm throw in for this one. 

Sunday's action will see county champions Éire Óg put their title on the line when they face Wolfe Tones na Sionna. The Shannon men will be disappointed with how their Group Four campaign petered out following an explosive opening-round victory over neighbours and rivals Sixmilebridge. Since then Barry Keane’s side were second best to Kilmaley and Newmarket on Fergus. They have, however, the personnel and physicality to trouble any side on their day and will provide a stern test for the Townies.

Wolfe Tones can approach the quarter-final with little external pressure, having needed the calculators to confirm their place as runners-up on the final day of the group phase. That could make them dangerous opponents for the reigning champions, who will know they cannot afford any complacency. For their part Jerry O’Connor’s squad have been doing what champions do – winning without setting the world alight. As Crusheen and Broadford have found out they have been ruthless in an inside attack featuring Shane O’Donnell, Danny Russell and Marco Cleary. Four goals in their first and last group games signalling their intentions for an historic two in a row. Sandwiched in between however was an almighty scare against Scariff minus their talisman Mark Rodgers where Éire Óg survived by two points. Regrettably for the ‘Tones , that startle may yet stand to the champions. Éire Óg versus Wolfe Tones na Sionna gets underway at 2.45pm.

On paper at least, they may have saved the best until last. The clash of Kilmaley and Clonlara was the one that drew the most oohs and aahs when the balls came out of the pots. Kilmaley pushed the champions closer than anyone else last year, only to suffer a narrow two-point defeat at the semi-final stage. That form has continued into this season, with Kilmaley winning all three of their Group Four games without being overly stretched. The move of former marksman Mikey O’Malley to centre half back has paid dividends so far and the return of Brian McNamara gives another massive aerial threat to that of Conor Cleary in attack. 

Brian Culbert’s team are fit, in form and are an outside bet for the championship but while they will feel they have every reason to fancy their chances, they have also arguably drawn the toughest possible opposition from the runners-up pot. Clonlara have yet to hit the heights their line-up is capable of, but they remain unbeaten. Two late draws, having trailed both Inagh-Kilnamona and Ballyea, demonstrated plenty of character . Colm O'Meara's absence is undoubtedly a stumbling block, but Clonlara are still stacked with talent in every line of the field most potently up front where the presence of John Conlon, Michéal O’Loughlin, Ian Galvin, Diarmuid Stritch and Michael Collins will take plenty of planning to keep quiet. Hold on to your hats — this one is simply too close to call. Throw-in is at 4.45pm.