Clonkill's remarkable victory in the All-Ireland intermediate club final has done wonders for the profile of Westmeath club hurling. But after their great All-Ireland adventure, will the Loughegar men have any energy left to retain their senior crown? And who will succeed Castlepollard as intermediate winners? Here, we run the rule over the 16 teams who will do battle for championship honours in 2008. Senior Castlepollard: Following their shock relegation in 2006, 'Pollard comfortably regained their senior status last year, becoming the inaugural winners of the newly presented Adrian Murray Cup in the process. Nothing less than an instant return to the top flight was going to satisfy their supporters who have been more accustomed to senior success down the years. Unlike other teams who have been promoted in recent years, Castlepollard won't be happy just to consolidate their position as a senior club. Instead, they'll have their sights firmly set on winning the big prize and if they can see off the challenge of old rivals Lough Lene Gaels in the pick of the first round ties, you wouldn't bet against them. But despite blooding a number of young players over the past year or two, 'Pollard are still very reliant on their veteran performers and the team's high age profile could yet count against them. Castletown-Geoghegan: After reaching the final in 2006, when they lost to Raharney after a replay, the black and ambers were disappointed not to go a step further last year. But their narrow quarter-final defeat to Clonkill certainly wasn't anything to be ashamed of in light of what the Loughegar men have since achieved. Castletown will once again start out as one of the favourites to lift the Examiner Cup this year, despite concerns about their attack and their lack of physicality at midfield. They remain a powerful force at underage level and if they can unearth another couple of players, they will take some stopping. Last summer's historic All-Ireland Feile na nGael Division 2 success suggests that good times lie ahead. Clonkill: Semi-final losers in 2004, 2005 and 2006, they finally put those disappointments behind them when they regained the Examiner Cup after a six-year lapse last season following a surprisingly comfortable victory over Lough Lene Gaels in the final. While it wasn't always plain sailing for Pat O'Toole's charges last year, they hit form when it mattered most to blow the Gaels away and have built on that performance by going all the way to the All-Ireland final. Clonkill's groundbreaking achievements have given Westmeath club hurling a massive shot in the arm, and the whole county was behind them when they ran out at Croke Park on February 9 last. But come May, when the local championship swings back into action, Clonkill will be the team everyone wants to beat and they can expect a tough test from St. Oliver Plunkett's in the opening round. There is little doubt that the green and golds have the ability to retain their title but whether they have the hunger and desire after such a long campaign remains to be seen. Crookedwood: Their first round clash with Brownstown last year was a must-win game for both teams and, as it transpired, the 'Wood got the result they needed to preserve their senior status for another year. But their subsequent performances in the winners' group were far from encouraging and the heavy losses to Lough Lene Gaels and Clonkill would suggest they will have a battle on their hands to stay up in the coming year. Whereas they received a favourable first round draw last year, Crookedwood face a much tougher assignment against Raharney this time around. If they lose that one, which many expect them to do, the 'Wood will find themselves in the losers' group and facing the prospect of intermediate hurling in 2009, unless they can somehow defy the odds and register a win or two. Lough Lene Gaels: Following their failure to reach the knockout stages in 2006, the Gaels showed a big improvement last year by qualifying for the final. However, they were a huge disappointment against a fired-up Clonkill and bore all the hallmarks of a team whose best days are behind them. Despite their high age profile, no one will be taking the Collinstown men for granted in the coming season. Under new manager John Joe Fitzsimons, who played at full back for many years, they will be anxious to bury the memories of last year's county final as quickly as possible and what better way to do that than by beating arch rivals Castlepollard in the first round? The Gaels are always a threat and if they can get Killian Cosgrave and Daniel Carty back fully fit, they will take some stopping. Raharney: After losing to St. Oliver Plunkett's in the first round, the Deelsiders faced an uphill battle in their quest to retain the Examiner Cup last year. They recovered to progress to the semi-finals, only to be undone by a Lough Lene Gaels team who found goals far too easy to come by. Raharney, with Eamonn Gallagher back at the helm, will have feel they have a point to prove this season and they should see off the challenge of Crookedwood in the opening round with a bit to spare. They are a fine team with plenty of good hurlers and physical presence, and with youth on their side, they can only get better. Along with Castletown-Geoghegan and Clonkill, they have dominated the underage scene in recent years and it would be no surprise to see these three clubs slugging it out for the big prize this year. Ringtown: The Whitehall men missed out on a place in the knockout stages last year, despite beating Brownstown and pushing Raharney to the pin of their collar. However, there was some consolation to be gained from their victory in the delayed 2006 All-County League Division 2 final and the under 21 side's retention of the 13-a-side championship. Ringtown have blooded a number of talented young players in recent seasons, including Niall Kilcoyne and Eanna Doolin who are two of the brightest prospects in the county. Despite this, they are still a long way from being championship contenders and could find wins hard to come by if, as expected, they are consigned to the losers' group by Castletown-Geoghegan. New manager Dave Foley, who was previously involved with Raharney, will be keen to build on the progress of last year, though. St. Oliver Plunkett's: Following their impressive first round victory over Raharney last year, many had tipped the Mullingar club to go on to win their first senior crown. Everything appeared to be going according to plan until they met Clonkill in the semi-final. But after an evenly contested opening half, Plunkett's fell away badly in the second half and went down to a seven-point defeat. There is no doubt that Plunkett's are a much-improved team, but they need to unearth another forward or two if they are to make the long-awaited breakthrough. They will have an early opportunity to avenge last year's defeat to Clonkill when they meet in the first round and the outcome of that juicy tie could have a major bearing on where the Examiner Cup will spend the next 12 months. Intermediate Brownstown: The county's most successful hurling club are back in the intermediate ranks after spending just one season in the top flight. The Archerstown outfit failed to build on their 2006 intermediate championship triumph and, in truth, were out of their depth last season. Brownstown should get back to winning ways this season and will be fancied by many to repeat their 2006 success. But after last year's sobering experience, a couple of seasons at intermediate level mightn't be such a bad thing. Clonkill: Such is the club's strength in depth that they will be entering a second team into the intermediate championship again this year. Last year, they finished joint-bottom of the group along with Cullion, despite registering a win and a draw. Clonkill are on a real high at the moment and their second string could ruffle a few feathers in the season ahead. Cullion: 2007 was another disastrous year for the maroons, who finished bottom of the table (along with Clonkill) for the second year in-a-row. Such has been their decline that it's easy to forget they appeared in a senior final as recently as 2001. On paper, they are as good as any of the intermediate sides, but they don't seem to be able to motivate themselves and the lack of any underage success in recent years is a major worry. Delvin: For the second year running, the Valleymen suffered a heavy defeat in the championship decider last year. They have a habit of collapsing on the big occasion which is a great pity because they have one of the biggest followings of any club in the county. Delvin are desperate to make a return to the senior ranks where they spent two seasons in 2004 and 2005, but will need to show a big improvement on their recent county final performances if that is to happen. St. Brigid's: In 2006, the Dalystown club won five of their six group matches to qualify for the semi-final where their championship interests were ended by Delvin. They weren't nearly as impressive last year, winning just two of their group matches, but still qualified for the last four where they suffered a heavy defeat to Castlepollard. St. Brigid's have enjoyed a lot of success at underage level in recent years, but football takes priority with most of their players, and their progress usually depends on how the likes of Tyrrellspass, St. Mary's and Milltownpass are faring on the football fields. St. Oliver Plunkett's: It is a sign of the times that Plunkett's are now in a position to field a second team in the intermediate championship. Not so long ago, their first team was operating at that level. The Mullingar outfit are keen to provide hurling for everyone, and with a move to a new state-of-the-art ground in Curraghmore in the pipeline, they are well on their way to becoming one of the premier clubs in the county. Southern Gaels: Hurling in South Westmeath received its biggest boost in years when Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's caused a major upset by defeating holders Raharney in last year's minor championship final. The Gaels could also take encouragement from their qualification for the intermediate semi-final for the first time in a number of seasons. Their manager Denis Cronin will be targeting further progress in the year ahead. Turin: Intermediate honours remained as elusive as ever for the McCabe Park outfit last year when they failed to reach the semi-final stage for the first time since 2003. Turin have such a small catchment area that it is very difficult for them to make headway. They have just revived their underage structures, and will be hoping that this leads to success in the coming years. Predictions Senior: Clonkill are the team to beat, with Castletown-Geoghegan, Raharney and St. Oliver Plunkett's their biggest threats. There may be a kick left in Lough Lene Gaels, while it might be asking a bit much of Castlepollard to mount a challenge so soon after their promotion. Intermediate: Unlike last year when Castlepollard were involved, there are no clear favourites for the Adrian Murray Cup. Delvin and Brownstown will feel capable of winning it, but an improving Southern Gaels and St. Brigid's could also be in with a shout. Tweet

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