Tom Hogan speaks with such pride about this group of St Kieran’s College players.
At half-time, they really were up against it. They hadn’t fired and would go into the second with the scores level and against a breeze.
Pres Athenry had been the better team. Buoyed by last year’s loss, Mike Finn’s side were absolutely ravenous this time around with Mark Kennedy cutting loose in attack and TJ Brennan driving it on behind him.
But St Kieran’s just weren’t letting that Dr. Croke Cup go. It’s been sitting, pride of place, in that stacked trophy cabinet on College Road for four of the last five years and the second half in Tullamore showed that it will take something very special for it to be moved out of there.
"The hurl comes around with us, wherever we go"
Discover the magic of @KieransCollege, Ireland's most prolific hurling nursery and a place where youngsters bring their schoolbags…and their hurleys 👏⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/DROpaE5v8T
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 29, 2019
David Blanchfield of Bennettsbridge stepped up with two big points, so too did Killian Egan of Graigue/Ballycallan. Ciaran Brennan caught countless momentum-shifting balls while Eoin Cody and Conor Murphy led from the front.
That was enough for the most decorated schools team of the lot as they went on to win it with three to spare in front of proud past alumni like DJ Carey, Michael Rice and James Maher.
And speaking to him after the game, their manager Tom Hogan couldn’t be prouder of this bunch of this bunch.
“It was a heart-stopping one, we didn’t expect anything less…They (Athenry) got a great goal in the second half, and the pressure was on our lads but to be fair to them, they showed great character.
“The goal might have been scrappy enough but we don’t care how the ball goes over the line – once it goes over, that’s the main thing.
“That gave us a bit of a cushion I felt after that. Killian got two great points from half back, things had opened up a bit and he was on his own…Killian wouldn’t be known for his scoring exploits but fair dues to him, he stood up and he hit two great balls over the bar against a strong wind in the second half…”
Two All-Irelands in fourteen days. It's not too shabby for Eoin Cody, Dean Mason and Darragh Corcoran of @BallyhaleGAA and @KieransCollege pic.twitter.com/mvPB0P1WhG
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) March 30, 2019
“Well at half-time, we were under pressure, we played with a strong wind in the first half – a draw match – we weren’t great – it wasn’t looking good really.
“We said at half-time lads, ‘you either fight or you lie down and die,’ and that’s the way it was in the second half…”
In the second half, they fronted up and ground it out. Hogan is hopeful that these lads will kick on with their county in the future.
“We have some very good hurlers and hopefully they’ll feature with Kilkenny down the line…
“It’s great, these lads eat, drink and sleep hurling literally. You saw it yourself, they go around with the hurl all day every day and it’s just a way of life really.
Another job well done by Ireland’s most successful feeder school.
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