HURLING ROUND UP: League final pairings confirmed after last round of county hurling league
The finalists of the 2025 FBD Insurance County Hurling League have been confirmed
FBD Insurance County Hurling League Round 5 2025
By Liam Hogan
Division 1 Group 1
Borris-Ileigh 1-23 Nenagh Eire Og 1-23
In a contest where the winners would make the final and it was Borris-Ileigh prevailed following this close encounter played in Borris-Ileigh last Sunday.
Very little separated the teams from start to finish. Borris-Ileigh went 0-4 to 0-3 in front after ten minutes and approaching half-time, Nenagh took a two-point lead thanks to a Ben West goal. Borris-Ileigh came back quickly with Jerry Kelly finding the net and the teams were level at half time 1-11 each.
After the break, Borris-Ileigh took the initiative in the opening minutes of the second half before the game entered a lull for ten minutes or so.
Then the final ten minutes produced a flurry of scores with Nenagh taking a three-point advantage, but Borris-Ileigh finished strong in added time as Patrick Ryan scored from placed balls, including the equaliser on full time. Borris-Ileigh were through to the final.
Clonoulty Rossmore 1-15 Drom Inch 0-23
Drom Inch produced the goods in the second half to register their second win of the league when defeating homeside Clonoulty Rossmore. Clonoulty led at half time 1-9 to 0-11 thanks to a goal by Jimmy Maher in the 20th minute.
After the break, Drom took control with David Collins 0-10 (0-6f), Tony Cahill 0-3, and David Butler 0-3 the chief architects of their win. Stephen Ferncombe scored 0-7 (0-5f) for Clonoulty.
The Sarsfields versus Kilruane game was postponed.
Division 1 Group 2
Moycarkey Borris 0-17 Toomevara 3-24
Mark McCarthy scored 1-7 (0-5f) and Alan Ryan scored 2-2 with Kevin McCarthy and Austin Duff scored 0-3 each as eleven scorers saw Toomevara turn the second half into a one sided affair when emphatically beating Moycarkey in round five of the FBD County Hurling League played at Littleton last Sunday.
Toomevara led 1-11 to 0-10 at half-time, with Mark McCarthy scoring the goal.
The second half was one-sided and Toome’s best performance in the league as they won twice and drew once to finish third in the group. Kyle Shelly was Moycarkey’s top scorer on 0-5 from frees while Pat Molly and Kieran Cummins scored 0-3 each.
Lorrha 2-16 JK Brackens 0-26
JK Brackens emerged from the winner-takes-all clash with Lorrha at Tony Reddin Park on Sunday afternoon to finish top of group 2 and progress to the semi-final of the County Hurling League.
In a well-contested game between two sides that have been drawn in the same championship group later in the year, Lorrha shaded the opening half, leading 0-11 to 0-10 at the break.
Eoin McIntyre was to the fore for Lorrha early, but injury curtailed him after a bright start and Lorrha missed his pace through the middle, but his brother Niall and well as Colm Fogarty (1-10, 0-7f) were to the fore for the hosts while JK Brackens were lively with their quick passing with Conor Cadell, Ciaran O’Shea and Paddy Cadell landing good scores.
Lorrha began the second half brightly as a Donnacha O’Meara whizzed a shot over the bar as the home side carried the greater goal threat whereas Brackens pointed their way to victory with Shane Doyle top-scoring with twelve points (10 frees) while Stephen Cahill and Eanna McBride were also influential as eleven different scorers got on the scoresheet for the visitors.
Brackens had forged eight clear, but Lorrha finally scored the goals they were threatening in the 54th & 59th minutes from Colm Fogarty and Niall McIntyre, which brought them back within two points.
Lorrha needed to win to progress to the semi-final, however, Brackens held their nerve to score two late points to seal the win.
Roscrea 1-21 Kiladangan 2-23
Fielding a much stronger team than in previous rounds, Kiladangan produced their best display of this current league when defeating Roscrea at Roscrea last Sunday.
Very little separated the sides, with never more than three points separating the teams as scores came level seven times in the first half.
Jason Gilmartin’s goal in the fourth minute brought parity for the first time, 1-0 to 0-3, before points by Shane Fletcher, Evan Fitzpatrick, and Darragh Tynan had Roscrea three clear by the tenth minute.
The lead lasted no length as Dan O’Meara levelled with Kiladangan’s first goal and the blue and gold went two clear 1-6 to 1-4 on the quarter hour mark. Scores were coming fast as lead changed hands frequently but reaching half time it was 1-12 each.
Scores were level for the eight time after Conor Sheedy matched Joe Gallagher in the third minute of the second half before Kiladangan took the initiative when taking a three point lead on two occasions, the second in the 47th minute when Conor Byrne made it 1-20 to 1-17.
Leigh Loughnane brought the margin back to two before Conor Culhane struck gold, and there was no way back for Roscrea. Kiladangan enjoyed ten scorers with Byrne hitting 0-6 (0-4f). Both Neil Cahalan and Paul Flynn scored 0-4 each, while Dara O’Dwyer picked up 0-3. Roscrea had eleven scorers, including Luke Cashin 0-7 (0-6f), Dan Ryan 0-3.
Division 1 Group 3
Cashel King Cormacs 2-23 Mullinahone 1-16
Cashel King Cormacks closed out their final game of the county league with a good win over Mullinahone at sun-soaked Leahy Park, on Sunday morning last.
A prelude to a championship meeting between the sides in a few months' time produced a high-scoring encounter mixed with a few fractious moments at times.
Half-time saw Cashel in control 1-15 to 1-6. The second half was much the same as Cashel King Cormacs were finding the target with ease, putting up an impressive tally 2-23 to 1-16 and a place in the semi-final. Cashel had twelve scorers with Devon Ryan scoring 1-6.
Division 2 Group 1
Burgess 4-24 Templederry 1-23
Our premier intermediate hurlers took on Templederry last Sunday morning in Kilcolman in their
final group game of the county hurling league. Burgess started well with Sean Dunne hitting the back
of the net after 15 minutes, followed by David Nealon's goal two minutes later to put us in the lead by a point.
Twenty minutes on the clock, it was the turn of Eoin Hogan for goal number three, but Templederry fought back with a goal of their own in the 28th minute to leave the half-time score Burgess 3-10 Templederry 1-13.
Sean Dunne scored his second goal of the day seven minutes into the second half and some well scored frees from Eoin Grace sealed the deal. The win saw Burgess finish the group on six points but in 3rd place behind Gortnahoe Glengoole on eight and Killenaule on seven.
Ballina 0-21 Killenaule 1-21
A late flurry of scores helped Killenaule reach the semi-finals when defeating Ballina at Ballina last Sunday.
Both teams were neck and neck throughout, with a Tom Stakelum goal for the visitors the difference between the sides at half time, Killenaule 1-13 Ballina 0-13.
Ballina took the initiative in the third quarter but Killenaule finished the stronger, scoring four points in the last six minutes to see them finish second in the group and a place in the semi-finals.
Ballina produced eight different scorers including Matthew Power on 0-8 (0-7f) and Paddy Bradley scoring three points before Killenaule pulled away in the end.
Division 2 Group 2
Moyne Templetuohy 1-20 Silvermines 0-20
A goal by Tipperary star Conor Bowe in the 38th minute helped Moyne Templetuohy overcome Silvermines in a dead rubber round five county hurling league encounter in Dolla on Sunday.
Silvermines found themselves behind in the early stages, but three points (two frees) on the bounce from Conor McKelvey brought them to within one point by the 12th minute.
The visitors, who had a full complement of players including Conor Bowe and Gearoid O’Connor, kicked on again to open three-point gap but back came the ‘Mines to restore parity on 28 minutes with a Bryan Seymour point, 0-8 apiece before adding three further points to lead at the break 0-11 to 0-9.
Both sides went score for score in the opening minutes of the second half before Moyne Templetuohy seized the initiative with the game’s only goal in the 38th minute.
Silvermines pegged the deficit back to just a solitary point on a number of occasions in the closing quarter but two late points in injury time copper-fastened a hard-fought win for the Mid side.
St Mary's 0-24 Boherlahan Dualla 0-17
Boherlahan led 0-9 to 0-7 at half time but Saint Mary's improved in the second half with their win putting them through to the semi final.
Moneygall 5-19 Eire Og Anacarty 1-21
Moneygall beat Eire Og Anacarty in the last round of the County League played in Moneygall on Friday night.
Paddy Fogarty’s goal in the opening minutes gave Moneygall a slight advantage, and by half-time, they led 1-11 to 1-10. Anacarty took the lead after half time and held the advantage for much of the third quarter before Moneygall pulled away thanks to goals by Cian Ryan and Adam Hogan (penalty).
Moneygall were to the fore now and late goals by Tadgh Whyte and Niall Maher gave the black and red a convincing win and finish with five points and third spot in the group.
Division 3 Group 1
Sean Treacys 1-15 Ballingarry 3-17
Ballingarry travelled to Kilcommon and came away with not only two valuable league points but a place in the semi finals as they join Sarsfields at the top of the table.
Division 3 Group 2
Newport 2-24 Knockavilla Kickhams 1-18
Newport made sure of a place in the semi finals when they defeated Knockavilla Kickhams in their fifth round encounter played at Lacken Park, last Sunday.
It was Kickhams who started best with Stephen Browne scoring a goal. Both sides exchanged scores before a goal by Colin Floyd gave the homeside a 1-13 to 1-12 lead at half time.
Newport continued on the front foot and seven points from the stick of frees by Cillian Collins and two each from Pa Ryan, Callum Poole, and Pa Ryan. Shane Buckley replied with five points from play to bring Kickhams back in contention before Newport doubled their goal count when Oran Connors finished to the net to seal the win.
Borrisokane 1-17 Shannon Rovers 0-18
With nine players making the scoreboard, Borrisokane did enough to win their second league win when defeating near neighbours Shannon Rovers in a dead rubber game played at sunny Gardiner Park, Borrisokane last Sunday.
This was in contrast to Shannon Rovers, who had Conal Moran in brilliant form, scoring 0-17 (0-14f, 0-1’65,) and his accuracy had the Reds 0-4 to 0-1 lead after six minutes.
However, Borrisokane won the next twenty minutes 1-7 to 0-4 with Gordon Harding’s goal in the 14th minute helping the homeside take a 1-9 to 0-10 lead at half time.
Scores were level for the fourth and last time, 0-12 to 1-9 with thirty-five minutes gone, before four unanswered points by Jack Larkin, Seosamh Cleary, and two frees from Garry Ryan (top scorer 0-6 (5f) gave Borrisokane some breathing space.
Yet, Rovers refused to yield as Moran continued his remarkable return, but Michael Heenan kept Borris in front with his third point as Borris led by a point, 1-16 to 0-18, and seven minutes remaining before Philip Austin raised one last white flag to give the homeside the league points.