PREVIEW: Intermediate final pits near neighbours together in novel hurling final

FBD Insurance Intermediate Hurling Championship Final

Golden Kilfeacle vs Boherlahan Dualla, Sunday October 15th in FBD Semple Stadium @ 1.45 pm

Neighbours. School mates. Friends. All of these are true as the relationship between these players and clubs adds a certain extra intrigue to this weekend’s Intermediate Hurling Championship Final in FBD Semple Stadium.

Boherlahan Dualla’s progression to this stage has been a gradual one and they have tracked consistently over the last few years to get to this stage, but the qualification of Golden Kilfeacle into the decider has been one of the stories of the Tipperary championships this year.

Going from potential relegation to lining out in Semple Stadium with the difference being the puck of a ball in the final group game against Ballingarry, it really is heady heights stuff for the West club heading into Sunday’s curtain raiser.

That’s it really, yeah!, said joint-captain of Golden Kilfeacle Aidan O’Connell when asked if it all boils down to that late Jack Bergin goal against Ballingarry.

“We got the late goal against them to put us through to the quarter-finals and we just seen Kiladangan’s second team get relegated the other day, so that’ll tell you it’s all about fine margins.

“We’re just taking it game by game and we’re just happy to still be hurling and we’re just looking forward to it now.

“We’re just enjoying it now to be honest. It has certainly given the supporters something to cheer about because it was a tough start to the year.

“We started off badly in the West championship; Cappawhite beat us twice this year you know, so happy to be where we are now,” he said.

The change in fortunes since then has been incredible after two brilliant wins over Drom & Inch and a fancied Kilsheelan Kilcash team, with a lot of the younger players playing with visible freedom.

“We just brought it back to basics really,” O’Connell said about the gameplan post the first two games.

“We just put a huge emphasis on hard work and set our own targets in terms of hooks, blocks, tackles and turnovers and really worked hard on that.”

Joint-captain Seanie O’Halloran was also present at the preview and he highlighted the familiarity between the clubs and spoke about just how well they know each other.

“We would have crossed paths with them over the past few years and really, there hasn’t ever been much more than a puck of a ball in it.

“On top of that a lot of the players would go to school together. The likes of Dylan Fogarty played Harty Cup for Cashel and there would have been a fair few Golden lads involved on that team as well.

“So, they’d all know each other well and we would have went to school with a lot of the older lads as well so there would be a bit of a rivalry there alright,” he finished.

For their part, Boherlahan Dualla have had a less turbulent campaign by comparison as they have looked a steady outfit throughout, topping a shark tank group with Moneygall and Kilsheelan Kilcash before overcoming strong per-championship favourites Moneygall in a mudbath in Templetuohy two weeks ago.

“Yeah, it was probably the worst days weather I ever played in to be honest!, said Boherlahan captain Seamus Leahy.

“It was just sheeting down rain for most of the first half, so it was all about gritting the teeth and digging it out.

“It felt like it was going to be a low-scoring game and every point mattered. It was a grueling but it was great to get over it in the end.

A parish steeped in hurling tradition, Leahy is a name synonymous with hurling in Tipperary, and the buzz around the parish will be at fever pitch according to the veteran forward.

It’s very exciting for sure. After the game (semi versus Moneygall) all the kids ran out onto the field and were delighted.

“We’ve been doing well and making finals recently and you can see that they’re enjoying it and now, I’m sure there’ll be a great buzz around the whole community. It’s going to be a tough battle. Golden are our near neighbour and we’ve played them regularly enough over the last few years and we’ve played them plenty of times back the year as well!

“There’s still some of the vintage hanging around from the trilogy back in 2011 so we know it is going to be a battle with them but we are looking forward to that,” he added.

Both sides have an abundance of young talent with Jack Leamy and Ben Currivan impressing for Golden this year, while Dylan Fogarty and Ger O’Dwyer have been huge for Boherlahan, but the experience of the last few months will have the Sash primed for this match and that even without Brian Óg O’Dwyer, and that may just be a step too far for the Golden fairytale ending after a topsy-turvy year.