Victory in Tipperary premier intermediate hurling final would be the icing on the cake for Carrick Swan
Cashel King Cormacs will provide the opposition in Sunday's final
It’s just two years since they were embroiled in a relegation battle to avoid dropping down to the Intermediate grade. Now, Carrick Swan are only an hour away from returning to the top tier of championship hurling in the county.
A win over Cashel King Cormacs in Sunday’s FBD Insurance County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship final at FBD Semple Stadium (1.30pm) would see them regain their Senior status, and return them to a level where this club with such a proud tradition will feel they belong.
It has already been a memorable year for the Swan. In July they produced a fine display of intensity and commitment to comprehensively beat Killenaule by nine points in the south final, 3-19 to 1-16. The win turned the tables on Killenaule, who had beaten them in the previous year’s decider.
It was also a landmark success for the Carrick-on-Suir club, as it secured their 25th divisional senior title, more than any other club.
From there it was onto the county championship, where they made an immediate impact, beating an Upperchurch/Drombane team who had been relegated from senior the previous year in what was regarded as the shock result of the opening weekend of the county championship.
Further wins over Ballina and Burgess cemented their place in the knockout stages. The only match they lost in the group stages was against Silvermines, but by that stage they had already secured a berth in the last four.
Their fine form continued at the penultimate stage of the county championship almost a fortnight ago, when a strong finish got them over the line against Gortnahoe/Glengoole in a match played in testing conditions of driving wind and rain that they won by 0-18 to 0-14.
They now face a Cashel King Cormacs team that have also been in rude health themselves, getting the better of Upperchurch/Drombane by 6-21 to 2-28 after extra-time in the semi-final.
Tracing their progression in the last couple of years, Swan manager Kieran Reade says that the younger players who have come into the panel have given new life to the team. The average age of the side that won the south championship was 24, with three under 19s and seven under 21s from last year in their ranks.
“The Under 21s last year did tremendous work and were only a puck of a ball away from beating Drom/Inch, who went on to win the county final,” says Reade.
Stefan Tobin was on the Tipperary team that won this year’s All-Ireland minor final while Aaron O’Halloran played on the Tipperary Under 20 team that reached the All-Ireland final, losing to Offaly.
They are the emblems of this new breed of Swan hurlers, along with others such as Kevin Lanigan, Calum Walsh, Ben Mulcaire, Aidan Waters and sub goalie Adam Kerwick, while another talented young player, Taylor Fleming, has been injured recently.
“The older players have welcomed them with open arms,” says Kieran Reade. Those more experienced campaigners include Kieran Lonergan, Colin Loughman and Eric O’Halloran, who the manager says go about their business quietly.
There will be a familiar face in the opposition camp on Sunday in Cashel’s TJ Connolly, who enjoyed two stints as a coach with Swan in the early and mid 2000s. He was also involved with the Swan minors who contested three county finals in a row from 2003-05, winning the 2004 final.
“We have the utmost respect for TJ. He spent a lot of time here in the 2000s and that isn’t forgotten in Carrick. He’s a great hurling man,” says Kieran Reade.
Above: Carrick Swan's Aaron O'Halloran. Picture: Michael Boland
“Our supporters are tremendous,” says the manager, who mentioned the large contingent that travelled to Templetuohy to cheer them on to a 1-18 to 0-17 win over Kiladangan in the relegation final two years ago this month.
“They travel to league games and challenge matches to watch us. Last year they got a snippet of what these lads are capable of,” he says.
Despite the sense of anticipation that has built in the town since the semi-final, Kieran Reade says everyone directly involved with the team has to concentrate on the game.
“At the end of the day it’s a hurling match”.
He is under no illusions about the challenge facing them and is expecting a tough battle.
“Cashel have really managed themselves well in the last couple of games and have really come together as a group.
“They have quality players such as Eoghan Connolly, Paddy Fahey, Oisin O’Donoghue and the Bonnars. And they are seasoned campaigners at this grade as well.
“We are hoping we can get in amongst them and hopefully we’ll be there or thereabouts”.