PREVIEW AND PREDICTION: Camross and The Harps clash for the Bob O’Keeffe Cup
The Harps have enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, but 27-time champions Camross will be determined to get their hands on the Bob O’Keeffe Cup again
Camross will be aiming to reassert their position at the summit of Laois club hurling on Sunday afternoon, but standing in their way is a Harps side bidding to complete one of the stories of the championship.
The two clubs will meet at Laois Hire O’Moore Park at 3.45pm with the Bob O’Keeffe Cup up for grabs, as Camross chase a record-extending 28th Senior Hurling Championship title and The Harps look to land the biggest prize in their history.
For Camross, this is an opportunity to return to the top after losing last year's final to Clough/Ballacolla. For The Harps, it is a chance to potentially deliver the first Senior Championship title in the club's history.
The Harps have been the surprise package of this year's competition, but they have earned their place in Sunday's decider and will arrive with genuine belief after knocking out the reigning champions in the semi-finals.
The Harps' time has come
There is a sense that The Harps are finally beginning to reap the rewards of years of work at underage level, with Sunday's final representing the latest step in an impressive journey.
The club was formed in 1984 following an amalgamation of the old Durrow and Cullohill clubs. While Cullohill had previously tasted Senior Championship success in 1955 and 1964, The Harps have yet to win the Bob O'Keeffe Cup since their formation. This will be their fourth appearance in a Senior Championship final, but their first since 1998, when they last reached the decider.
Their progress this season has been particularly striking given where they have come from in recent years. The Harps were competing in relegation finals, reaching quarter-finals and trying to establish themselves among the senior ranks before winning the only Senior 'B' Championship in the competition's history last year.
That success has helped provide a platform for this year's campaign, while the club's recent minor and under-20 titles have also started to bear fruit at adult level. Their semi-final appearance against Clough/Ballacolla was their first in 14 years, making their subsequent victory over the reigning champions all the more significant.
Clough/Ballacolla arrived at the last-four stage chasing a sixth title in seven seasons and a second three-in-a-row. Instead, The Harps produced the result of the championship to book their place in Sunday's final.
Camross and The Harps have played three times this year already. They drew in the first round of the ACHL Division 1 before meeting again in the final, where Camross prevailed by six points. Their Round 1 clash in the championship had 54 scores in it as Camross won 3-31 to 5-16.
Ken Hogan is the man tasked with guiding them through Sunday's challenge. The former Tipperary goalkeeper knows what it takes to win in Laois, having managed Borris-Kilcotton to the Senior Championship title in 2016.
He now has the opportunity to help another club reach the summit, although Camross will provide a formidable test.
Camross chasing another chapter in their history
Camross have been one of the defining forces in Laois hurling for decades, and their record of 27 Senior Championship titles underlines the scale of the challenge facing The Harps.
However, the past two seasons have seen Clough/Ballacolla take control of the competition, leaving Camross eager to reclaim the Bob O'Keeffe Cup and restore their position as county champions.
They lost the 2024 semi-final to Clough/Ballacolla before suffering defeat to the same opposition in last year's final. Those setbacks came after Camross had secured their 27th title in 2023, when they defeated Abbeyleix in the decider. That championship also featured a memorable semi-final against Clough/Ballacolla, with a penalty shoot-out required to separate the sides.
The rivalry between the clubs has been a defining feature of recent seasons, with Clough/Ballacolla also defeating Camross in the 2022 final. Their subsequent dominance has made Sunday's opportunity particularly important for the men in black and amber.
Camross have had to work hard to get back into the final this year. They faced a stern test from Rosenallis in the semi-finals, eventually coming through by five points as their opponents reached that stage for the first time in six years. That victory secured their place in the decider and gives them the chance to move one step closer to another championship triumph.
Camross have the experience and quality to deal with Sunday's challenge, but they will know better than most that The Harps cannot be taken lightly.
Prediction
The Harps deserve enormous credit for the way they have progressed through this year's championship. Beating Clough/Ballacolla was a major achievement, and their development over recent seasons suggests this is not simply a case of a team enjoying a brief run of form.
They have the attacking ability to trouble Camross, as their opening championship meeting demonstrated, and Hogan's experience could prove valuable in a final of this magnitude.
However, Camross have been here many times before. Their experience of championship finals, combined with their desire to reclaim the title after two disappointing campaigns, gives them a slight edge.
The Harps will be determined to make history, and another upset would hardly be the most surprising outcome of a championship that has already delivered plenty of drama.
But Camross have the opportunity to add another chapter to their remarkable record and should have enough to get over the line.
Prediction: Camross
Camross face The Harps in the Laois Shopping Centre Senior Hurling Championship final at Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Sunday, October 18, at 3.45pm.