Stern opposition awaits St Lachtain’s in All-Ireland Junior Final

It’s an early start for St Lachtain’s supporters on Sunday afternoon as they face Russell Rovers of Cork in the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship Final in Croke Park at 12.30pm.

The game is part of a double-header alongside the All-Ireland Intermediate hurling decider and like in 2024, it will be an all Kilkenny and Cork affair.

There is noting particularly new about that statistic as it’s a grade and competition that has been dominated by the two counties.

It will be the eight time that two clubs from the counties meet on the biggest stage with the Kilkenny side looking to become the 11th different club from the county to taste success overall with Conahy (2008, 2020), Mooncoin (2022), Tullogher-Rosbercon (2024), Galmoy (2005), Danesfort (2007), St Patrick’s Ballyragget (2012), Thomastown (2013), Bennettsbridge (2015), Glenmore (2016) and Dunnamaggin (2019) all securing landmark victories.

Incidentally it’s only Mooncoin (2017), Tullogher-Rosbercon (2008), Blacks and Whites (2003) and John Lockes (2011) that have failed to win on final day so St Lachtain’s will travel to Dublin with plenty of confidence this weekend.

On the other side of the coin, Russell Rovers will look to follow in the footsteps of Ballygiblin (2023), Ballinhassig (2003), Fr O’Neills (2006), Dripsey (2009), Meelin (2011) and Mayfield (2017) who have all brought All-Ireland junior glory to Leeside.

The Cork side have been here before too after they lost out to Conahy of Kilkenny in the 2020 All-Ireland Final in a result that rose to prominence when Conahy put a county final defeat to O’Loughlin Gaels in 2019 behind them before securing Leinster and All-Ireland honours.

While Croke Park will be new surroundings to the current St Lachtain’s team, it’s not unfamiliar to the club as a whole after they won the 2010 All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Final in impressive fashion against St Gall’s of Antrim (3-17 to 0-10).

As a club they will feel that is the level they should be at but before they can look ahead to competing at a higher grade later in the season, this Sunday’s final which looks very 50-50 on paper has major silverware on offer.

While maybe not as impressive as Tullogher Rosbercon’s route to last year’s final, St Lachtain’s have still been in devastating form with the way they have guided their way through a couple of potential banana skins.

The reality is that from the second the final whistle was blown in the County Final victory over Windgap, they would have been seen as one of the favourites to end up at this stage and so it has proved.

Goals from Cathal O’Leary and Paddy Killeen got Steven Farrell’s men over the line in Kilkenny and finding the net has proven to be a huge asset to Freshford ever since.

Between the four Leinster championship wins over Drumcullen (Offaly), Crumlin (Dublin), Avondale (Wicklow) and Castletown Liam Mellows (Wexford) they scored 14 goals in total before adding three more via Darragh Maher, Cathal O’Leary and Shane Donnelly in the All-Ireland Semi-Final win over Easkey of Sligo just before Christmas.

For any team, having that type of ruthlessness is a major positive and it’s one aspect that gives them a huge opportunity of landing the junior crown at GAA HQ.

The semi-final win in Ballinalsoe saw them shorn of arguably their two most important players with Brian Kennedy away on honeymoon who was part of the intermediate winning squad a decade and a half ago while former Kilkenny player James Maher was also missing but they are both expected to be available this weekend in a huge boost to Freshford.

As a whole, they are a hugely experienced group of players right from goalkeeper Darren Brennan to the inside forward threat of Darragh Maher, Liam Hickey and Shane Donnelly.

Croimthann Bergin is an inspirational figure as captain from full back while Padraig Donnelly, Mark Donnelly and Cathal O’Leary all play their part in a fine St Lachtain’s side.

One worry ahead of the final is the fact that talented youngster Cathal Hickey picked up an injury in the club’s JJ Kavanagh and Sons Under 21 Roinn C Final defeat to Clara last month and they will be hoping he will be available for selection.

While St Lachtain’s have a formidable look about them, their opponents will also travel to Croke Park with a fair degree of confidence.

The East Cork outfit won the Premier Junior Hurling Championship Final when they defeated Tullogher Rosbercon’s All-Ireland Final opponents St Catherine’s on a 3-13 to 0-15 scoreline in the county decider at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh in November.

The club which has former Cork star Brian Hartnett at their disposal and three time All-Ireland winner Donal Óg Cusack as a coach have since gone on to win Munster honours when claiming a big success over Kilrossanty of Waterford.

Like St Lachtain’s, the Cork side then had a big victory over Ballinascreen of Derry in the All-Ireland Semi-Final with Josh Beausang adding 1-7 for the winners in a 2-22 to 0-12 stroll.

Both sides have the firepower to hurt each other so both defences will be in for a tough afternoon.

St Lachtain’s will know they’ll need to be near the peak of their powers but if they bring their A game to Croke Park, there is every chance they can come out on top.