Tipperary school hoping for a first ever Munster senior hurling final win

TUS Corn Thomáis Mhic Choilm, munster Senior B hurling final

Clonmel High School will endeavour to create history on this coming Saturday as they aim to win the Munster GAA PPS TUS Corn Thomáis Mhic Choilm, Senior B hurling title for the first time. Standing in their way will be Blackwater Community School of Lismore. The game goes ahead in Fethard Town Park’s 4G pitch, with a 12 noon throw-in.

The Clonmel school have had a mixed campaign to date, having started their season with two excellent victories over Abbey CBS and Mitchelstown CBS, before falling to two successive narrow defeats to St Francis’ of Rochestown and Scariff Community School. Despite those setbacks, the final league table saw them qualify for the knockout stages on scoring difference and set up an all-Tipperary tie with St Joseph’s, Borrisoleigh.

A much improved performance and a flurry of late scores saw the High School run out 10-point winners on the day, ensuring their passage to the semi-final, where they faced unbeaten Rochestown and looked to overturn the earlier defeat to the same opposition.

A quick start and a fine display from their defence throughout laid the foundations for an upset, as the High School motored their way to a 2-19 to 1-8 victory against the Cork school who had played a Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final just two days previously. This result avenged the earlier defeat, but was also some consolation for some of the team, who had agonisingly lost at the same stage last year to Castletroy College by a point after extra-time.

For their part, Blackwater Community School have been very impressive throughout their campaign and remain undefeated to date, digging out victories against Tralee CBS and Coláiste An Spioráid Naomh, Bishopstown, while having comfortable wins over Coachford College and Borrisoleigh.

The west Waterford side, buoyed by their huge support, produced an ominous display in Fethard Town Park last Friday week to defeat Scariff of Clare in their semi-final, with Lismore senior and Waterford Under 20 star Ben O’Sullivan helping himself to a hat-trick in an accomplished 3-18 to 1-17 win.

The Lismore school are managed by Tipperary Under 21 coach Fintan O’Connor and have a host of Waterford inter-county hurlers to call upon. Backboned by the Lismore, Cois Bhríde (Tallow-Knockanore), St Oliver’s (Ballinameela- Aglish), Cappoquin, Ballyduff Upper and the Naomh Bríd clubs, the school has a wealth of talent to choose from and will be seeking their second Munster title this season, having already claimed the TUS Corn Sheamais Uí Dhonnchú (Under 17 B) hurling title.
Jake Henley has been very impressive at centre back, while behind him Tomás Ahern represented Waterford at minor level last year. At midfield, Joe O’Keeffe is an industrious player who hit five points from play in the semi final while also supplying ball to their dangerous forward line, with Bern O’Sullivan ably assisted by freetaker Ben Cummins, who also hit 2-6 from play against Borrisoleigh.

Blackwater CS look a very well-balanced outfit overall as they look to reclaim the title they last won in 2008, and return to the Harty ranks where they have been ultra- competitive over the last 15 years.

For the High School, they will have had a week to pick themselves up after their harrowing late extra-time defeat in the Munster football semi-final last Friday but will be determined to compensate for that loss with a win.

Despite the High School’s strong GAA tradition, they have only reached this stage once before, falling to a six- points defeat to St Joseph’s Borrisoleigh in 2003. However, the current side have had success at county level over the last five years, winning an Under 17 B county title last year.

Oisín O’Donoghue guards the net while in front of him Fourmilewater’s Tadhg Walsh has been solid at full back all year and is ably assisted by Niall Deely of St Mary’s at centre back while his clubmate, Tipperary minor David McSweeney, is performing well at wing back.

Killian Butler of Moyle Rovers and captain Evan Spelman of Fourmilewater provide an energetic midfield pairing, with a spread of scorers in the forward line with Aaron Cagney (St Mary’s), Mikey McGuire (Kilsheelan/Kilcash) and Mikey Morrissey (Fourmilewater) all impacting the scoreboard at different stages throughout the championship.

The loss of the Kilsheelan/ Kilcash pair of Tommy O’Connor and Jack Norris, Clonmel Óg’s Jamal Yousif and St Mary’s Finn Napier through injury are setbacks for the Clonmel side. But they showed their strength in depth and faith in their younger players against Rochestown which paid dividends for the management team of Paddy O’Gorman (Cahir), Tom Ryan (Graigue/Ballycallan) and Mikey Breen (Ballina).

The High School will enter the game as underdogs, and undoubtedly it will take a mighty effort from them to rewrite history on Saturday. But after turning the formbook on unbeaten Rochestown in the semi-final, they will have no fear of their opponents and will hope to produce a history-making display.