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06 Sept 2025

'Dear Old Newport Town' celebrates as St. Marys hurlers take the schools All-Ireland

Masita All-Ireland PPS Senior D Hurling Final: St Mary's, Newport 6-17 Colaiste Einde, Galway 1-7

Shane Flanagan of St Marys Newport

Four goal hero Shane Flanagan collecting the 'Player of the Match' award after the final on Saturday at Tulla.

Reporter:

Stephen Gleeson

18 Mar 2024 2:33 PM

Email:

stephen.gleeson@tipperarystar.ie

Fireworks from Shane Flanagan lit up a drizzly afternoon for St. Marys, Newport supporters as he struck a four goal haul in the Masita All-Ireland PPS Senior D Hurling Final at Tulla on Saturday last. The Newport teenager was on form but so too were his teammates as they produced a blistering display of attacking pace, timing and skill to see off a shell shocked Colaiste Einde who never came to grips with their powerful opponents. 

The Tipperary school, who have a sprinkling of Limerick youngsters in their ranks, were on top from the off and an early Shane Flanagan goal set the pace. The well coached side were always playing the ball to the right player, backs clever in clearances and the forward unselfish and lethal when a chance presented itself. 
 
With quality ball being sent into the forwards, particularly from the outstanding centre back Colm Kennedy, 2-3 blitzed the Galway city opponents in the first ten minutes of the game. 
 
With just 4minutes 45 seconds on the clock Limerick county minor Darren Collopy linked up well to set up Flanagan for the first goal which left it 1-2 to 0-1. 
 
On 8 minutes 24 seconds the roles reversed when Flanagan gave a smart handpass to Collopy which again finished in the net leaving it 2-2 to 0-1. Unbelievable stuff really. It was dreamlike for the players searching for an All-Ireland title. 
 
After the early blitz the hurlers from the Galway school often panicked and made the wrong decisions in certain instances. They tried working the ball in for goals when guaranteed points were the better option, and the game soon went out of sight for them. 
 
The two early goals drove on the Newport side who were winning ball after ball and encouraged to go for goals with Brian Tobin, Tommy Cusack and full forward Cillian Collins always playing the ball to the right player. It paid dividends.  
 
The above mentioned trio struck points towards half time that left it 2-10 to 0-5 by half time. To get back into the game the Salthill side Colaiste Einde needed a superb start to the second half. 
 
Their best player, centre forward Cian Corcoran, struck the opening point of the half but as Newport attacked from the puck out the skilful forward Callum Poole found a gap at the other end for St. Mary's, just two minutes into the half. 
 
Soloing through the middle, after being set up by Cillian Collins, Poole drew four defenders onto him then sweetly handpassed to the unmarked Shane Flanagan who rifled the net again.
 
The grand new stand erupted with a roar, at 3-10 to 0-6 with most of the second half to come, there was only going to be one winner. 
 
The Galway side, to their credit, fought hard for a response but the Newport side had an excellent keeper and on 41 minutes Evan Duffy produced a double save, coolly knocking away a Cian Corcoran bullet. 
 
They did get a goal on 49 minutes but it was one way traffic really. Darren Collopy struck a penalty then centre forward Brian Tobin found room for a fifth goal and with just over a minute to go 'player of the match' Shane Flanagan scored his fourth goal of the game. 
Joint captains Colm Kennedy of Sean Treacys and Shane Flanagan from Newport hoisted the Niall McInerney Cup to huge applause from the new stand after the game.  
 
It was a day the school community will never forget and it was also an awesome display of hurling prowess. 

Scorers for St Mary’s Newport: S Flanagan (4-0), B Tobin (1-4), D Collopy (1-3, 3 frees), C Collins , D Ryan (0-3 each), Tommy Cusack (0-2), Jamie Long, Callum Poole (0-1 each).

Scorers for Colaiste Einde: Cian Corcoran (0-6, 4fs, 1 65), Jason Carr (1-0), Cian Cloherty (0-1).

St Mary’s Newport: E Duffy (Murroe Boher); J Anderson (Ballinainch), C Hannon (Newport) K Hogan (Newport); D Meaney (Newport), C Kennedy (Sean Treacys), J Tobin (Newport); D Ryan (Newport), J Long (Murroe Boher); T Cusack (Murroe Boher), B Tobin (Newport), D Collopy (Murroe Boher); S Flanagan (Newport), C Collins (Newport), C Poole (Newport).

Subs: C Sheridan (Murroe Boher) for Long, D Whelan (Newport) for Cusack, E Flynn (Newport) for Hogan, L Kennedy (Newport) for Collins, D Cantillon (Newport) for Poole.

Colaiste Einde: J McDonagh (Liam Mellows); S Keane (Rahoon Newcastle), E Hynes (Liam Mellows), D Carr (Rahoon Newcastle); J Nolan (Moycullen), L Sampietro-Daly (Rahoon Newcastle), D O’Brien (Liam Mellows); A Keane (Rahoon Newcastle), C Cloherty (Rahoon Newcastle); E Coddey (Rahoon Newcastle), C Corcoran (Castlegar), C Cloherty (Rahoon Newcastle); J Carr (Ardrahan), D Walsh (Moycullen) D Finnerty (Liam Mellows).

Subs: C O’Donohue (Rahoon Newcastle) for D Walsh, M Brosnan (Salthill Knocknacarra) for Finnerty, C Cloherty (Rahoon Newcastle) for Keane, B Magee (Moycullen) for Carr, C Madden (Rahoon Newcastle) for Coffey.

Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clare).

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