Tipperary hurlers thrash old rivals Kilkenny to win U15A Arrabawn Cup Hurling title in Cahir

Arrabawn Co-op U15A Cup Hurling Tournament Final

Tipperary 6-13

Kilkenny 4-3

By Michael Heverin

Hurling finals between Tipperary and Kilkenny, at any age or any level, are generally close affairs, but the opposite was the case in the Arrabawn Co-op Under 15A Hurling Tournament Final at Cahir on Saturday when Tipp had sixteen points to spare over their fiercest rivals.

The scoreline doesn’t flatter the home side such was their dominance over the fifty minutes decider. The game was virtually a mismatch by the end of the first quarter when Tipp led by 3-6 to 0-1. 

Kilkenny rallied and had the scoreline down to a more respectable 3-6 to 2-2 by halftime and their third goal just twenty seconds into the second half left the margin at just four points.

However, Tipperary upped the tempo again and three more second-half goals killed off the Cats’ revival.

Tipperary had heroes all over the field. Gortnahoe Glengoole’s Chris Dunne was a colossus at centreback, with his half-back partners, Grangemockler Ballyneale’s Conor O’Meara and local player, Travis McLoughlin from Cahir in fine form, O’Meara scoring a goal and McLoughlin’s knocking over a fine point.

Moyle Rovers’ Conal Morrison and Nenagh’s Eanna Tucker dominated midfield, but it was up front that Tipperary cut Kilkenny to ribbons. Team captain Shane Ryan from Borrisoleigh and Zach O’Keeffe from Holycross Ballycahill scored two goals each, with Oisin Kennedy (Newport) and Conor Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore) also to the fore – the West Tipp Kennedy was also unerring from frees.

The stats make grim reading for Kilkenny. They hit just seven scores to Tipperary’s nineteen and apart from the goals, managed just two points from play over the fifty minutes, unable to build on their fine 4-14 to 2-9 semi-final win over Galway.

And their task was made more difficult as they had to play for forty minutes with just fourteen players, cornerback Jack Treacy was shown a straight red card by referee Kevin Jordan after ten minutes for an apparent stamp on a Tipp forward. Jordan also issued yellow cards to two Kilkenny mentors on the sideline later in the game.

Fresh from their 2-19 to 1-16 semi-final win over Cork in Ballylooby, the Tipp lads hit the ground running. Conor Kennedy pointed a free in the first minute and for the remainder of the first quarter, it was all one-way traffic, Kilkenny struggling to win any possession.

Kennedy’s second pointed free in the fifth minute was followed by the first goal thirty seconds later, Conal Morrisson and Hugo Healy (Kilruane McDonaghs) were involved before Shane Ryan finished to the net. Ruairi Power from James Stephens opened Kilkenny’s account from a free but it was a brief interruption to Tipp’s dominance. A great clearance from Colm Ryan (Newport) was carried on by Shane Ryan before Zach O’Keeffe found the net.

Points followed from a Kennedy free, O’Keeffe and Travis McLoughlin after a great run, before a high ball into the danger area from O’Keeffe was flicked to the net by Shane Ryan. When Kennedy pointed from play it made it 3-6 to 0-1 after 15 minutes.

Tipp’s momentum faltered in the second quarter when they failed to score, and Kilkenny fought their way back into contention. Ollie Phelan (James Stephens) put Jamie Walsh (Bennettsbridge) through for a goal; Ruairi Power added a super point from play, and then Glen O’Sullivan (John Lockes) hit their second goal following a brilliant catch and turn.

Then when Ruairi Power scored Kilkenny’s third goal just twenty seconds into the second half, Tipperary had seen a 14-point lead reduced to just four points, 3-6 to 3-2. They needed a response and it didn’t look promising when Eanna Tucker was wide and Oisin Kennedy dropped a ball short into the keeper’s hands in the next two moves.

But Tipp rediscovered their first-quarter sparkle, hitting 3-3 without reply over the next seven minutes. Conor O’Meara started the run by finishing a great run down the stand side with a cracking goal. 

Hugo Healy and Shane Ryan followed up with points before Healy and O’Keeffe set up the chance for half-time substitute Michael Dooley (Roscrea) to tap home from close range. O’Keeffe scored his second goal from a Conor Kennedy pass, and Chris Dunne from a free made it 6-9 to 3-2 with just ten minutes of the half gone.

Kilkenny had their second goal of the half when Clara’s Padraic Meany set Glen O’Sullivan free for his second goal, but by then the destination of the cup was well decided. 

Kilkenny scored just once again, the last point of the game from Ruairi Power, with Tipperary wrapping up their scoring through a Conor Kennedy free; Shane Ryan with a nice score and finishing off a true captain’s display; Oisin Kennedy knocking over and Kilsheelan Kilcash substitute Ben Roche also getting on the scoreboard.

A 16-point winning margin could never have been predicted before the game but it was a true reflection of the play. Kilkenny looked flat-footed compared to the speed of the Tipperary attack.

With 4-3 between them, Shane Ryan and Zach O’Keeffe were unstoppable as they tore through the heart of the defence. Conor O’Meara was brave to go for a goal rather than take an easy point for his score, while the fourth goalscorer, Michael Dooley, looked sharp following his introduction.

Goalkeeper Dara Gaynor, a grandson of the legendary Len Gaynor, couldn’t be faulted for any of the Kilkenny goals, while in front of him Colm Ryan, Luke Murphy, Chris Dunne, and Travis McLoughlin hurled brilliantly, with Conal Morrison and Eanna Tucker providing the vital platform at midfield.

Down to fourteen players, Kilkenny deserve great credit for clawing their way back into contention following the early Tipp onslaught, but they couldn’t maintain the effort throughout the second half in the face of the Tipperary goal burst. Corner forward Ruairi Power was their star player, with 1-2; Glen O’Sullivan took both his goals well, as did their other goalscorer Jamie Walsh.

Tipperary: Dara Gaynor (Kilruane McDonaghs); Colm Ryan (Newport), Ruairi Hackett (Kildangan), Luke Murphy (Roscrea); Conor O’Meara (Grangemockler Ballyneale, 1-0), Chris Dunne (Gortnahoe Glengoole, 0-1f); Travis McLoughlin (Cahir, 0-1); Conor Morrisson (Moyle Rovers), Eanna Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg), Oisin Kennedy (Newport, 0-1); Conor Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore, 0-5, 0-4f), Hugo Healy (Kilruane McDonaghs, 0-1); Zach O’Keeffe (Holycross Ballycahill, 2-1), Conor Collins (Galtee Rovers), Shane Ryan (Borrisoleigh, 2-2). 

Subs used: Michael Dooley (Roscrea, 1-0) for Ruairi Hackett; Ben Roche (Kilsheelan Kilcash, 0-1) for Zach O’Keeffe; Ollie Roche (Newport) for Shane Ryan; Morgan O’Connor (Cappawhite) for Conor Kennedy.

Kilkenny: Dylan Brennan; Kyrell Mtinsi, Fionn Murphy, Jack Treacy; Robbie Lacey, Sean Kavanagh, Ollie Phelan; Jack Bolger, Paddy Grace; Padraic Meany, Jamie Walsh (1-0), Jack Barcoe; Glen O’Sullivan (2-0), Cian Franks, Ruairi Power (1-3, 0-1f). 

Subs used: Eoin O’Gorman; Enda Cunningham; William Moriarty; Jack Stapleton; Daniel Lawlor; Charlie Kavanagh; Andrew Holohan; Charlie Ryan; Noah Langrell.

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels)