Cashel King Cormacs return to senior ranks after narrow county final win over Carrick Swans

FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Final

Cashel King Cormacs 2-17

Carrick Swans 0-19

Cashel King Cormacs reigned supreme in the FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Final by defeating Carrick Swans in FBD Semple Stadium to return to the senior ranks for the first time since 2014.

This curtain-raiser to the senior final didn’t disappoint as Cashel King Cormacs dug deep to pull back in a Carrick Swans game who had dominated 40 minutes of the game, but a lucky goal on the 40-minute mark from a long-range Eoghan Connolly free completely changed the game.

Up to that point, the Swan were flying and had taken a five-point lead early in the second half after leading 0-11 to 1-5 at the break. That goal though, was the impetus Cashel needed as it ignited their players, and when Jack Murphy picked up a straight red card for a strike on Devon Ryan in the 47th minute, the Swan capitulation, in essence, was completed.

After Connolly’s 40th-minute goal, Cashel outscored their opponents 0-11 to 0-5 as Swans panicked massively when down to 14 players and their use of the ball made it easy for a slick and now-confident Cashel team to pick off the necessary scores; Devon Ryan the main man for the King Cormacs as he picked up the Player of the Match award.

Ryan stepped up and delivered at crucial times in the game with his eighth-minute goal in the first half a badly needed major for Cashel as they were at sea against a superior Swan team early in the proceedings.

Calum Lanigan was to the fore from the off for the South champions as he hit the first of the game from the throw-in and hit two frees along with efforts from Calum Walsh and Dean Waters as Swan led 0-5 to 1-1 after 16 minutes.

Playing with the aid of the small wind present in Thurles, Swan were far hungrier and cleaner on the ball, and despite Cashel levelling the game at 0-7 to 1-4 by the 25th minute, the men in black and white hit four of the last five points of the half through a brace apiece from Aaron Dunne and Lanigan (two frees). Swans in a good place as they led 0-11 to 1-5 at the break.

The placement of Gavin O'Halloran as the loose man was giving the Swan a solid-looking defensive set up and even though Devon Ryan got an early free on the board to reduce the arrears, the Swan were looking comfortable and hit three scores in a row; again through Calum Lanigan (two free) and when Danny O'Hanlon was welcomed to the fray in  the 37th minute to a raucous reception from supporters, it looked like the Swan were in pole position to push on.

However, the game-turning moment will be one to forget for Swan keeper Kieran Lonergan who failed to deal with a long-range free from Eoghan Connolly that dropped short and dropped into the net unexpectedly. It would prove to be a decisive stroke of luck for the West champions.

Vitally for Cashel, they backed up that goal with the next four points with Ross Bonner and Devon Ryan (three points) sharing four points between them, and after one of those Ryan scores in the 47th minute, Jack Murphy saw red for a needless dig on the Cashel centre forward. Swans were now behind by two on down to 14 players in the blink of an eye.

After that, the Swan were always chasing the game and the long ball approach started to go all wrong as Conor O'Dwyer mopped up countless possessions and with the numerical advantage, they carried the ball brilliantly hitting some fine scores in the last ten minutes.

Swan tried in vein to find goals late on to salvage their chances but the space at the other end of the pitch was coughing up scores for Cashel as substitute Ger Browne, David McGrath, and a Devon Ryan free late on copperfastened Cashel's position as they held out to return to the senior ranks in 2025.

Scorers: Carrick Swans: Calum Lanigan (0-13, 0-11f), Aaron Dunne 0-2, Calum Walsh, Danny O’Hanlon, Dean Waters all 0-1 each, Gavin O’Halloran 0-1f.

Cashel King Cormacs: Devon Ryan (1-7, 0-5f), Eoghan Connolly (1-1, 1-0f), David McGrath, Ross Bonner 0-2 each, Conor O’Dwyer, Ronan Connolly, Oisin O’Donoghue, Ger Browne, Anthony Walsh all 0-1 each.

Cashel King Cormacs: Johnny Walsh; Kieran O’Dwyer, Nathan Ryan, Conn Bonner; Ronan Connolly, Conor O’Dwyer, Cathal Quinn; Eoghan Connolly, James Cummins; Paddy Fahy, Devon Ryan, Anthony Walsh; Oisin O’Donoghue, David McGrath, Ross Bonner.

Subs used: Adrian Cummins for R Bonner (57); Ger Browne for R Connolly (58); Simon Delaney for A Walsh (63).

Carrick Swans: Kieran Lonergan; Dean Kiely, Scott Hogan, Jack Murphy; Colin Loughman, Gavin O’Halloran, Ben Mulcaire; Aaron O’Halloran, Dean Waters; Eric O’Halloran, Calum Lanigan, Dean Fitzgerald Walsh; Aidan Waters, Aaron Dunne, Calum Walsh.

Subs used: Danny O’Hanlon for Fitzgerald Walsh (36); Taylor Fleming for A Waters (45).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle)