Tipperary U15 hurlers impress in Arrabawn Cup but fall short in final to strong Galway team

2025 Arrabawn Cup U15 Hurling Semi-Final

Tipperary 1-12

Kilkenny 1-10

Tipperary opened the Arrabawn Cup action in Boherlahan on Saturday with a hard-fought win over Kilkenny in the semi-final in harsh, blustery conditions opened the Arrabawn Cup action in Boherlahan on Saturday with a hard-fought win over Kilkenny in the semi-final in harsh, blustery conditions.

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A game of two halves owing to the stiff wind blowing down into the scoreboard end, Tipperary opted to play against it in the opening half and did very well, deploying captain KJ Dunne as a sweeper.

Looking to keep the scoreline as tight as possible with the wind to come in the second half, Tipperary got off to the best possible start, goaling after 30 seconds when a rebounded shot on goal from Paul Ryan floated in the air in front of goal, with Newport’s James Ryan reacting to it quickest to double to the back of the net.

The rain came down with the strong breeze in the opening quarter, and slowly, Kilkenny were gaining the upper hand with the elemental support and had levelled the game by the 12th minute through scores from Brion Walsh, Eddie Bolger, and a first free from JJ Cahill.

Paul Ryan restored the Tipperary lead soon after with a close-range point, and it was a level game by the 15th minute when Oisin Pearl equalised after Kilkenny had responded to that Ryan point with scores from Cahill (free) and a first from Cian Kelly. All square at 0-5 to 1-2.

Kilkenny were being largely frustrated by the Tipperary setup with KJ Dunne influencing the game well as the spare man, but the Cats did get in front at half-time with two more JJ Cahill frees putting them two in front.

However, there would only be a single point between them at the break when Dunne hit a free in injury time to give Tipperary a boost and give his team a good platform to perform in the second half with the breeze, trailing by just a single point at 0-7 to 1-3.

With the elements at their back in the second half, Tipperary got off to a flyer, hitting five points in a row in five minutes with Ciaran Gantley picking off three of those; added to by James O’Dwyer and KJ Dunne as Tipp raced into a 1-8 to 0-7 lead.

It was looking dodgy from a Kilkenny perspective after that early flurry, but they settled to their task well, and only for a last-ditch block from Darragh Quinlan a few minutes later, Kilkenny might have had a goal to boost their efforts as Eddie Bolger was denied close to goal.

The Cats weren’t lying down, and after KJ Dunne had restored the four-point gap from a free in the 40th minute, the visitors had regained parity. 

Winning a penalty in the 42nd minute, Cian Kelly’s shot was brilliantly saved by Jack Galvin in goal, but Kilkenny managed to recycle the break and find Kelly standing still in the centre of the goal to make no mistake at the second time of asking.

And just like that, with the next play, it was all square at 1-9 apiece as substitute Robbie Sutton found space to fire over from close range. Game on with eight minutes to play.

Tipperary responded well to the pressure, it must be said, with the excellence of Ciaran Gantley putting them back in front a few minutes later from range, before two KJ Dunne frees sent the Premier outfit two points clear going into additional time.

Trailing now and in desperation, Kilkenny fashioned two golden goal chances during this period through Robbie Sutton and Liam Corcoran, but were denied by some heroic Tipperary defending as the final whistle blew to send the Premier into the final against Galway.

Tipperary: Jack Galvin (Ballylooby Castlegrace); Conor Tobin (Mullinahone), Sean Gribbon (Clonoulty Rossmore), Jo Jo Magee (Cahir); Craig McKenna (Portroe), Darragh Quinlan (Ballylooby Castlegrace), Ben Fitzgerald (Cashel King Cormacs); Darragh Healy (Newport), James Ryan (Newport, 1-0); Bobby McLoughlin (Boherlahan Dualla), KJ Dunne (Toomevara, 0-5, 0-4f), Ciaran Gantley (Cappawhite, 0-4); Paul Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill, 0-1), Oisin Pearl (Lattin Cullen, 0-1), James O’Dwyer (Kiladangan, 0-1).

Subs used: Oisin Hogan (Burgess) for J Ryan (37); Donagh Carmody (Kiladangan) for O’Dwyer (37); Scott Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs) for P Ryan (40); Ronan O’Mahoney (Newport) for Gribbon (52).

Kilkenny: Rhys Duggan (Dicksboro); Micheal Meany (Clara), Conor Henderson (Dicksboro, captain), Paraic Tobin (John Lockes); JJ Cahill (O’Loughlin Gaels, 0-6f), Cian Kelly (Mullinavat, 1-1), Conor Power (Windgap); Sam Kelly (Rower Inistioge), James Tierney (Danesfort); Eddie Bolger (Mullinavat, 0-1), Conn O’Neill Pembroke (Ballyhale Shamrocks), Brion Walsh (James Stephens, 0-1); Liam Corcoran (John Lockes), Mattie Carr (Danesfort), Sean Corcoran (John Lockes).

Subs used: Harry Barcoe (Young Irelands) for Walsh (35); Tom Duggan (Carrickshock) for Kelly (35); Robbie Sutton (Mooncoin, 0-1) for Bolger (40).

Referee: David Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs)

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