Gowran show true grit to see off Dunnamaggin in Junior A Hurling Final

Young Irelands (Gowran) took the JJ Kavanagh County Junior A hurling championship for only the second time in their history, with victory over a gallant Dunnamaggin team at UPMC Nowlan Park on Friday evening.

Their previous win was also against Dunnamaggin. Back in 1997 nine points separated the sides at the final whistle - this time it was just three.

This was a highly competitive contest, on an evening that gave us sunshine, wind, and a torrential shower - delivering a full Irish summer across 60 minutes of hurling!

This final was always going down to the wire. The game was level at the interval and still all square after 47 minutes but, down the home straight, Young Irelands outscored Dunnamaggin by five points to two.

Ultimately the two-opening half Gowran goals were the decisive scores. The first came on nine minutes when Killian Carey, scored after a fine teamwork passing movement along the new stand side of the ground (1-1 to 0-3).

The second was scored just six minutes later, again by Carey, after a first goal bound effort was blocked clear by the Dunnamaggin defence (2-3 to 0-5).

Diarmuid Langton followed this with a further point, but in fairness to the Dunnamaggin outfit, they finished the first half the stronger (2-5 to 0-11).

Dunnamaggin introduced Adam Fitzpatrick for the second half. He rowed in with three points from play, but his side were generally chasing the game in the second period.

The later points in the game by Killian Carey (2), Jake Byrne, Diarmuid Langton and Jimmy Lennon, were vital scores, that resulted in victory for Gowran. In the same closing dozen minutes, only Adam Fitzpatrick and JJ Dunphy pointed for Dunnamaggin.

In the closing couple of added time minutes, Dunnamaggin sought an equalising goal, but the Young Irelands defence held firm, to earn a place in the junior championship proper in 2025.

Young Irelands had fine performances from the likes of Emmett Byrne, scorer-in-chief Killian Carey and Diarmuid Langton. For Dunnamaggin Aaron Doherty, JJ Dunphy, Anthony Kearney, former All-Ireland senior winner Seaghan O’Neill and Adam Fitzpatrick gave their all.

Teams and scorers

Young Irelands - Peter Hutchinson; Charlie Fitzgerald, Emmett Byrne, Sean Middleton; David Langton, Sean Farrell, Jim Conlon; Killian Carey (2-7, 0-6 frees), Jimmy Lennon (0-1); Paddy Brennan (0-1), Jack Brennan, Gavin Manning; Dylan Carey (0-2), Conor Fitzpatrick, Diarmuid Langton (0-3).

Subs: Ben Phelan for Conor Fitzpatrick, Jake Byrne (0-1) for Dylan Carey, Tim Brennan, Cian Phelan, Charlie Brennan, Eoin O’Neill, Luke Phelan, Mikey Keating, David Drennan, Jack Blagriff, Ciaran Kavanagh, David Holland, Kieran Phelan, Michael Lennon.

Dunnamaggin - James Logue; Paddy Delaney, Jack Brett, Cathal Walsh; Andrew Fitzpatrick, Aaron Doherty, Jimmy O’Neill; Paul Kirwan (0-1), Alex Moore; JJ Dunphy (0-2), Peter Kenneally, Ruaidhri Holden (0-1); Colin Fitzpatrick (0-1), Anthony Kearney (0-3), Seaghan O’Neill (0-7, 0-6 frees).

Subs: Adam Fitzpatrick (0-3) for Jack Brett, Ross O’Neill for Seaghan O’Neill, Sean Carroll, Mark Dowling, Colin Herity, Aaron Moore, Sean Lawton, Eoin Sheil, Jason Doherty, Killian Tallon, Cathal Buckley, Michael Costello.

Referee - Gay Rafter (Threecastles).