WATCH: Ollie Bergin reflects on Kilconieron's epic battle with Mullagh

‘There was really nothing between the teams,’’ he said. ‘‘Mullagh are a great side. We just dug deep at the right time. After letting in the goal, the resolve of the lads really shone through. We’re just ecstatic now.’’

‘‘The lads have been showing their resolve all year. When the chips were down, and it happened plenty of times. People might have said we were nice hurlers, but we really showed that bit of grit in our team. It really is a testament to the character of the group.’’

Recovering from relegation at the end of 2025 was a challenge for Kilconieron, but Bergin was very impressed by the manner in which his players set out their stall and chased the prize of promotion this season.

‘‘Obviously there was some disappointment from last year. But we largely have a young group. We looked for a bit of unity and a bit of fighting spirit. We know these lads can hurl; we just needed to get a bit more physicality and grit in our game. The lads have really showed that in spades, particularly in the last couple of games.’’

‘‘There are some great young players coming through that played so well for us this year and some great leaders as well. The likes of Ian (McGlynn) and Shane (Caulfield) there, they were massive. As were so many other lads. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going now and with our age profile, it’s promising for us going up to senior next year,’’ he concluded.