Kilkenny SHC final: Thomastown 0-18 O’Loughlin Gaels 0-7
Thomastown shrugged off the heavy hand of history in Nowlan Park on Sunday to win a first Kilkenny Senior Hurling title since 1946.
In his acceptance speech saptain Jay Burke said for all of his team-mates and fellow panellists in the many years to come, “2024 would always be blue”.
Not alone were the new champions completing a lightning-fast metamorphosis from intermediate in the space of 12 months but they had to overcome the formidable obstacle of defending champions and All-Ireland finalists, O’Loughlin Gaels.
There was no evidence of this disparity in experience, as from the start Thomastown set about the contest in persistent rain with gusto and made their physical presence felt, especially up front. It wasn’t classified information that O’Loughlins are built on defence and the challengers brought the fight to their opponents’ strongest sector.
John Donnelly, coming off his best season at inter-county, was the early difference, scoring the first point and going on to bag four by half-time, as well as a sublime assist for cousin, Stephen Donnelly to score the team’s fifth point and leave them 0-5 to 0-1 ahead at the end of the first quarter.
He then started the second half with a marvellous ball into another of the clan, Robbie to stretch the lead to 0-10 to 0-4.
Paddy Deegan, a galvanising performer in O’Loughlin’s achievements last season, was unable to impose himself on proceedings and inside, young Colm Treacy posed plenty of problems for Kilkenny’s All Star full back Huw Lawlor.
Bad as the conditions were, the champions’ attempts to master them were thoroughly unconvincing. Mikey Butler, another All Star in the champions’ defence – whose smart intervention in the 12th minute had cut out early danger – uncharacteristically coughed up a ball for Stephen Donnelly to fire over a point for 0-11 to 0-4.
There were four minutes gone in the second half and yet nobody in the crowd of 9,465 would have been expecting anything other than a Thomastown win. They won the first half 0-9 to 0-4 and would win the second by 0-9 to 0-3.
Eleven points was a massive margin of victory on a day when scoring wasn’t easy but the new champions could have had a couple of goals as well but Stephen Murphy saved really well from Treacy and a Lawlor block kept out another shot by Rory Connellan.
At centrefield, they also had control. Thirty-six-year-old veteran and former county man Jonjo Farrell hurled defiantly for 0-2 and was well supported by Peter McDonald. In truth though, there was hardly anywhere on the field that Thomastown didn’t hold sway.
Goalkeeper, Paul Barron who was an understudy to injured regular Diarmuid Galway, was a model of composure behind an aggressive and dominant defence where Zach Bay Hammond’s athleticism and physicality set the tone.
It was as if the efforts of the past year had shattered the champions. Owen Wall’s speedy incisions occasionally looked dangerous but in general they were unable to mount sustained attacks.
John Donnelly said Thomastown were determined to stand up physically to their elevated surroundings.
“Every day you go out, you have to hit lads and tackle. I wasn’t at the final last year but a lot of my friends were and they couldn’t get over the physicality of it. We were still an intermediate team then and we definitely had doubts if we went senior would we be able to compete. It’s just hard to imagine now we’re the best team in the county and it’s brilliant.”
Thomastown hadn’t even been in a final for 36 years but used the momentum from last year’s successful run to the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship to launch what turned out to be a momentous season.
“When we won the intermediate last year, it was definitely the best three or four months of my hurling career, just the enjoyment going to Wexford, Newry and Wicklow. You see the supporters here, they travelled with us every day last year. It was such an enjoyable journey and I’d love to go on another one,” said Donnelly.
They will now compete in the Leinster championship, which has been the preserve of Kilkenny clubs in recent years, facing the Westmeath champions, Lough Lene Gaels or Castletown Geoghegan, whose final was postponed on Sunday.
THOMASTOWN: P Barron; P Connellan, J Burke (capt), N Kirwan; ZB Hammond, E Donnelly, B Staunton; P McDonald (0-1), J Farrell (0-2); R Donnelly (0-8, 6f), J Donnelly (0-4), L Connellan; S Donnelly (0-2), C Treacy, R Connellan (0-1).
Subs: T O’Hanrahan for Treacy (54 mins), D Prendergast for P Connellan (60), J Holden for S Donnelly (64).
O’LOUGHLIN GAELS: S Murphy; T Forristal, H Lawlor, M Butler; D Fogarty, P Deegan, J Molloy; J Ryan (0-1), J Nolan; F Mackessy, M Bergin (capt; 0-3, 1f), C Kelly; S Bolger, O Wall (0-2), C Heary (0-1).
Subs: P Butler for Nolan (35 mins), S Johnston for Bolger (40), R Buckley for Kelly (52).
Referee: D Hughes (Barrow Rangers).
