The curtain came down on the Munster club championships with Russell Rovers taking the last piece of silverware in front of 1,610 enthusiastic spectators at the Fraher Field and adding another chapter in a fairytale season for hurling in East Cork.

“He was the difference between the teams today,” declared an ecstatic St Mary’s coach, Dan Shanahan. “His puckouts were good and he hasn’t conceded a goal in four games.”

2007 hurler of the year Dan Shanahan helped St Mary’s to their maiden Munster championship win on Saturday afternoon at Fraher Field in his first year as team coach.