It's all in The Village breeding, says delighted Fan

YOU can't beat breeding, claimed the great Fan Larkin, after yesterday's thrilling Leinster club senior hurling championship final, in Portlaoise.

"They had the hurling, and they had the heart," he said, after James Stephens had snatched victory with a late, late goal. "But why wouldn't they, it's bred into them with their mother's milk!"

Fan would know. When The Village won their first two Leinster (and All-Ireland) titles, he was one of their main men, though then in his early 40's; yesterday, his son Philly starred at centre-back and matched his dad's achievement, as James Stephens repeated last year's narrow win over UCD and won a fourth Leinster title.