Big guns, new heroes celebrate county championships
But for others, like Garryspillane it is a day to be cherished. Not alone were they winning their first Limerick SHC title, they were doing it against their neighbours Kilmallock. The three-point margin of victory could have been 300 such was the delirious and joyous response of fans and players alike when Pat O’Connor called halt. Former Clare selector Tony Considine was their Moses, leading them to this promised land. And did he enjoy it? What do you think?
“It’s always a thrill when you’re involved with a winning championship team, be it club or county, but when it’s the first county senior title, that’s special. All the credit must go to the players, they were really focused, they were just not going to be beaten, and that decision wasn’t just made yesterday, it was made 12 months ago, when we lost to Ahane in very disappointing circumstances, an injury-time point. When the draw was made this year, we were in the so-called group of death, ourselves, Patrickswell, Ahane, Ballybrown. ‘The worst possible draw,’ Jim Dooley, a real Garryspillane man, said to me; ‘No, I said, the best possible draw. Now we’ll see what we’re made of.’” And how they did.
Garryspillane weren’t the only ones winning bragging rights. In the Model County, Horsewood with PJ Banville and Darren O’Reilly leading the charge, beat Adamstown for their first Wexford SFC title at Wexford Park.
In Dublin, Kilmacud walk tall after defeating Na Fianna. Tyro Mark Vaughan overcame his summer of discontent with a haul of 1-6. Yet his two-fingered salute after his goal soured his otherwise impressive day.
Dublin chairman John Bailey said: “Unless the incident is noted in the referee’s report it’s unlikely that there’ll be anything done. People tend to overreact about these things which was just something that happened in a sporting game.”
But not all the fairy-tales had happy endings. De La Salle, contesting their first Waterford SHC title, were pipped by a point against the mighty Ballygunner. Even Gunners inter-county star Paul Flynn felt for the losers. “We had to dig as deep as we’ve ever dug before, but then we expected that we would. De La Salle will be disappointed, but they can also be proud of their fabulous effort.”
In Cork, Pat Mulcahy and Ben and Jerry O’Connor, the scourge of inter-county opponents through the season propelled Newtownshandrum to their third county title in five years - and the favourites tag for Munster and All-Ireland club honours.
All at the expense of a Cloyne side who had shivered in ice baths and endured dawn training sessions in quest of that elusive first.
Normal service resumed in Offaly, where Birr annihilated Coolderry, in Carlow Éire Óg defeated O’Hanrahan’s for title number 23 while in Ulster, Crossmaglen, perhaps inspired by that old Beautiful South record, achieved yet another crown in their championship catalogue at the expense of Dromintee. The song? Perfect Ten.
