McDonagh the inspiration as Bruree upset Patrickswell
Inspired by team captain Stephen McDonagh, veteran of so many bitter defeats at inter-county level, they denied red-hot favourites Patrickswell their record-equalling 19th title. In the process, they brought the Daly Cup back to their own storied village on the banks of the Maigue for the first time since 1893, and for the first time ever in their own name (in 1893 they were called South Limerick).
“Today was our day,” proclaimed Stephen, in accepting the trophy, and indeed it was. Given little chance at the start of the season, seen even by some as relegation fodder, they went toe-to-toe with the vastly more experienced former champions, and from the outset it was clear, this was not going to be the landslide many feared.
Playing with the stiff downfield breeze, Bruree opened the scoring with a point from veteran defender-turned-attacker Stephen O’Halloran. Indeed O’Halloran went on to have a superb game and finished with 11 points, rivalling McDonagh and official winner John O’Brien for the man-of-the-match award.
That score signalled their intent, and from there to the 30th minute, at which time Bruree led by 0-8 to 0-7, the teams traded point for point.
O’Halloran was doing most of the scoring for Bruree, with the brothers Gerard (2) and James V. O’Brien (1), youngster Michael Lane (1) also getting their names on the board.
Inter-county star Barry Foley was doing the business for the Well with three points, while full-forward Declan O’Grady added two, centre-forward John McDermott got another and midfielder Paul their seventh.
In injury-time came the score that many felt would decide this game, a goal for Patrickswell. An intelligent clearance from Ciaran Carey (doing well at centre-back), worked forward to Declan O’Grady by William O’Dea, who hit a superb cross to the lurking Barry Foley and his piledriver gave Daniel Lane no chance and put the Well two points to the good at the break (1-7 to 0-8). With the wind at their backs for the second half they were looking good.
McDonagh, however, was having none of it. “The wind never won anything for anyone,” he said. “I think the Well might have thought they had it won, but I said to the boys at half-time that we’d do it. In fact I’ve been saying it all along. This year we lost Pat Cotter, one of the best hurlers that ever played for us (Pat’s young son Jack led Bruree in the parade, proudly wearing his father’s old number 8 shirt, retired this year in a gesture of respect by the club), and I told the lads in training the other night, if we were with Patrickswell with ten minutes to go Pat would bring us home.
“That’s what happened, and I’m not saying that as just idle ould talk. Sometimes you have years when nothing goes right, sometimes you have a year when it happens for you, and today was our day,” McDonagh added.
That was the second half in a nutshell. Bruree kept chipping away, answered every score by the Well with a point of their own, usually from the unerring O’Halloran, kept within a score of the favourites all the way.
Always, however, that goal was
between them; always, that is until the moment spoken of by McDonagh, the moment of inspiration.
Ten minutes to go, Patrickswell leading by 1-13 to 0-14, James V. O’Brien sent a beautiful sideline into the centre of the red-zone and 17-yr-old Tommy O’Brien pounced with a net-buster from close range. For the first time in the second half, Bruree were in front, a lead they would never relinquish.
In the 54th minute O’ Halloran caught one of a number of long clearances by McDonagh, turned and scored. Three minutes later, great defensive work by O’Brien and McDonagh resulted in a free won by James V. O’ Brien some 55m out on the left Again O’ Halloran did the needful to register what proved to be the decisive score.
Two points ahead, minutes ticking away, the massive Bruree support lifted their team on to even greater efforts on the pitch. “I was roaring at the referee to blow it up but he wouldn’t,” said McDonagh, as the tension mounted.
In the 59th minute, Foley pointed a long-range free (about the only disciplinary lapse by Bruree in the second half) and was unerring. There was just a point in it, still time.
Three and a half minutes later, however, it was over, referee Denis Richardson called time, signalling a massive invasion of the pitch, emotional scenes reminiscent of the same stage last year, when Garryspillane won their first Limerick title.
A good game and worthy winners underlining the talent in this county, real talent, coming talent.
It was brilliant to see the continuing class of two veterans, Stephen McDonagh and Ciaran Carey. They never won the top honour, beaten in two All-Ireland finals, but McDonagh has now joined his great friend as a winner of the next best thing. Bruree, Limerick county senior champions – it has a resonance, long overdue.
Scorers – Bruree: S. O’Halloran 0-11 (0-7 frees, 0-2 65’s); T. O’Brien 1-0; G. O’Brien 0-2; M. Lane, J.V. O’Brien, M. O’Brien, 0-1 each.
Patrickswell: B. Foley 1-7 (0-4 frees); J. McDermott 0-3; D. O’Grady 0-2; E. Foley, Paul O’Reilly, P. O’Grady, 0-1 each.
BRUREE: D. Lane; K. O’Rourke, J. O’Brien, J.P. Murphy; D. Lenihan, S. McDonagh, S. Mullane; J.C. O’Brien, E. Morrissey; J.V. O’Brien, G. O’Brien, B. Hogan; T. O’Brien, S. O’Halloran, M. Lane. Subs: M. O’Brien (Morrissey inj. 34). Blood sub: D. Sexton (M. O’Brien 55/57).
PATRICKSWELL: B. Murray; R. Bennis, M. Foley, P. Earls; P. O’Reilly, C. Carey, P. Carey; E. Foley, P. O’Grady; W. O’Dea, J. McDermott, T. Sheehan; E. Geary, D. O’Grady, B. Foley (c). Subs: Tony O’Brien (Earls 21); B. Geoghegan (E. Geary 54); P. O’Reilly (D. O’Grady 58); Thomas O’Brien (Sheehan inj. 62). Blood sub: B. Mann (C. Carey 55/57).
Referee: D. Richardson (Murroe-Boher).
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