After decades in the doldrums, PBC hurlers finally having a ball
Songs and chants, more familiar in Musgrave and Thomond Park, rang out around Ballyagran yesterday afternoon. Munster glory for the famed black and white of Cork’s Presentation Brothers College, but in terribly unfamiliar environs.
At the end of this Corn Uí Dhonabháin (U16 ½ C hurling) decider, the refrain, ‘Munster champions, we know who we are’, was belted out, with tremendous gusto it should be added, by the hurlers of Presentation Brothers Colleges. It’s a celebratory chant which has been heard at the end of many a Munster schools’ senior and junior rugby cup final, but one which yesterday got its first airing on a GAA field.
Though not entirely sure, those working diligently to grow the games of hurling and football on Pres’ backfields believe this fixture represented the school’s first involvement in a hurling final since 1923. Ninety-five years, irrespective of the sport or team in question, is quite the bridge to gap.
Mike Nash of Comhairle Iarbhunscoileanna na Mumhan, when presenting the cup to winning captain Ethan Twomey of the Barr’s, remarked that it was “most unusual to see PBC in a hurling match”, but added, “how great it is for the Munster post-primary organisation to have PBC playing”.
Having failed to field at any level for a period of almost 80 years, a senior hurling team was cobbled together in 2016. This U16 ½ side, meanwhile, are the first of their kind.
Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, Carrignavar, Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Glanmire and Scoil Ruain, Killenaule were overcome en-route to yesterday’s final, with a strong finish to both halves sufficient to take them past the challenge of Borrisokane Community College.
Twomey, who top-scored with nine points, paid tribute in his acceptance speech to manager John Connaughton for the “phenomenal work” he has put into building GAA in a school which sits joint-top of the Munster schools senior cup roll of honour with 29 titles.
Connaughton is the school accountant and believes there is plenty of space for hurling to prosper and develop in this rugby nursery.
_“Pres was very strong in the GAA in the 1920s and 1930s. And then it died off for some reason. There was no hurling at all for between 70 and 80 years. The previous principal, Mr White, encouraged the hurling and football to come back because it was an old tradition. We started back there three years ago. David Barry, the current principal, has kept it going and encouraged it to continue,” Connaughton explained.
“We got to a couple of semi-finals in football but in hurling, we were a little bit off. This year we are coming again. We are trying to build it up and bring hurling and football back to Pres. We are hoping we will be competitive in the GAA’s lower grades as time goes on.
“It is encouraged now as a team sport and the interest is there. The younger boys coming through wanted to enter this. We felt we had the players to do it. Rugby is number one in the school and will always be number one. But we feel there is an outlet for boys who are not big into rugby to play other sports.”
Pres made a decisive burst in the eight minutes before half-time, outscoring the Tipperary school by 1-6 to 0-1. Douglas’ Daniel Squires delivered the sole goal of the final on 27 minutes, with Ballincollig’s James Dwyer chipping in with two fine points. Trailing by 1-10 to 0-5 at the break, Borrisokane cut the gap to a goal when tallying five unanswered points at the start of the second half. That was as close as they would come, though.
Concluded Connaughton: “It is a great day for Pres. There are a lot of teachers in the school with GAA backgrounds that have been encouraging it. There are plenty of people interested in progressing it ” Munster champions, they know who they are.
E Twomey (0-9, 0-6 frees); D Dwyer, F Coleman (0-3 each); D Squires (1-0); M Howell (0-2); C Walsh (0-1).
C Fogarty (0-8, 0-7 frees); P Williams (0-3, 0-3 frees); D Ryan (0-1).
C Desmond (Blackrock); D Hurley (Ballinhassig), JJ O’Connor (St Finbarr’s), M Moroney (Erin’s Own); C Walsh (Midleton), G Marshall (Glen Rovers), R Foley (Blarney); B Anthony (Ballygarvan), E Twomey (St Finbarr’s); P Campbell (Nemo Rangers), D Squires (Douglas), J Dwyer (Ballincollig); C Casey (Erin’s Own), M Howell (Douglas), F Coleman (Blackrock).
D Murphy (Blarney) for Anthony, L Ormond (Ballinora) for Casey (both 58).
L Gleeson (Borrisokane); P O’Neil (Kilruane MacDonaghs), A McLoughlin (Nenagh), J Hough (Borrisokane); N Cahalane (Kiladangan), D Slevin (Borrisokane), W Cleary (Kiladangan); D Ryan (Kiladangan), P Williams (Kilruane MacDonaghs); A Ryan (Silvermines), C Ryan (Borrisokane), C Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs); O Williams (Kilruane MacDonaghs), C Fogarty (Lorrha), B Shanahan (Kilruane MacDonaghs).
E Carroll (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for C Cleary (35 mins); C White (Nenagh) for O Williams (56).
M Meade (Limerick).
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