Early blitz sends Dromtarriffe on way to regaining Duhallow title 

Dromtarriffe scored 30 points across the hour

Dromtarriffe thrilled to land victory in the E Tarrant & Sons Skoda Dealer Duhallow JAHC final in Kanturk. Picture John Tarrant

Duhallow JAHC final: Dromtarriffe 0-30 Kilbrin 2-13

Mighty Dromtarriffe are back at the top in Duhallow hurling after producing a devastating first-half performance to overcome Kilbrin in a one-sided JAHC final at a sun-splashed Kanturk on Saturday.

At their best, Dromtarriffe’s pace and deft stickwork exposed Kibrin’s limitations early on, the winners operating with greater composure and superior teamwork, to lift the John Joe Brosnan Memorial Cup for the second time in three years.

Having failed to inspire during the opening spell, Kilbrin made a determined bid after the resumption to come within five points of their opponents. However, Dromtarriffe always looked capable of stepping up a gear and finished on top to post the closing six points.

Dromtarriffe bossed the opening half through the strong and focused play of Michael O’Brien, Conor O’Callaghan, Jack Murphy, Mark O’Connor, and Kevin Cremin, with man of the match Tomás Howard in brilliant shooting form for Dromtarriffe — they held a 0-19 to 0-7 advantage at the interval.

Kilbrin clawed their way back on the restart, goals from Daniel O’Sullivan and Shane Crowley helped trigger a big push. Follow-up points from Crowley and substitute Rory King narrowed the arrears to five as the Dromtarriffe rearguard lived dangerously for a spell.

Indeed Dromtarriffe looked rattled yet they failed to panic and regained the initiative and slick play yielded telling points from the Howard brothers, Evan Murphy, and Cremin to allow team captain Darren O’Connor collect the silverware.

Scorers for Dromtarriffe: T Howard (0-16, 6 frees, 1 65); B Murphy (0-4); S Howard (0-3); E Murphy, K Cremin (0-2 each); M O’Connor, G O’Sullivan, J Murphy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kilbrin: S Crowley (1-8, 1-3 frees, 1 65); S O’Reilly (0-3, 2 frees); D O’Sullivan (1-0); N Field, R King (0-1 each).

DROMTARRIFFE: D Cremin; R Daly, M O’Brien, D O’Connor; J Murphy, C O’Callaghan, M O’Gorman; M O’Connor, K Cremin; S Howard, T Howard, C Cremin; B Murphy, E Murphy; G O’Sullivan. 

Subs: D O’Keeffe for M O’Gorman (37), S Cremin for G O’Sullivan (55), D Dennehy for B Murphy (58).

KILBRIN: E O’Riordan; C Buttimer, M Buckley, M Field; C King, G Linehan, D Daly; David O’Sullivan, W Heffernan; N Field, E Sheahan, S O’Reilly; Daniel O’Sullivan, N O’Callaghan, S Crowley. 

Subs: R King for S O’Reilly (24 inj), T O’Reilly for David O’Sullivan (38).

Referee: E Walsh (Freemount).