St Kieran's end Tulla's fairytale season

Luke Connellan goals for St Kieran’s as they defeated St Joseph’s Tulla in today's Masita Post Primary Schools All-Ireland SAHC semi-final in Nenagh. 

All-Ireland Post Primary SAHC semi-final 

St Kieran’s College 3-16 

St Joseph’s Tulla 1-11 

That tradition counts for loads in sport was hammered home in Nenagh this afternoon as the blue bloods of senior colleges hurling, St Kieran’s, cruised past the St Joseph’s, Tulla challenge to reach a 36th Croke Cup final.

Eleven points separated the sides as Tulla’s fairytale run was brought to a halt by a St Kieran’s side that ran riot in the second half on the back of a hat-trick of goals that finished the contest long before the end.

First-time Harty Cup champions, St Joseph’s, had been competitive in the opening half, but their hopes began to fade as a confident St Kieran’s side eased into a 0-9 to 0-5 interval lead as Harry Shine hit 0-5 from placed balls.

Armed with this advantage, the 23-time All-Ireland champions really turned the screw after the interval, never looking back after man-of-the-match James Carroll, a grandson of the legendary Ted Carroll, set up Luke Connellan for a brilliant 42nd minute goal that put them 1-12 to 0-8 clear.

Further goals from Donagh Murphy and Harry Shine within 30 seconds of each other as the game entered the final ten minutes showcased St Kierans’ superiority still further, even if a game Tulla side kept battling away to the end for the late reward of a goal from Seán Withycombe.

Scorers for St Kieran’s College: H Shine (1-7, 5f, 2 ’65), D Murphy (1-3), L Connellan (1-0), B Whitty (0-2), J Carroll (0-1), P Lennon (0-1), J Fitzpatrick (0-1), T Dunne (0-1).

Scorers for St Joseph’s: S Withycombe (1-7f), O O’Connor (0-1), C Cleary (0-1), D Keogh (0-1), T Leydon (0-1f) 

ST KIERAN'S COLLEGE: A Dunphy; J Butler, A O’Connor, S Moore; P Lennon, J Fitzpatrick, C Cody; J Carroll, K Doyle; T Dunne, H Shine, B Whitty; D Murphy, L Connellan, A Ireland Wall. 

Subs: R Holden for Connellan (55), P Langton for Moore (56), N Doheny for Murphy (59), T Phelan for Dunne (61).

ST JOSEPH'S TULLA: A Shanahan; D Ryan, A Hogan, F Ryan; M McMahon, T Leydon, O Clune; R O’Connor, D Keogh, O O’Connor, S Withycombe, F Hickey, E Maxted, C O’Donnell, C Cleary. 

Subs: D Fox for Ryan (54), G Vaughan for Hickey (60).

Referee F Horgan (Tipperary)