Brilliant Barrs end 29-year wait for Cork hurling title 

Ger Cunningham's side saw off Blackrock in terrible conditions. 

JOY: Ben Cunningham of St Finbarr's celebrates at the final whistle. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

St Finbarr’s 2-14 

Blackrock 1-7 

St Finbarrs’ 29-year famine is over. For the Blues, it didn’t so much rain as it poured this afternoon.

Such was their second half dominance, it was a famine-ending Cork hurling final win the Togher side were able to enjoy and begin to savour long before Simon Stokes’ full-time whistle.

With the clock showing 57 minutes and the scoreboard showing the Barrs 2-11 to 1-7 in front, chants of Allez Les Blues rang out around the ground.

It’s a chant they’ll not tire of singing anytime soon. It may even get a second airing in two weeks’ time as responsibility now falls onto their footballers to complete the second leg of a first Barrs double since 1982.

Even in the most horrible of conditions, the Barrs produced a second-half masterclass. Within that was a defensive masterclass. Setting the tone for such was Glenn O’Connor’s diving block to deny Michael O’Halloran a second Blackrock goal shortly after the restart.

Ahead by 0-9 to 1-5 at the break, St Finbarr’s held their opponents to two second half points. Yes, two points in 35 minutes of hurling. One of those was an Alan Connolly free on 44 minutes. The other was a Shane O’Keeffe white flag from play on 57 minutes.

The sight of a subdued Robbie Cotter being subbed off on 46 minutes - a man who came into this final with 2-17 from play beside his name - was a microcosm of Blackrock’s forward struggles.

Even at the death and the result long decided, the Barrs defence refused to give an inch and repelled several attempted raids on Shane Hurley’s goal.

Brian Hayes set the Barrs on their way in the 37th minute, batting to the net a Conor Cahalane pass. A Ben Cunningham ‘65 six minutes later put them 1-10 to 1-5 in front.

Conor Cahalane provided their second goal on the three-quarter hour mark. It was a score that perfectly captured the youthfulness at the heart of this Barrs county winning campaign.

Starting the move was Jack Cahalane. He fed Ben O’Connor. He passed to Ethan Twomey. All three are U20. Twomey gave to Conor Cahalane and he batted the ball past Gavin Connolly.

William Buckley is still a teenager. He came off the bench in the second period, clipped two fine points and had the sliotar in his hand when the whistle sounded on their long, long wait for county hurling glory and a 26th title.

The Barrs had led 0-9 to 1-5 at the break, Ben Cunningham responsible for two-thirds of that total. Indeed, given full-forward Padraig Buggy had supplied their opening two scores inside four minutes, young Cunningham accounted for all bar one of their count from there to half-time.

Ger Cunningham’s side were swifter out of the blocks. Buggy, as mentioned, flew early doors. Add in Cunningham’s opening brace and they were 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after nine minutes. The latter’s second was the direct result of Cian Walsh turning Robbie Cotter over.

The deluge of rain that fell from first whistle to last meant it was an afternoon far more suited to corner-backs and their trademark crowd-lifting dispossessions than it was for silky forward play.

There was a similar intervention down the other end shortly after as Conor O’Brien stopped Brian Hayes’ goal bound advance with a lovely defender’s flick.

Going back to Cian Walsh and his Finbarr’s full-back colleagues, while they were acquitting themselves doggedly, the Rockies came upon more and more space as the half wore on.

On 11 minutes, Rockies had their goal. Tadhg Deasy, after pickpocketing Ben O’Connor, picked out Mark O’Keeffe and he beat Shane Hurley from a good distance out.

A Michael O’Halloran point immediately after had the Rockies not only motoring but in front for the first time, 1-2 to 0-4.

This 1-1 setback unsettled the Barrs not a jot. The final’s next three scores came from the blue corner. A Ben free, a Ben 65, and a Ben point from play. In amongst this sequence was a superb Damien Cahalane to block Robbie Cotter’s goal effort, the sitting Barrs centre-back throwing his body in front of the shot.

His defensive teammates not long after applied enough pressure on Michael O’Halloran to force the Blackrock forward to kick wide.

Points from Alan Connolly and Shane O’Keeffe had Louis Mulqueen’s charges level at 1-5 to 0-8 on 31 minutes. It was to be the last time they stood level with their southside rivals.

Ethan Twomey set up Ben Cunningham for the lead point and the Barrs’ last of the half. They never took a backward glance thereafter. Their time for looking back is over. Their famine is over.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: B Cunningham (0-9, 0-3 frees, 0-2 65s); B Hayes (1-1); C Cahalane (1-0); P Buggy, W Buckley (0-2 each).

Scorers for Blackrock: A Connolly (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘65); M O’Keeffe (1-0); S O’Keeffe (0-2); T Deasy, M O’Halloran (0-1 each).

St Finbarr’s: S Hurley; J Burns, C Walsh, E Keane; G O’Connor, D Cahalane, B Hennessy; B O’Connor, E Twomey; P Buggy, C Cahalane, B Cunningham; E Finn, B Hayes, J Cahalane.

Subs: W Buckley for Finn (47); S Cunningham for Buggy (60); C Keane for J Cahalane (62); C Doolan for G O’Connor (63).

Blackrock: G Connolly; C O’Brien, J Cashman, S Murphy; C Cormack, A O’Callaghan, N Cashman; D Meaney, M O’Keeffe; M O’Halloran, S O’Keeffe, T Deasy; K O’Keeffe, R Cotter, A Connolly.

Subs: J O’Sullivan for Cotter (46); D O’Farrell for M O’Keeffe (54).

Ref: Simon Stokes.