Kilruane finally reaping rewards of underage work

Kilruane MacDonagh's return to a Tipperary senior hurling final for the first time since 1986

LONG TIME COMING: Kilruane MacDonaghs players from left, Kieran Cahill, Thomas Cleary and James Cleary celebrate after their side's victory in during the Tipperary County Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final match between Kilruane MacDonaghs and Upperchurch-Drombane at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

“It’s a long time coming,” says Dinny Cahill of Kilruane MacDonagh’s day in the limelight tomorrow. Long enough that nobody togging out for the club was born the last time they graced a senior county final.

That 1986 defeat to Borris-Ileigh, seven months after the Cloughjordan club’s All-Ireland senior glory against Buffers Alley, concluded a golden era that had commenced with three senior county titles, one after the other, in the late 1970s under the guidance of Tipperary great Len Gaynor, who served as player-coach.

Gaynor returned to a selector’s role with Billy O’Shea and Jim Casey in that famous 1985-86 season but thereafter the club’s fortunes suffered a decline. 

Just as they did in those halcyon days with the likes of future Tipperary manager and coach Eamon O’Shea and Gerry Williams, MacDonaghs continued to produce fine hurlers like county corner-back Seamus Gibson. Mark O’Leary with his two goals in the 2001 All-Ireland SHC final also reminded people of Kilruane’s pedigree.

However, their own trophy cabinet was bare for too many years. The intermediate title in 2003 was their first at county adult level since the senior crown in 1985. In 2018, they claimed their first North Tipperary title in 28 years.

“When you win and reach your goals, there is often a drop-off and you take your eye off the ball with things like under-age,” says former Antrim and Laois manager Cahill, who starred in the great Kilruane teams of the 1970s and 80s.

“Maybe when we were playing we hung on too long and should have let younger lads in earlier than we did. Some of us hurled up to nearly 40 years of age feeling that we were still up to it but maybe we should have pulled out.

“But that work at under-age has been done these last 20 years, although we expected the current group to come that bit quicker, I suppose. There were lots of good players, lots of minor and U21 championships won in the past and it didn’t materialise. It has taken time but finally we’re there.” 

While under-age investment has worked spectacularly for their neighbours and opponents tomorrow Kiladangan who are in their fourth senior final in seven years, MacDonaghs' is still primarily seen in the number of county players they have produced.

Cahill’s nephew Jerome is among a select few who has claimed All-Ireland honours at minor, U20, U21 and senior with Tipperary. Still only 23, hurling had to take a backseat to accountancy studies but he has lit up this year’s championship.

“Last year and a half, he was in the depths of study and wasn’t able to give it the time to hurling that others were able to give,” says Cahill. “But he’s over that now. He’s a very good player, has come through the grades. He had been on the verge of the Tipperary senior team.

“At under-age, he was way smaller than everybody else, his reading of the game was his strong point, being able to hurl himself out of trouble. He would never seem to get involved in what I would call hardship hurling; he always found a way to get out of predicaments.

“The likes of Cian Darcy and Cian O’Kelly have come through with Tipperary too. There’s a good blend between experience and youth. (Craig) Morgan is a big loss to the defence but his brother Aaron has stepped up to the plate as have other younger players.” 

Veteran Seamus Hennessy, now 33, may have been born three years later but the links between him and many of the current crop with the last Kilruane senior final team are there. Hennessy’s father and namesake was a substitute that day, the family’s pub The Clough Inn advertised on the team sheets in the match programme.

“Both himself and (player/coach) Brian O’Meara are contributing,” says Cahill of the pair who have been making their presence felt from the bench. 

“They have the experience and craft as well – they know where to be. All that is a plus when it comes to games that have to be won. That experience hadn’t been there in recent years when it was being left to the younger players to do it all.” 

A coach to three Galway All-Ireland senior winning teams (Portumna twice and St Thomas’), Cahill is back in the west as he prepares Sarsfields for a senior quarter-final against Portumna next weekend. “They are a very young team and the players have bought into what I’m doing. You have to play the ball to the advantage of the man up front now, what type of player he is.” 

As Kilruane make further advances at under-age level, Cahill knows beating Kiladangan would do wonders for the club’s youngsters. “There’s a lot of good players coming on stream. For them to see the seniors winning would be a massive boost.

“Kiladangan will be going in as favourites but Kilruane won’t fear them and they have the players to win it. The only thing counting against them is the bench where Kiladangan have the advantage but it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if we win.”