Tullogher Rosbercon masterful in Croke Park cruise

Tullogher Rosbercon players Walter Walsh, left, and Conor Hennessy celebrate. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach, Sportsfile

All-Ireland Club JHC final

Tullogher Rosbercon (Kilkenny) 2-21 St Catherine’s (Cork) 1-13

Tullogher Rosbercon became the 11th Kilkenny club to join the pantheon of All-Ireland Club JHC winners. At Croke Park on Saturday their superiority over Cork’s St Catherine’s was unquestionable.

Very few teams would have lived with them on the day, and if that’s scant consolation to the St Catherine’s faithful, it is no less true for all that.

The favourites did it in style, while avenging defeat to Dripsey in 2009.

The writing was on the wall when student and teacher at Good Counsel College in New Ross — Marty Murphy and teacher Walter Walsh — smacked home first-half goals, on the quarter hour mark it was more or less wrapped up, 2-6 to 0-3.

The south Kilkenny team built up an unassailable lead with most of the damage done in a scintillating opening half, 2-14 to 0-9 Walsh and 37-year-old centre-back Pat Hartley provided a link to that defeat 15 years ago.

For three-times All-Ireland senior medalist Walsh (2012, 2014 and 2015) — the scorer of 1-3 — it was time to write the next chapter.

“You can’t beat winning here with your club,” he beamed. “It is an absolutely massive experience for the whole community, the whole parish. Definitely unbelievable.

“I didn’t feel any extra pressure because I knew the quality we have, we have 15 leaders and we showed that. We’ve extremely talented players all over the field so we are not thinking if I don’t play well, we won’t win.

“This year more than any other year, it is a team effort. We are not relying on Pat (Hartley), Conor (Hennessy, 0-4), Cian (O’Donoghue, 0-10) or myself to win a ball or get a score, they’re coming from all over the field. Marty has a serious hand as well. They’re not saying the ball is going to go on top of Wally. We have options.

“We got a great start with Marty’s goal, that was really important. We didn’t take the foot off the pedal, maybe a small bit at the start of the second-half, but other than that we were very dominant all over the field.

“Teaching some of my playing mates is a strange dynamic but I could see talent coming along, which is exciting. It makes me want to play a bit longer, even Pat Hartley, who is ageless!

“I need to go back in now and hit the ground running with Kilkenny. I should have a good base of fitness built up because I haven’t stopped. I will enjoy the next couple of days but when I’m back I’m back, and it will be full focus on Kilkenny.”

With almost two-thirds of Tullogher Rosbercon having played minor for the Cats, they will be comfortable returning to the intermediate grade.

A point not missed on St Catherine’s manager Denis Walsh. “One of their mentors just said to me, they are more than a junior team. They have a lot of potential and they had no injuries.

“But we have no excuses. Everyone put their shoulder to the wheel. We kept fighting. We’ve created history for the club. Seven U20s started and a few more came in.

“We were 10 points down early on. The damage was done and we couldn’t make headway anywhere. We looked lethargic, which I don’t think we were.”

That fighting spirit was evident all through Munster and against Easkey in the semi-final, and it couldn’t be questioned either at the Jones Road venue with Rory Galvin getting in for a 63rd minute goal.

“Dan Mangan and Darragh Morrison are being operated on in the next couple of weeks, so we will keep the show going,

“This has given us a bit of life. We were struggling for a few years, so there is a fair bit of momentum. The camogie team were back in the semi-final too.”

Scorers for Tullogher Rosbercon: C O’Donoghue (0-10, 6 frees, 0-1sl), W Walsh (1-3), M Murphy (1-1), C Hennessy (0-4), C O’Sullivan, J Shiely and D Glennon (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Catherine’s: R Galvin (1-1), E Davis (0-4, frees), S O’Donoghue (0-3 frees), K Wallace, B Mulcahy, K O’Donoghue, O Fitzgerald, C Hegarty (0-1 each).

TULLOGHER ROSBERCON: D Walsh; R Gill, D O’Connor, S Murray; L Murphy, P Hartley, C Mooney; J Lyng, C O’Sullivan (Capt); M Murphy, W Walsh, J Shiely; D Glennon, C Hennessy, C O’Donoghue.

Subs: M Handrick for J Shiely (42), S Lawlor for C Mooney (57), N O’Shea for R Gill (59), T Conway for S Murray (60), B Walsh for M Murphy (62).

ST CATHERINE’S: E Davis; F O’Connell, E O’Riordan (J-Capt), L O’Connor; K O’Donoghue, O Fitzgerald, K Neville; K Wallace, S Cotter; S O’Donoghue, R Galvin, W Leamy; B Mulcahy, E Condon, M Mulcahy.

Subs: E Wallace for E Condon, G O’Brien for W Leamy, C Hegarty for K Neville (all half-time), K Barry for M Mulcahy (46), N Sheehan for B Mulcahy (53).

Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim).