Donnelly sets relentless tone as Thomastown embrace history
Thomastown players celebrates after the Kilkenny County Senior Club Hurling Championship final match between O’Loughlin Gaels and Thomastown at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
History came rattling on Thomastown’s door and was embraced with vigorous warmth as they eased to a first Kilkenny senior hurling title in 78 years.
Defending champions O’Loughlin Gaels never came to terms with the relentlessness of the challengers who belied their inexperience with a demonstration of manic intensity from the off.
All-Star nominee John Donnelly set the standard with a point in the opening seconds and barely let up. Four first-half points were accompanied by a lay-off for another score in that period along with a converted free that he won.
In the second half, his presence wasn’t as noticeable although he was only too happy to lend a hand to the rearguard effort in preventing the All-Ireland runners-up from trimming the five-point half-time difference, 0-9 to 0-4.
But O’Loughlin Gaels never got going in trying conditions watched by a sizeable 9,465 crowd. Huw Lawlor was firefighting admirably but for a player with great balance Mikey Butler struggled while Paddy Deegan and Fionán Mackessy were out of sorts.
That had as much to do with Thomastown getting in their faces and it will be a major regret for Brian Hogan that his team couldn’t replicate that fiery attitude. Just one point in the third quarter in contrast to Thomastown’s three effectively put paid to them retaining the cup.
Thomastown also had two chances to put a fork in the game. O’Loughlin Gaels’ goalkeeper Stephen Murphy expertly kept out Colm Treacy’s goal attempt in the 41st minute.
The coup de grace threatened to come again 11 minutes later but Huw Lawlor kept out Rory Connellan’s effort. Still, the hits kept on coming for O’Loughlin Gaels as Robbie Donnelly bolstered his tally with frees and Jonjo Farrell sent over his second point of the final.
Staying focused was crucial for John Donnelly. “When I had to get myself going again was when we had two goal chances in the second half to put the game to bed and we didn’t take them. I had to keep saying to myself, ‘Just keep playing the next ball.’ We kept playing them and thankfully it was enough to hold on in the end.”
Of the intensity they brought to the game, he remarked: “I wasn’t at the final last year but a lot of my friends were and they couldn’t get over the physicality of it. We were still an intermediate team then and we definitely had doubts if we went senior would we be able to compete. It’s just hard to imagine now we’re the best team in the county and it’s brilliant, sure.”
Manic would be an appropriate word to summarise the first half. Thomastown, who were without first-choice goalkeeper Diarmuid Galway following his injury in the semi-final, were more comfortable with its frenetic nature and Donnelly was showing the way with timely contributions. His fellow forwards were making it a struggle for the O’Loughlin Gaels defenders to clear their lines.
Farrell followed it with another and any suggestions that Thomastown would struggle in their first final since 1988 were soon dispelled. After Owen Wall had O’Loughlin Gaels up and running, Thomastown midfielder Peter McDonald broke through on goal in the sixth minute but his shot wasn’t as convincing as his determination to create the opening.
Nevertheless, the scores kept on coming for the challengers. John Donnelly sent over his second point between setting up Rory Connellan and Stephen Donnelly getting in on the act.
Mark Bergin broke that string of four Thomastown points with a free and Conor Heary found his range in the 19th minute to indicate O’Loughlin Gaels had found their feet. Yet they were caught on their heels for a neat one-two John Donnelly concocted for a point from a sideline and Robbie Donnelly punished a Butler foul on Colm Treacy.
Bergin sent over a point from play on the half-hour mark but John Donnelly restored Thomastown’s four-point advantage, which grew to five before the interval when Robbie Donnelly sent over a free claimed by his cousin John.
The anticipated O’Loughlins fightback never came as Thomastown reeled off the first three points of the second half and they were on the road to emulating Clara who followed up intermediate success in 2012 with senior triumph the following year.
Now the All-Ireland intermediate champions Thomastown will aim to go one better and claim a Leinster senior title. They face the Westmeath champions in a quarter-final on November 17.
“When we won the intermediate last year, it was definitely the best three or four months of my hurling career,” smiled Donnelly. “Just the enjoyment going to Wexford, Newry and Wicklow. You see the supporters here, they travelled with us every day last year. It was such an enjoyable journey and I’d love to go on another one.”
R. Donnelly (0-8, 6 frees); J. Donnelly (0-4); S. Donnelly, J.J. Farrell (0-2 each); R. Connellan, P. McDonald (0-1 each).
M. Bergin (0-3, 1 free); O. Wall (0-2); C. Heary, J. Ryan (0-1 each).
P. Barron; P. Connellan, J. Burke (c), N. Kirwan; Z. Bay Hammond, E. Donnelly, B. Staunton; P. McDonald, J.J. Farrell; R. Donnelly, J. Donnelly, L. Connellan; S. Donnelly, C. Treacy, R. Connellan.
T. O’Hanrahan for C. Treacy (54); D. Prendergast for P. Connellan (58); J. Holden for S. Donnelly (60+4).
S. Murphy; T. Forristal, H. Lawlor, M. Butler; D. Fogarty, P. Deegan, J. Molloy; J. Ryan, J. Nolan; F. Mackessy, M. Bergin (c), C. Kelly; S. Bolger, C. Heary, O. Wall.
P. Butler for J. Nolan (35); S. Johnston for S. Bolger (40); R. Buckley for C. Kelly (52).
D. Hughes (Barrow Rangers).
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