Double dismissals enrage O’Callaghan’s Mills as Upperchurch roar to Munster IHC crown

FLASHPOINTS APLENTY: O'Callaghan's Mills finishe teh Munster IHC Final with 12 men. File pic: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE

Munster Club IHC final: Upperchurch-Drombane (Tipperary) 3-20 O’Callaghan’s Mills (Clare) 0-15 

For a moment, the boos drowned out cheers at the final whistle as Upperchurch-Drombane became Tipperary’s first Munster intermediate champions since 2012 after a controversial double sending off for O’Callaghan’s Mills.

The Clare representatives would end with 12 men, but it was the red cards dished out by Nicky O’Toole to their wing-forwards, Jacob Loughnane and Conor Henry, in the same 37th-minute incident which turned the game.

Mills frustrations boiled over in the lead-up due to a sequence of contentious no-calls by the ref before free-taker Loughnane came in high on Church captain Keith Ryan. O’Toole produced a second yellow card followed by the red.

Before Loughnane had reached the dugout, Henry was joining him. His protests saw O’Toole brandish consecutive yellows and a red.

With the game all but over, Gary Cooney followed them off on the hour mark after another heated reaction.

The game had been poised at 0-12 to 0-11 before the initial reds. Thereafter, Upperchurch romped home 3-8 to 0-4 in front of 2,434 spectators, with goals from Conor Fahey, Paddy Phelan, and Colm Ryan. Their highest tally of the season featured 11 different scorers.

They will celebrate this landmark success before preparing for Meath champions Ratoath or Danesfort of Kilkenny in an All-Ireland semi-final.

Both of these teams entered with similar big-game experience. The Mills had contested the 2020 Clare SHC final. Upperchurch had reached the Tipp senior hurling semis and senior football final in 2022. Each had rebounded quickly from relegation and carried their momentum onto the provincial stage.

There was little enough between them once the game was started, too. Darragh Moroney had a half-chance for goal blocked by a swarm of Upperchurch bodies. Such defensive work became a recurring feature of a half that was level eight times.

Cooney edged the Mills ahead. Church soon moved in front through Tipp footballer Fahey.

The Mills struck the next three, via Cooney, Seán Cotter, and a Loughnane free, to open up a rare chink of daylight between the sides. Cathal McNamara preserved that advantage for a few moments longer by scrambling a loose sliotar off their line.

Aaron Ryan got off three shots in a row for the Tipp champions. The first hit the post, but the next two flew between the uprights to level at 0-5 apiece.

They traded scores from there. Cormac Murphy scored a lovely point from the left flank and Seán Boyce opened his account. Niall Grant and Pat Ryan replied in kind. Cooney and Diarmuid Grant swapped the next pair.

Boyce claimed the score of the half by regaining possession and threading the sliotar over from the sideline, but Luke Shanahan’s first from play sent Church in 0-11 to 0-10 ahead.

Once they gained a two-man advantage, the odds were stacked in their favour. It took a while to press on with three consecutive wides, but Pat Ryan, Phelan, Aaron Ryan, and Paudie Greene built a three-point cushion.

The goals all arrived between the 50th and 58th minutes. Dean Carew intercepted a sideline to send Fahey soloing into space for a composed finish. Pat Ryan teed up Phelan for the next. Phelan was denied another by Killian Nugent, but substitute Colm Ryan was quickest to tidy home the sliotar.

Cooney’s dismissal provided a bitter end to a controversial clash for the Mills. Meanwhile, the Upperchurch celebrations were just getting going.

Scorers for Upperchurch-Drombane: C Fahey (1-2); L Shanahan (0-5, 3 frees); P Phelan (1-1); C Ryan (1-0); A Ryan, Pat Ryan (0-3 each); G Ryan (0-2, 2 frees); N Grant, D Grant, Paul Ryan, P Greene (0-1 each).

Scorers for O’Callaghan’s Mills: S Boyce (0-5, 3 frees); J Loughnane (0-4, 3 frees, 1 65); G Cooney (0-3); S Cotter, A O’Gorman, C Murphy (0-1 each).

UPPERCHURCH-DROMBANE: C Shortt; M Lavery, K Ryan (capt), D Carew; N Grant, G Ryan, T Corbett; D Grant, A Ryan; C Fahey, P Phelan, P Shanahan; Pat Ryan, P Greene, L Shanahan.

Subs: M Griffin for Greene (56), C Ryan for P Shanahan (57), Paul Ryan for Phelan (59), G Grant for A Ryan (60+3), S Ryan for L Shanahan (60+3).

O’CALLAGHAN’S MILLS: K Nugent; C McNamara, C Cooney, K Donnellan; S Cotter, A O’Gorman (capt), A Fawl; F Hickey, C Murphy; J Loughnane, D Moroney, C Henry; S Boyce, C Cleary, Gary Cooney.

Subs: P Donnellan for K Donnellan (47), B Donnellan for Moroney (57), M Pewter for Cleary (57), M McGrath for Cotter (57).

Referee: N O’Toole (Waterford).