Ardscoil Rís roar back to claim Dean Ryan Cup glory against CBC

CBC had led by four with 45 minutes played but Ardscoil Rís fought back to win by two points and claim the school's second Dean Ryan Cup title in three years. 

Árdscoil Rís captain Rian Horgan and his team celebrate winning the Dean Ryan Cup final at Kilmallock, Co Limerick. Pic: Dan Linehan

Dean Ryan Cup final: Ardscoil Rís 1-11 Christian Brothers College 0-12 

Ardscoil Rís know this feeling. Black jerseys up on shoulders, the song and dance echoing from the dressing room. The Dean Ryan Cup is back in the Limerick school’s hands.

A second title in three years, but one that was earned the hard way in Kilmallock yesterday. It began with Shane Waters, standing over a free he had to score. Ardscoil were four down with 45 minutes played.

They’d missed their first three frees of the half, but Waters made no mistake this time – straight over, and the roar that followed lit the black and red inferno.

Barely a minute later, they were level. Clare minor star Ian O’Brien, absent through injury in the semi-final, made his presence felt at last. A darting run down the flank, a strike that cannoned off the crossbar and in off Dessie Carroll. A touch fortunate, but undoubtedly deserved.

Ardscoil tails were up. A Waters free in the 50th minute. A superb Rian Horgan effort, brilliantly tipped over by Khaled Abdelrazik to deny a second Ardscoil goal. Now the margin was two, a margin conditions made feel like four.

Conor Stack converted a 65 on the hour, but Ardscoil had the final word. Eamon O’Sullivan, came off the bench to land the insurance score in the 63rd minute and send Ardscoil into raptures.

Árdscoil Rís, Limerick players celebrate their win against Christian Brothers College, Cork at the final whistle in the Dean Ryan Cup final at Kilmallock, Co Limerick. Picture Dan Linehan

“It is special,” said Ardscoil manager Niall Moran. “People say ‘oh, Ardscoil Ris, what you might have achieved over the last 10 or 15 years’, but every group is very different. It’s their journey, their pathway. For these lads, this means everything.

“It was a brilliant contest. It was a pleasure just to see the heart and fight.” 

Conditions told their own story. The ball stuck, the surface slipped, eight players went to ground in the opening half alone. The muck and the rain shaped the game as much as either team, yet for 30 minutes CBC seemed to have mastered both.

Tom Huggins thrived on the greasy ball, clipping five first-half placed balls – four in a second-quarter run of 0-6 unanswered – to push the Cork school into a 0-9 to 0-5 half-time lead.

Even when Waters and Gavin O’Brien split the posts to narrow the gap to two on the restart, Bobby Power responded twice in quick succession, the forward firing CBC four clear entering the final quarter, 0-11 to 0-7.

But when Waters landed the free that lit the fuse, the sense was immediate. Ardscoil were coming, and they would not stop.

It’s another heartbreak for CBC, their wait goes on for Dean Ryan or Harty glory. They had done so much right in the opening half but could not find a foothold once the tide turned.

Scorers for Ardscoil Rís: S Waters 0-5 (0-4 f), R Horgan 0-3, I O’Brien, G O’Brien, E O’Sullivan 0-1 each, 1-0 own goal.

Scorers for CBC: T Huggins 0-6 (0-4 f, 0-1 65), B Power 0-3, B Hegarty, G Kingston, C Stack (65) 0-1 each.

ARDSCOIL RÍS: S Collins (Crecora/Manister); C Hickey (Crecora/Manister), W Ryan (Murroe/Boher), D Horgan (Murroe/Boher); R Collins (Adare), E Hennessy (Patrickswell), B Gavin (Ballybrown); C Butler (Patrickswell), D Moran (Ahane); I O’Brien (Cratloe), S Waters (Na Piarsaigh), C Ryan (Newport); G O’Brien (Kilmallock), X Nelligan (Kilmallock), R Horgan (Murroe/Boher).

Subs: K O’Neill (Murroe/Boher) for Butler (48), R Kelliher (Adare) for R Collins (51), E O’Sullivan (Adare) for Moran (59).

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE: K Abdelrazik (Castlelyons); D Carroll (Carrigaline), P McCarthy (Blackrock), D Cronin (Blarney); S Riordan (Kilworth), C Stack (Blackrock), C Kelly (Midleton); C McCarthy (Ballincollig), A Maher (Sarsfields); B Power (Ballincollig), B Hayes (Bishopstown), B Hegarty (Ballinora); T Huggins (Sarsfields), G Kingston (Mallow), D O’Donovan (Douglas).

Subs: J Punch (Blackrock) for McCarthy (48), H Rafferty (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels) for Hayes (49), J Harrington (Ballincollig) for Cronin (55).

Referee: M Kennedy (Newcastle, Tipperary)