LIVEAs it happened: Mahonys shine as Ballygunner secure second All-Ireland title
Mikey Mahony of Ballygunner scores his side's first goal. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Full-time thoughts of Maurice Brosnan:
Very disappointing second half. Ballygunner were very comfortable in the finish. 12 consecutive county titles, five Munsters in seven years for these players and now a second All-Ireland. What a side.
Ballygunner are All-Ireland champions!
Neil Keary points for Loughrea, but it's going to be Ballygunner's day.
Goal chance for Dessie Hutchinson, after racing clear of the Loughrea cover, is saved superbly by Loughnane. Pauric Mahony knocks over the resulting 65.
Three minutes added on. Tiernan Killeen slots over a free.
Kevin Mahony departs, he's been superb for Ballygunner. Conor Tobin.
Brilliant play from Pauric to manage to win a free when it looked like he was running out of room and time. He converts the free, too. Seven the difference, heading for added time.
Kevin Mahony wins a free for the Gunners in midfield, or rather Ian Hanrahan gives away a free. A lazy arm left in. Pauric Mahony slots over from range. Six in it now.
Gunners lead by five, Long ball downfield results in a free in. Simple task for Pauric Mahony. No mistake.
Subs coming in for both sides.
Big Jamie Ryan score for the Galway representatives. A much-needed one. Gap is now four.
Ryan then wins a contentious free off Ian Kenny. Tiernan Killeen effort sails wide, however.
Loughrea need to dig in here. Championship minutes, they are five down but still creating chances. Stephen O'Keeffe has been immense in goal for Ballygunner. If they see this out, he and Kevin Mahony will be strong contenders for man of the match. .
Loughrea sub: Sean Sweeney is in for Paul Hoban.
Loughrea do indeed get a sniff at goal, but that's all it is, thanks to Ballygunner's Stephen O'Keeffe, of course. Brave goalkeeping.
Superb Kevin Mahony score - his fourth. He had to negotiate the company of three Loughrea defenders before firing that one over.
Mark Hartley follows Mahony to put real daylight between the teams. Ballygunner up five now. Loughrea need a score.
Referee Chris Mooney spots Gavin Maher pulling fellow sub Mark Hartley's jersey upfield. Pauric Mahony punishes Maher and Loughrea. Gunners' lead stretched to three.
Another Loughrea sub: Gavin Maher is in for Joe Mooney. All to play for with 15 plus added time remaining at Croker.
Vince Morgan - starved of ball in the Loughrea inside line of late - grabs a point to cut the gap to two.
Mark Hartley fires wide for Ballygunner. Their sixth overall, and their third after only 12 minutes of the second-half.
Good play from Dessie sets up a marauding Tadhg Foley, but his effort is unsuccessful.
Important score from Tiernan Killeen from a placed-ball. Needed.
Loughrea sub: Alan Kelly is in for Brian Keary.
Here's that Mikey Mahony goal:
35 nóim @LoughreaHurling 1-09@ballygunnerHc 1-12
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 18, 2026
A leithéid de cúl faighte ag Michael Mahony! An-chríoch ar fad!🔥
Ballygunner find the net, four minutes into the second half!
BEO/LIVETG4 AR @TG4TV 📺 #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/CiJDCm2vwb
Conor Sheahan extends the Ballygunner lead, and Patrick Fitzgerald - who did not seem 100 percent fit - departs with Mark Hartley in off the bench.
Goal Ballygunner. And for the two that went abegging in the last few minutes, Mikey Mahony makes no mistakes as he rifles home past Loughnane after good Peter Hogan play. Quality finish. Three points the difference now.
Goal chance for Loughrea a minute later. Cullen Killen - after a gorgeous pick-out from Johnny Coen - isn't able to beat Stephen O'Keeffe, who fouls him. Tiernan Killeen taps over the resulting free.
We're underway for the second-half and an early goal chance for Ballygunner and Patrick Fitzgerald goes astray. Created by Pauric Mahony long ball in, he broke free from the cover and pulled on the sliotar, only to watch it go across the face of Gearoid Loughnane's goal.
Here's a look at that superb Shaughnessy goal:
26 nóim @LoughreaHurling 1-07@ballygunnerHc 0-09
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 18, 2026
Cúl! Neadaithe isteach san eangach ag Darren Shaughnessy!🤩
Shaughnessy flicks past O'Keefe for Loughrea's first goal!
BEO/LIVETG4 AR @TG4TV 📺 #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/Uutmn7CcKs
Half-time thoughts of Maurice Brosnan at Croke Park:
Loughrea have made it a war zone in middle. It was typified by Ian Hanrahan's outstanding stripe tackle before Darren Shaughnessy's goal. They will be frustrated by some inaccuracy during that period. Some big questions for the second half.
Can Loughrea maintain this level of work-rate?
Will Dessie Hutchinson click? He has one point from four shots so far.
What do Loughrea do about Cullen Killeen? The exciting young prospect has struggled to get into the game so far.
On the other side, can Ballygunner get Pauric Mahony into the game?
Ballygunner lead by the minimum. 1-8 to 0-12.
Pauric Mahony does likewise for the Gunners. It'll be the last score of the half as Chris Mooney blows his whistle.
Tiernan Killeen slots over a routine free. We're now level for the fifth time. 1-8 to 0-11.
Shane Morgan's long-range placed-ball goes to the right and wide.
Three minutes added on.
Bad miss by Caimin Killeen at one end - Loughrea's seventh, and remarkably, Dessie Hutchinson fires wide again. His third, Ballygunner's third.
The reply isn't long coming, and it could have been a green flag, but Peter Hogan's effort flies over. Kevin Mahony adds to it with a decent effort.
Goal Loughrea. The hard work done by Ian Hanrahan to rob possession in midfield. Darren Shaughnessy finishes expertly from a long-ball in. Game on.
Just like that. Long ball pucked down into the Gunners full-forward line. Hutchinson involved before Patrick Fitzgerald adds another. Simple stuff.
Conor Sheahan points - after a HawkEye check - to put the Gunners up two. Tiernan Killeen makes no error from a placed-ball to cut the gap to one soon after.
Loughrea have now hit four wides to Ballygunner's one. The latest Loughrea miss coming from Cullen Killeen. Fitzgerald points at the other end.
Little stoppage here as Conor Sheahan recovers after a collision in midfield.
16 mins: Ballygunner back in front. Pauric Mahony again from a placed
ball.
Not for long though, Loughrea leader Johnny Coen puts his name on the scoresheet from deep.
Vince Morgan has a go at O'Keeffe's goal, but the stopper is equal to it once more. Darren Shaughnessy swings over from the recycled ball.
Tiernan Killeen taps over a free to get up and running for the day. Burns' deliveryinto Vince Morgan was decent and Morgan did enough to win a free.
Big goal chance for Anthony Burns goes astray. Big Stephen O'Keeffe save. Vince Morgan was an option for a pass but Burns decided to take the shot on himself. He does grab a point thereafter, before Mikey Mahony replies for Ballygunner - his first.
Couple of wides in last few minutes from Jamie Ryan and Dessie Hutchinson, respectively.
The sides swap swap scores, Pauric Mahony for the Gunners, Ian Hanrahan for Loughrea, before Kevin Mahony restores the Gunners' two-point lead.
Jamie Ryan finds the Loughrea reply, but up the other end, Ballygunner leave a goal chance behind them. Peter Hogan did his best to set up Patrick Fitzgerald but Gearoid Loughnane was able to bat it away for a 65, which centre-forward Pauric Fitzgerland converts.
: Dessie Hitchinson grabs his first of the day to open the Ballygunner account. Some neat footwork to set it up.
Referee Chris Mooney throw the ball in and we're underway at Croke Park.
Here are the starting 15s.
G Loughnane; P Hoban; J Coen, K Hanrahan; B Keary, S Morgan, J Mooney; I Hanrahan, Cu Killeen; Ca Killeen, T Killeen, J Ryan; A Burns, D Shaughnessy, V Morgan.
S O'Keeffe; A O'Neill, I Kenny, T Foley; H Ruddle, P Mahony, R Power; C Sheahan, P Leavey; D Hutchison, P Mahony, P Hogan; P Fitzgerald, K Mahony, M Mahony.
G Loughnane; P Hoban; J Coen, K Hanrahan; B Keary, S Morgan, J Mooney; I Hanrahan, Cu Killeen; Ca Killeen, T Killeen, J Ryan; A Burns, D Shaughnessy, V Morgan.
Here's John Fogarty's pre-match verdict:
Loughrea need so much going for them if they are to surprise Ballygunner.
Certainly, with the forwards they boast, they can beat the Waterford and Munster champions and the now-cleared Cullen Killeen gives them that dynamism around the middle where Ballygunner are so reliant on treading together those short passes.
Against St Martin’s, it took Jason Ryan’s side some time to get going as the Wexford men matched them for intensity and there could be another similar slow start here as Loughrea won’t lack in fervour.
Can they manage to dislodge or upset Philip Mahony who as anchor of the ‘Gunners defence is so pivotal?
As much as Paddy Leavey comes back so often to fill gaps, Tiernan Killeen has a massive role in shaking that half-back line. Neither team shirk in the physical stakes and keeping one’s head will be vital.
Dessie Hutchinson is playing his best club hurling and is unlikely to be subdued. Even if he curtailed, Patrick Fitzgerald could make this game his own.
The range of ball that Stephen O’Keeffe supplies is outstanding too. It’s a first Croke Park appearance for Ballygunner since they lost the 2022 semi-final to Ballyhale Shamrocks. They were favourites then and the tag burdened them. They have it again but they can wear it well. Verdict: Ballygunner.
Welcome back to another live blog - we'll provide minute-by-minute updates as Ballygunner take on Loughrea in the All-Ireland Club SHC final.
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