Tralee CBS hold off Clonmel fightback to claim Corn Uí Mhuirí title
Tralee CBS celebrate victory over High School Clonmel in the Corn Uí Mhuirí final. Pic: Adrienne McLoughlin
The Kerry pipeline has produced another Corn Uí Mhuirí champion. That’s 14-in-a-row for Kerry schools, in case you haven’t been keeping count.
After two final defeats across the past four seasons, the Tralee class of 2026 bridged a six-year gap to their most recent acquisition of the main prize in Munster post-primary football. A 17th in total for the Green. Kerry schools remain untouchable and unbowed.
For starters Eoin O’Flaherty, fellow half-back Mikey Corridon, and forward Ryan Hurley, Saturday's victory completed a unique Munster double. The trio were also starters on the school’s hurling team that won the Munster B crown the week before last. They’ll now chase All-Ireland medals on two fronts.
A strange final. Desperately one-sided for well over half an hour. Wrapped up within a minute of the restart. Or so we reckoned.
A goal from outstanding Tralee centre-back Eoin O’Flaherty 52 seconds into the second period shoved an 0-11 to 0-3 half-time advantage out to an 11-point lead. Subsequent points from Ronan Carroll (free) and Nick Lacey further stretched the gap. 1-13 to 0-3 now read the electronic board in the corner of the field.
There was no comeback possible within that scoreline. Luke Hannigan’s point on 35 minutes was Clonmel's first since the sixth minute of the opening half. All credit to High School Clonmel for resurrecting both their challenge and the contest.
A pair of orange flags from Luke Foley pared the margin to nine, 1-14 to 0-8, early in the final quarter. A long ball floated in on 48 minutes. A strong Mikey McGuire hand. Goal Clonmel. Another Foley special from distance. An Aaron McAndrew fisted point.
A 13-point difference on 42 minutes was now, eight minutes later, whittled to a single score. 1-14 to 1-11. Clonmel kept coming. Tralee restarts could not find the safety of a blue shirt. Frazzled and frustrated. Their hands had been taken off the silverware.
Luke Foley tried for a fourth orange flag. It fell short. Tralee countered at pace. Clonmel couldn't funnel in sufficient time.
Gearóid White delivered an outstanding individual goal. Their first score in 16 minutes. Tom Quilter, White, and Carroll posted a flurry of points. Nine between them again. The suspense that had sensationally re-entered the final was removed for a second time.
The 0-11 to 0-3 interval scoreline was wholly reflective of the decider from the eighth minute onwards. What had played out across the opening eight minutes gave no indication of what was to come after.
Clonmel briskly and confidently asserted themselves from the off. They brought two game-plans to Mallow. The coaching and tactical acumen of David Power presented itself right from the throw-in. The former Tipp boss, less than 24 hours earlier, had steered UL into the Sigerson decider against all likelihood. The sideline had changed, the smile had not.
The Clonmel students carried forward through sharp, intricate handpassing off the shoulder. Their other - and hugely successful - approach early doors was to kick direct into Mikey McGuire.
Although wearing No.8, the joint-captain went straight into full-forward. Two of the first three deliveries kicked into him resulted in white flags.
They led 0-3 to 0-1 after six minutes. Two of those scores emanated from turning Tralee over at the other end. Cian McKenna was forced into an overcarry. John Lyons blocked down the point attempt of Ryan Hurley.
Conor Freaney’s sixth minute white flag was Clonmel’s last of the half. They wouldn’t find a fourth white flag until five minutes after the restart. They’d drop four first-half point attempts short. They had an injury-time penalty claim for a foul on McAndrew waved away. They had an injury-time McGuire goal drive blocked by ‘keeper Oliver Lata.
Tralee responded to their early adversity. They placed a spare defender directly in front of McGuire. It discouraged direct kicking from Clonmel. Eventually McGuire was so starved of possession and involvement that he was instructed to move out and operate in the middle third.
From the eighth minute to half-time, Tralee torpedoed the notion of an upset. They rose 10 white flags without reply. They took apart the opposition kick-out. They claimed five of Clonmel’s first six restarts. They won 10 of 14 first-half Clonmel restarts.
But for Clonmel shot-stopper James O’Brien and his denying Ronan Carroll and Nick Lacey, the interval difference would have been significantly north of the eight points it finished up at. There was also a Ronan Carroll goal chalked off for square ball.
Tralee’s direct running off the savaged Clonmel restart was their platform. Diminutive corner-forward Nick Lacey lofted over three first-half points from play.
Mairtín McKivergan’s dream start to 2026 continued apace here. The Ballymacelligott All-Ireland junior club winner fielded kick-outs, won converted frees, and threw over a first-half pair. His second point to begin an unanswered 1-12 saw the 18-year-old take down James O’Brien’s restart, solo through, and stroke over.
Such moments of class were ultimately the difference.
Tralee will now meet the Connacht Champions in the Hogan Cup semi-final at the end of this month. For all the dominance of Kingdom nurseries in the province, there hasn’t been All-Ireland glory from a Kerry school since 2017.
R Carroll (0-6, 0-2 frees); G White (1-2); M McKivergan, N Lacey (0-4 each); E O’Flaherty (1-1); T Quilter, S Hickey (0-1 each).
L Foley (0-7, 2tp frees, tp); M McGuire (1-0); P Spellman (tp), A McAndrew (0-2 each); L Hannigan, C Freaney (0-1 each).
O Lata (Austin Stacks); M Enright (St Pat’s Blennerville), E Moriarty (Ballymacelligott), S Turner (Ballymacelligott); F Ryan (Austin Stacks), E O’Flaherty (Ardfert), M Corridon (Ardfert); M McKivergan (Ballymacelligott), C McKenna (Churchill); T O’Connor (Ballyduff), G White (John Mitchels), T Quilter (Churchill); R Hurley (St Senan’s), R Carroll (Austin Stacks), N Lacey (Kerins O’Rahilly’s).
C Hurley (St Senan’s) for O’Connor (45); J Power (Ardfert) for Hurley (58); S Hickey (Churchill) for Quilter (62); J Power (Ardfert) for Enright (64).
J O’Brien (Moyle Rovers); H Lawlor (Clonmel Commercials), A Ryan (The Nire), J Lyons (Grangemockler/Ballyneale); R Galko (Clonmel Óg), L Hannigan (Clonmel Óg), P Spelman (The Nire); L Foley (Moyle Rovers), B Morrisson (Moyle Rovers); A McAndrew (Moyle Rovers), F Napier (Clonmel Commercials), K Smith (Clonmel Commercials); C Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), M McGuire (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), D McCormack (Clonmel Óg).
J Yousif (Clonmel Óg) for McCormack (HT); C Morrisson (Moyle Rovers) for Napier (44); J Kealy (Clonmel Óg) for Freaney (48); D Ryan (The Nire) for B Morrisson (55); O Ryan (Clonmel Óg) for Ryan (57, inj).
J Murphy (Limerick).
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