Raise it High': 58 years of hurt over as Highfield down Shannon in Munster Cup classic

On a momentous occasion for the Cork club, it took a late try-conversion combo from man-of-the-match Shane Buckley to turn the game on its head with mere seconds left on the clock

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 - 19:29

Darragh Leen

Munster Senior Challenge Cup Final: Highfield 19 Shannon 17.

Fifty eight years on from winning their last Munster Senior Challenge Cup - and 18 since losing in their last final to Shannon - a dogged and determined Highfield grabbed the occasion by the scruff of the neck and took the spoils at Temple Hill in dramatic fashion against that very opponent on Saturday.

On a momentous occasion for the Cork club, it took a late try-conversion combo from man-of-the-match Shane Buckley to turn the game on its head with mere seconds left on the clock at Cork Constitution’s rugby grounds. Revenge, nearly two decades in the making.

An early second-half try by Shannon’s Alex Lautsou to give the Limerick men 17-7 lead could have taken the wind out of Highfield’s sails, but the dogged Corkmen wouldn't roll over.

A try from James Cronin gave them hope. The late Buckley try (and immaculately taken conversion) gave them the spoils — and coveted silverware.

Shannon piled the pressure on early, earning a penalty after a scrum infringement but failing to take the opportunity to put the first points on the board when Cillian O’Connor’s kick went left and wide.

Despite a quiet opening period, Highfield sprung to life on the quarter-hour mark. Travis Coomey nearly broke through the Shannon defensive wall to yield the game’s opening try but was stopped in his tracks.

Seconds later though, the Cork outfit had their first try when loose-head James Cronin spotted a gap and threaded the Shannon wall to score from the 10 metre line. Buckley converted the subsequent kick and Highfield were up and running. With ten minutes left in the half, Shannon were struggling to get any convincing or free-flowing sequences of play together. Passes went awry, scrums collapsed. But on the half-hour mark something finally went their way.

O’Connor converted from a penalty that came after another scrum infringement, this time on the part of the Corkmen, to put the first points on the board for Shannon.

With three minutes remaining in a chaotic first half, Shannon turned around their fortunes. Luke Doyle was the recipient of the final pass after a slick passage of play and rounded a desperate last ditch tackle to dot down. Cillian O’Connor converted once more and Shannon now had the lead at 10-7.

Shannon captain Harry Long was lucky to escape a card after a high tackle on opposition skipper Jamie Shanahan. Buckley was less lucky from the penalty, hitting the post and leaving Limerick with the lead at the break.

Highfield were the first to flinch in the second half, despite a period of resistance. Shannon thought they had placed the ball over the try line but were held up, until they freed themselves from the maul and found flanker Alex Lautsou who was happy to score.

O’Connor added the extras from the conversion and, all of a sudden, Shannon had a 10-point advantage. Despite this early moment of fortune, the ball remained in the Shannon half for the rest of the contest. Cronin finally crossed again for Highfield with 10 minutes to go, in a try that was almost identical to his first. Luckily for Shannon, Buckley would miss the conversion.

Then came the moment of the match. Substitute James Brugger broke free with pace, evading the tackle of two Shannon players, and found Buckley in space on the flank perfectly picking out the winger who dotted down with a minute to go.

He may have missed the previous two kicks but this time Buckley made no mistake and, from the tightest of angles, put it between the posts to give Highfield an emotional win.

Scorers for Highfield: Tries: J Cronin (2), S Buckley; Cons: S Buckley (2).

Scorers for Shannon: Tries: L Doyle, A Lautsou; Cons: C O’Connor (2); Pens: C O’Connor.

HIGHFIELD: J Shanahan; E Dorgan, D McCarthy, M Dorgan, N Patterson; S Buckley, C Banon; J Cronin, T Coomey, D Fitzgerald; E Keating, C Kennelly; D O’Connell, C Galvin, R Gordon.

Subs: J Brugger for E Dorgan (45), M Fitzgerald for C Banon (45), B Murphy for E Keating (53), C Hanlon for D Fitzgerald (60) and R Murphy for T Coomey (72).

SHANNON: M TePou; L Doyle, C O’Halloran, H Long, D Gavin; C O’Connor, N Cronin; J Conway, P Dougan, T Cusack; S Alaimoana, C McCann; A Lautsou, O Minogue, N Moylett.

Subs: J Costello for N Moylett (47), A Moloney for C McCann (74), R Ryan for J Conway (77).

Referee: Tomas O’Sullivan.