Senior B Hurling 2019

[LooseCannon]

Best of luck to Seir Kieran. Hopefully they’ll bring the cup back to Clareen.

[Plain of the Herbs]

If any club epitomised the battling Offaly spirit back in the good old days it was Clareen, and it is fitting that they get to conclude their year in a Leinster club final. Maximising scarce resources, the ‘never say die’ attitude, the style matched with the grit and determination. The club’s history The Music of the Ash, written by local man Jimmy Blake over a decade ago, covers the story of Seir Kieran hurling and Offaly hurling in tandem, and rightly so. (And it is a wonderfully written tome, if you can get your hands on it.)

True, they gave Offaly great names (Dooley, Coughlan, KInahan) but it is the less heralded names that made Seir Kieran renowned. Connors, Mulrooney, Murphy, Mooney, Dunne, Hynes, Bergin. Fitting that Joseph Bergin should line out for the 100th time for his club in the Leinster Final. A fifteen year old debutant back in 2003, he has lined out in defence at times, but mainly in attack. He scored his 40th goal for his club a fortnight ago, while also scoring 628 points.

Relegation to Senior B has brought out the best in them. A wintertime review prompted them to bet as many hurling hands on deck as they could. And so, three adult teams were fielded, at Senior, Intermediate and Junior B. It is truly amazing hat they could get 60 young men to hurl, that from a parish of less than 500. The team that won 2008’s U21 championship stayed together, 11 of them hurled Senior this year, another two were Intermediate regulars, only losing two. A phenomenal retention.

Last week’s successful ‘Stars in their Eyes’ will have come as a timely boost too, with players and parishioners leaving the venue with an embellished pride in their place and a deeper meaning of what it means to them to be from Clareen.

Saturday will bring new challenges. A star studded Tullaroan team stand in their way. Tommy Walsh still lines out at full-forward and will catch the eye, but if Seán Coughlan is on his game, Clareen should do alright here. Anyway, the best way to quieten a dangerous full-forward is to cut out the supply. Eoin Coughlan remains their best goalkeeping option.

In attack, Bergin could do with some help. They need Adrian Hynes, James Mulrooney and Tom Carroll to give a dig out on the scoresheet. They’ll need a couple of goals, and they’ll need to gain the possession to gain a steady steam of scoreable frees. Stephen Hynes keeping Pádraig Walsh from dominating would be a bonus. They also need Kevin Dunne to get on the ball and to run at Tullaroan. And Clareen would probably prefer to travel to Kilkenny than to Tullamore.

In general, Tullaroan are a younger team but no less experienced for that. While seven of the 15 are under 23 that includes current KIlkenny Senior panellists Martin Keoghan and Tommy Walsh (the full-back). Another five are between 26 and 30. Like most teams now, Tullaroan will look to explode from the throw in. Ruthless. There will be no hanging around waiting until that 10 minute ‘settling in period’ has passed. Clareen really need to weather the early onslaught. If they can and they are on their game, then anything is possible.

[kingscounty]

Looking forward to this game tomorrow, the pitch in a Nowlan Park will be in perfect condition and it should be a good tight game. Hopefully be travelling home tomorrow with the cup

[kingscounty]

Clareen 1-08 Tullaroan 1-11 half time

[kingscounty]

Adrian Hynes is on fire at the moment

[kingscounty]

Tullaroan 2-25 SK 2-13 not to be, score board bit harsh at the end but the better team won. Few good showings from SK, Coughlan at full back was decent, Carroll got
Some moves scores. Hynes was for me SK best player winning ball and taking some great scores. Tullaroan got a soft goal in the second half and this was a killer blow, when the game had only 4 points in it big Joe failed to gather a great hand pass which could have lead to a goal chance and the ball was cleared and a score at the other end. Best of luck to SK next year in senior a great year for them this year!!!

[Plain of the Herbs]

In the end it wasn’t to be for Clareen, though the 12 point margin is a harsh reflection of the effort in what was a frustrating afternoon for Offaly’s Stripy Men. Tullaroan’s utter dominance of contests, rucks or scrums (call them what you like) saw the west Kilkenny team launch attack after attack. Once the ball hit the ground, it was hoovered up by a hurler in white and green, and the local side set up another attack.

Yet, despite the possession deficit, Clareen managed to stay within touching distance until the last 10 minutes of play. Once he settled after about 10 minutes, Seán Coughlan was superb thereafter and was the best performer on the field. Éanna Murphy did well in the centre, while Dermot Mooney got on a lot of ball and used it well.

Clareen might have been closer for longer, but were undone by their characteristic inconsistency. Forwards hurling well for 10 minutes at a time, then seeing the game go on around them for the remainder. Tom Carroll had some wonderfully skilful cameos either side of half time, then the ball seemed to avoid him for the remainder. James Mulrooney had cameos. Adrian Hynes scored a cracking goal, made some superb catches, scored two fine points in a short space of time. Yet, despite losing the ground battle, Clareen made several fine catches, many of which led to good scores.

In fairness, they ran out of numbers too, for they started without regular defenders Christopher Connors, Brian Mulrooney and Kevin Murray, though Murray did come on as a first half sub and did alot of hurling. Kevin Dunne went from midfield to corner-forward to being taken off and I can only assume he was carrying an injury. And an uncharacteristic Eóin Coughlan error gave Tullaroan the boost of a 42nd minute goal when the Clareen men were hurling their best.

Something didn’t quite add up about Tullaroan. For all their surplus of possession, a series of poor deliveries into the last line of attack saw them give the ball back to Clareen again. And if a stranger came in from outside, they wouldn’t have picked Tommy Walsh as a leading member of hurling’s greatest team, where Seán Coughlan and Emmet Scully were on top.

[kingscounty]

I would echo what you say about Coughlan at full back, one thing you might clarify POTH Tommy Walsh named at full back and Tommy Walsh named at full forward with the village/ mountgale written in brackets, do Tullaroan draw players from other clubs or what’s the story do you know.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Two chaps with the same name. (I think they are cousins.) To distinguish them, they use the townlands where they hail from. Carrickshock did the same when they had two Richie Powers.

I would echo what you say about Coughlan at full back, one thing you might clarify POTH Tommy Walsh named at full back and Tommy Walsh named at full forward with the village/ mountgale written in brackets, do Tullaroan draw players from other clubs or what’s the story do you know.

[kingscounty]

Two chaps with the same name. (I think they are cousins.) To distinguish them, they use the townlands where they hail from. Carrickshock did the same when they had two Richie Powers.

I would echo what you say about Coughlan at full back, one thing you might clarify POTH Tommy Walsh named at full back and Tommy Walsh named at full forward with the village/ mountgale written in brackets, do Tullaroan draw players from other clubs or what’s the story do you know.

Sound