'Phenomenal' - The veterans still central to Cork and Limerick club hurling success
IN OCTOBER 2007, the minor classes of Sarsfields and Midleton crossed paths on county hurling final day.
Sarsfields enjoyed a ten-point success on that youthful stage, and when the current flagship senior crews of the two clubs met yesterday, the outcome was the same, the winning margin seven in this instance.
Across both teams were three playing links, the emerging talents back then, the experienced pillars now.
Conor O’Sullivan, Craig Leahy, and Daniel Kearney stepped straight from 2007 minor glory to become 2008 senior champions.
That breakthrough came after a 51-year wait for Sarsfields in Cork, what the trio have since achieved is a stunning testament to their prowess and endurance.
In their first senior club campaign they secured championship medals, yesterday in their 18th season playing at the senior tier, they landed their sixth county senior medal in a year when all reach the age of 36.
It was the 10th final that Sarsfields have contested in that time frame, O’Sullivan and Kearney starting every decider in that run of remarkable consistency.
Kearney’s twin brother William is part of the current extended panel, another connection that stretches back to the 2008 win that kick-started this spell.
“It’s incredible,” reflected Sarsfields manager Johnny Crowley afterwards.
“I think they’ve had ten county final appearances which is phenomenal. But look to be fair to them, they’re the lads who lead the whole show, in terms of we do recoveries and we do gym sessions and they’re always the first three there.
“They’re so professional and they have to be, because when they’re that professional, they give themselves the opportunity to go longer.
“I’m delighted for Conor, the captain; I’m delighted for Danny, to give the performance he gave and I’m delighted for Craig as well.
“Craig works so hard, his gymming is just incredible and his effort, outside of what we do and what we schedule, he’s off the Richter Scale.
“I’m delighted for all of them, but I am particularly happy for the three lads, obviously.”
Up the road at the Gaelic Grounds, those in the winners’ enclosure could relate to the importance of long-serving campaigners.
It took longer to produce the result but there was a familiarity to the eventual identity of this year’s Limerick champions. Na Piarsaigh hauled themselves back from the brink with Conor Boylan smashing home a late goal in normal time, outscoring Doon 0-8 to 0-1 in extra-time underlined their class and perseverance.
Crunch the numbers and Na Piarsaigh’s modern dominance in Limerick is stunning. It took until 2011 for them to make their senior breakthrough, since then they have accumulated nine titles over the course of 15 campaigns. They have contested another three finals as well in that time frame, emphasising their position as a serial contender.
“I played a long time and the club had a lonely furrow for a while and were not doing well,” outlined Na Piarsaigh boss and former player Shane O’Neill afterwards, when speaking to StreamSport.
“But since 2011 (and) our first county final ’09, since then we’ve just been immense as a club and the senior team have been superb.
“It’s a day to be treasured. You can see that with the lads because they’ve so many (medals), but then they fought right to the end, got the goal at the end to allow us to continue to be here on county final day into extra-time.”
The contribution of certain players stands out. Kevin Downes started in attack yesterday and Cathal King came off the bench. In 2009 both played when Na Piarsaigh appeared in their first Limerick senior decider. Adare walloped them that day by 17 points, Downes provided his side’s entire tally on the scoreboard of 0-3.
When Na Piarsaigh landed silverware two years later, King was a defensive anchor, while the attacking trio of Downes, Shane Dowling and Adrian Breen struck a combined 2-13. Yesterday Dowling was in goal, a positional reinvention after injury struggles, while Downes popped over seven points from frees and Breen hit 1-2.
From that first 2011 triumph, both King and Breen have featured in each of Na Piarsaigh’s nine title wins. Injury problems with his knee cost Dowling a couple of final appearances, before he impressively rebounded to start in goal when they won the 2023 final. Downes missed the 2020 decider through injury but otherwise has been a constant fixture.
Mike Casey, William O’Donoghue and Daithi Dempsey emerged in the Na Piarsaigh winning class of 2013, and have become powerhouses in their team.
In a further demonstration of Na Piarsaigh’s longevity, 10 of the 17 players that saw gametime in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day 2016 when they secured All-Ireland honours, also appeared on county final day yesterday to guide their club home.
For both Sarsfields and Na Piarsaigh, landing these championships will be cherished, but by midweek the Seán Óg Murphy and John Daly Cups will be put to one side, as upcoming assignments are considered.
First up for Na Piarsaigh is a quarter-final on 2 November at home to their familiar opponents Ballygunner. Na Piarsaigh claimed four Munster titles between 2011 and 2017, but Ballygunner have since taken charge to land four between 2018 and 2023.
Ballygunner’s consistency is striking in reaching the last seven Munster finals and they have won the last three meetings between the clubs since 2018.
Whoever progresses on this occasion will meet in the semi-final, a Sarsfields team that are the reigning Munster title holders and featured in the All-Ireland final last January.
It’s a power-packed half of the Munster club draw, Clare’s Éire Óg Ennis facing the Tipperary kingpins in the other semi-final, and the veterans in both the Sarsfields and Na Piarsaigh camps will be keen to push on.
Their hurling ambitions show no sign of being diluted.
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