Kiladangan claim North title after late, late goal seals victory over Toomevara

Hibernian Inn North Senior Hurling Championship Final

Kiladangan 1-22

Toomevara 1-19

By James Hayden

A late Kiladangan surge ensured they saw off a stiff Toomevara challenge to claim their ninth-ever North Tipperary SHC crown following a pulsating decider in Nenagh on Sunday last.

Going into this much-anticipated clash the reigning county champions were hoping to atone for successive losses in the North showpiece in 2022 and 2023 while Toomevara were seeking to lift the Frank McGrath Cup for the first time since 2011.

Those halcyon days of the nineties and noughties are for many a happy memory of fantastic times for the famed ‘Greyhounds’ and following a lean enough decade or so Toome’ this year found themselves back in a battle for the much-coveted Frank McGrath cup.

Last year’s impressive performances under the tutelage of manager Ken Dunne have laid the foundations for this year’s crop of players to mount a challenge for the North SHC title. A two-point victory over Nenagh Éire Óg in the semi-final was made all the sweeter considering the ‘Blues’ were gunning for their third title in a row, a feat that had already been achieved by Toomevara on several occasions down through the years.

Standing in Toomevara’s way though was a Kiladangan side peppered with both youth and experience and who were amazingly appearing in their sixth final in a row. With no final in 2020 due to Covid Kiladangan effectively secured back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2021 with victories over Borris-Ileigh and Kilruane MacDonaghs respectively but for the past two seasons, they have been denied by a resurgent Nenagh Eire Og side.

Following an impressive North campaign which saw them account for Borris-Ileigh in the quarter-final and Templederry in the semi-final the reigning county champions were without doubt out to atone for the past two years' disappointments and bring back the Frank McGrath cup to the village of Puckane for the first time since 2021.

Kiladangan were beset with injury worries going into the game with Seán Hayes out with an ankle injury picked up in the semi-final win over Templederry while captain, Alan Flynn and full-back, James Quigley carried slight knocks into the game. Toomevara on the other hand had a full complement to choose from and with the aid of a noticeable breeze they took the game to Kiladangan from the very get-go.

Two early unanswered points from the stick of their talisman, Darragh McCarthy set the tone early on with the first half effectively a place ball shoot-out between McCarthy and Kiladangan’s scorer-in-chief, Billy Seymour.

A seventh-minute Conor Byrne point brought Kiladangan to within one after a sweet interchange play from Tadhg Gallagher and Bryan McLoughney set Byrne up for a beautifully flighted point. Two minutes later John O’Meara’s charges were level thanks to a well-struck Billy Seymour free before Seymour fired over a cracking 12th minute effort to edge Kiladangan in front for the first time, 0-4 to 0-3.

The county champions were now settling into their groove and a low goalbound shot from the stick of the inrushing Paul Flynn brought the very best out of Rory Brislane in the Toome goal. Brislane dived low to his right to parry the sliotar out for 65’ which Billy Seymour duly converted.

Seymour was again on hand on the quarter-hour mark to flight over a long-range free to fire the ’Dangan into a 0-6 to 0-3 advantage but Toome’ whittled down that advantage to just a solitary point by the 21st minute with successive Darragh McCarthy frees following another improvised if not impressive piece of goalkeeping from Rory Brislane.

The nip and tuck nature of the opening half continued with Toomevara back on terms by the 25th minute thanks to a neat Jack Delaney effort before a late point in time added on from the stick of midfielder, Tadhg Gallagher ensured Kiladangan took a slender 0-9 to 0-8 lead to the dressing room.

Toomevara hit the ground running from the re-start with a surging drive at goal from Conor O’Farrell setting up Kevin McCarthy for a levelling point. Billy Seymour responded with a sublime point from play before Seamus O’Farrell pulled off an excellent block to deny Kiladangan's Andy Loughnane in front of goal.

The scores were coming a little bit quicker now and points from Kiladangan’s Paul Flynn and Toome’s Robbie Quirke served to ratchet the tempo up a few notches. Conor Byrne popped up for an excellent point on 36 minutes before Mark McCarthy levelled proceedings once more with an impressive angled effort from close to the bank sideline.

Toomevara were starting to really grow into the game at this stage and a fantastic catch from Darragh McCarthy yielded a 40th minute close-range free for the ‘Greyhounds. Toome’ raided again two minutes later with Robbie Quirke finding Darragh McCarthy in front of goal. McCarthy was clearly fouled but while Gerry Treacy played advantage the Kiladangan rearguard momentarily paused expecting a free.

McCarthy continued though and found Jack Delaney in space in front of goals and he duly dispatched the sliotar past the advancing Barry Hogan in the Kiladangan goal, 1-14 to 0-13.

Kiladangan responded well though and clawed their way back to within a point by the 55th minute thanks to two Billy Seymour frees and a fine Paul Flynn effort. Conor Byrne popped up again in the 55th minute for his third point of the game, a point that served to level proceedings once more as the game entered its final stages.

Toomevara restored their lead with a Kevin McCarthy point and with the game now well and truly in the melting pot Bryan McLoughney popped up with his first point of the game on 56 minutes following a searching ball out of defence from the impressive Fergal Hayes. Kiladangan kept pressing and a 58th minute point from Tadhg Gallagher following a great ball from the outstanding Willie Connors fired the ‘Dangan back in front with just two minutes of normal time remaining.

Billy Seymour doubled Kiladangan’s advantage with yet another well-struck free before Toome’, who by now had rung the changes with four substitutes introduced, drew level once more with efforts from Adam Hall and Darragh McCarthy.

Andy Loughnane and Jack Delaney quickly traded points for their respective sides in the 61st minute. At this juncture, the game bore all the hallmarks of heading for extra-time but with three more minutes of time added on remaining anything could happen.

And happen it did with Decky McGrath popping up to edge the ’Dangan back in front before an accurate Willie Connors delivery into Billy Seymour was flicked deliciously into the path of the inrushing Bryan McLoughney.

McLoughney is no stranger to netting game-clinching goal in injury time and once more he came up trumps with a low 63rd-minute finish past the advancing Rory Brislane to effectively ensure the Frank McGrath Cup was on its way back to the parish of Kiladangan.

Both sides played their part in what was a thrilling North final with David Sweeny, Alan Flynn, Willie Connors, Tadhg Gallagher, Paul Flynn, Fergal Hayes, Conor Byrne and Billy Seymour to the fore for Kiladangan while Seamus O’Farrell, Rory Brislane, Andrew Ryan, Robbie Quirke, Josh McCarthy, Liam Ryan, Jack Delaney and Darragh McCarthy caught the eye for Toomevara.

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan; Fergal Hayes, James Quigley, David Sweeney; Willie Connors, Alan Flynn, Joe Gallagher; Declan McGrath (0-1), Tadhg Gallagher (0-3); Shane Gleeson, Billy Seymour (0-10, 0-1 65, 0-7f), Paul Flynn (0-3); Bryan McLoughney (1-1), Andy Loughnane (0-1), Conor Byrne (0-3).

Subs used: Darren Moran for Gleeson (50); John O’Meara for Hayes (56).

Toomevara: Rory Brislane; Jake Ryan, Andrew Ryan, Seamus O’Farrell; Josh McCarthy, Liam Ryan, Barry O’Connell; Robbie Quirke (0-2), Conor O’Farrell; Jack Delaney (1-2), Kevin McCarthy (0-2), Darragh McCarthy (0-11, 0-8f); Mark McCarthy (0-1), Colm Canning, Shane Nolan.

Subs used: Jake Hackett for S Nolan (46); David Nolan for M McCarthy (52); Jack Ryan for O’Connell (54); Adam Hall (0-1) for Canning (59); Darren Delaney for J McCarthy (62).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh)