REWIND: Cashel King Cormacs' last Munster adventure inspiring current crop

By Seamus T. King

Only a week after winning their first county senior hurling championship Cashel headed for Ennis to play the Clare champions, Clarecastle, in the Munster club championship semifinal on November 17. The celebrations around their historic win were brought to a halt early in the week and a testing mid-week training session whipped the players into reasonable shape for this Cusack Park test. 

Conditions for the game were extremely poor with parts of the pitch waterlogged after heavy ovemight rain and matters worsened with a heavy downpour towards the end of the first half. Despite this the sides served up a very entertaining game. which was tight up to the three-quarter stage. and gave the large crowd plenty to cheer about. 

Clarecastle had high hopes of reaching the decider after handing out a crushing defeat to Limerick champions, Ballybrown, in a controversial first round game, but it was clear from the outset that they were unable to match the skills of the Tipperary champions.

Cashel built up a 1-7 to 0-3 interval lead, the goal a fortuitous one from Ailbe Bonnar ten minutes from half-time. Clarecastle reduced the lead to three points with an Anthony Daly goal from a penalty ten minutes after the resumption but this sparked off a Cashel resurgence, which resulted in two goals from Jamsie O'Donoghue and Tommy Grogan in a three minute period. In the end they were in front by 3-11 to 2-4. 

The victory came from a fine team effort but there were some outstanding performances. Pride of place must go to Colm Bonnar. who played a captain's part with an incredible workrate over the hour. Pat O'Donoghue gave an outstanding display at full-back and in the forwards, Tommy Grogan gave another performance of brilliant marksmanship. scoring a total of 1-9 in the course of the hour. 

Munster Final

There couldn't have been better opposition for the Munster final at Mitchelstown on December 8 than the Cork champions, Midleton.

The game attracted enormous attention and called to mind the ancient rivalry between Cork and Tipperary. The Midleton team was speckled with players who had brought honour to club and to county, household names like Denis Mulcahy, Pat Hartnett, John Fenton, Ger Fitzgerald and Kevin Hennessy. 

Like so many games of which much is expected the game fell far below expectations but the closeness of the scoring and the intensity of the exchanges kept the crowd of over 8,000 excited for the hour. It was a game that produced more wides than scores, with Cashel having fourteen to Midleton's eleven. 

Cashel held the upper hand from the start and with scores slow to come they gradually built up a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after twenty minutes. During this period Cashel's half-back line did some fine work, cutting off the supply of ball to the Cork forwards. Of the three Conal Bonnar was particularly impressive.

At the other end a titanic struggle for supremacy was taking place between T.J. Connolly and Pat Hartnett. Two points by Tommy Grogan and T.J. Connolly gave Cashel a 0-5 lead at the interval. 

The second half was a close struggle of great misses, the greatest without a doubt from Paudie O'Brien, who had an outstanding chance of a goal ten minutes from the end.

By the closing minutes Cashel were three points in front in a scoreline of 0-9 to 0-6. This final period was fought with great tension and there was always the possibility that Midleton might get the major and deprive Cashel of victory.

But they failed and a jubilant crowd of Cashel supporters and players celebrated one of the most memorable victories ever achieved by the club. The unbridled emotion was due not only to winning a first provincial club championship but to the fact that the victory was achieved over a Cork team. 

Again the victory was forged from the fighting qualities of all the players but the performance of Pa Fitzell, Colm Bonnar, Michael Perdue, T.J. Connolly, John Ryan and John Grogan deserve special mention. 

PICTURE CAPTION: The victorious Cashel King Cormac’s panel of 1991. Back row, left to right: Seanie O’Donoghue, James O’Donoghue (RIP), Ramie Ryan, John Ryan, Pat O’Donoghue, John Grogan, Seanie Morrissey, Seanie Barron, Don Higgins, Joe Minogue. Middle row, left to right: Pa Fitzell, Willie Fitzell, Sean Slattery, Tommy Grogan, Ailbe Bonnar, Colm Bonnar (capt.), Cormac Bonnar, Conal Bonnar, Timmy Moloney. Front row, left to right: Joe O’Leary, Ger Slattery, Michael Perdue, Declan McGrath, Liam Devitt, T.J. Connolly, Tony Slattery, Peter Fitzell.