Tipperary's poor record in club hurling championship is unlikely to improve anytime soon

The All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship has produced some exceptional winners over the years. You think immediately of Ballyhale Shamrocks with their eight titles; Covid probably deprived them of a ninth in 2021 and a late, late Harry Ruddle stunner earlier this year swiped another. No other club, in hurling or football history, can match their record.

Then you think of the great Birr team of the nineties and early noughties with the four titles they brought home to Offaly. Portumna can match that number from the 2006 to 2014 era. Thereafter you have three clubs on a hat-trick of titles: Athenry, Blackrock and James Stephens. That’s followed by a cluster of five clubs on two titles, including Cuala from Dublin.

Thereafter you have the list of one-hit wonders including Roscrea, Kilruane MacDonaghs and Borris-Ileigh. This is one roll of honour where Tipperary’s record is risible, considering the county’s tradition in the game. And it’s a record that’s unlikely to improve anytime soon.

On Sunday last Kilruane MacDonaghs became the latest to feel the force of a powerful club side - Ballygunner. The end margin was 17 points, just one point better than Clonoulty’s 18 margin against Na Piarsaigh back in 2018. Those two go head-to-head now in a provincial semi-final on Sunday week and what a game that promises to be.

People will understandably point to extenuating circumstances in Sunday’s heavy defeat. It was the club’s third game in fifteen days. Others, however, will point out that Loughmore’s schedule was even more strenuous last year and yet they pushed the Waterford champs all the way, despite some very dubious refereeing that went against them.

You couldn’t fault Kilruane’s eagerness to take on the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions. A few early Cian Darcy points looked promising and there was a sniff of a goal chance when Willie Cleary cut through but he didn’t have the subtlety to finish; the effort was easily smothered.

At the other end Dessie Hutchinson was raiding with menace, a real go-to option for crossfield deliveries. Kilruane had the wind but it was Ballygunner who were already looking the likelier outfit; gradually they inched ahead. Paidi Williams pulled off an athletic save from Kevin Mahony to keep the margin in check and the lead was very manageable approaching half-time.

However, goals either side of the break effectively decided this contest. The game was in injury time when 18-year-old Patrick Fitzgerald was set up for the first major. That put Ballygunner seven-up at the interval and immediately on the restart Kevin Mahony had a second to stretch the margin out to double digits.

Kian O’Kelly brought Stephen O’Keeffe into action at the other end but the shot had neither pace nor positioning to bother the goalie. Then Niall O’Meara limped off and with Aaron Morgan already replaced, it was looking really bleak for the Tipp champions.

There was no easing up from Ballygunner. Dessie Hutchinson set up Harry Ruddle for their third goal and Kevin Mahony had the fourth. Paidi Williams might have done better on some of those goals. By now it was simply a matter of where the end margin would settle. Seamus Hennessy had a late free saved and in truth it was a real thumping for Kilruane by the end.

You couldn’t fault Kilruane for honest effort. They gave it everything and resisted for as long as possible but ultimately the sheer weight of pressure took its toll. I wouldn’t overindulge in excuse-making. Ballygunner waited eight weeks for this game so a rusty performance on their part would have been understandable – except that it didn’t happen.

People at times take the lazy explanation when the truth is often more uncomfortable. The harsh reality here is that our domestic championship was very competitive - but at a modest standard. At their very best Kilruane wouldn’t have coped with Ballygunner on Sunday and that’s being blunt.

Before leaving the game may I, once more, highlight the problem of not applying the cynical foul rule to club hurling. Late in the match Kian O’Kelly, to his credit, took on the Ballygunner defence and when their line was threatened Barry Coughlan simply grappled him to the ground. The full back took the mandatory yellow card, the free was saved and no harm was done. Except to the image of the game.

Donal O’Grady in his commentary suggested that the Ballygunner manager would be very happy with his full back for that foul. I’m sure he was, but isn’t it a pity that O’Grady doesn’t use his position to condemn such cynical play and call for the obvious change that’s needed to bring club and county into line. The cynical foul is as much a blight on club hurling as is the ever-present thrown ball.

Meanwhile, back on the home front, Clonoulty was a heavily populated venue on Sunday last for a clash of extremes – Solohead versus Sarsfields – in the county junior B decider. The venue was heaving, mostly with Solohead folk, and they witnessed an entertaining contest where Sarsfields looked that bit snazzier and got the vital breaks to pull off the win.

I felt sorry for Solohead at half-time because they didn’t deserve to be two points down on the run of first half play. They attacked the game very smartly in that first half, looking sharp and resourceful. With midfield brothers, James and Stephen Dee, leading the way they had some initial wides but then found the range - and the lead.

Even when Redser got inside the defence to strike a Sarsfields’ goal it didn’t unduly ruffle the west side. However, the goal on the stroke of half-time was the real match killer. A long ball from Paul Maher into the goal area was brought down but not dealt with and Cathal McElgunn reacted fastest to poke it home for the Thurles lads.

When you couple that with an earlier instance when Stephen Dee had a great goal chance turned away for a 65, it underlined just how luckless Solohead were. After playing with the wind, they deserved to be four or five points up at half-time, but instead retired two down.

As the second half wore on Sarsfields looked the more capable side. They were crisper and tastier in touch and movement and Solohead were hanging on rather than making inroads. James Dee’s excellent free-taking kept the west champions within touching distance but Sarsfields’ third goal really killed off the contest. And once again it was preventable, with goalie and defence seemingly getting signals crossed as a 65 from Cian Treacy went all the way.

To their credit, Solohead kept Sarsfields honest and played out the game to the end. Eoin Riordan had a shot well saved by Sarsfields’ goalie Myles Fitzgerald, and when they finally got a major it was too late to affect the outcome. James Dee goaled from a 20 metre free late in the hour after a similar effort from Philip Doherty earlier on was saved.

Sarsfields, with that mix of experienced and younger players, were the craftier side and deserved their win. Redser hit 1-3 from play but might easily have been sanctioned for an incident near the sideline in the second half, which went unpunished. A similar item in the Kilkenny county final some weeks back earned a red card.

Cian Treacy hit 1-7 (0-4 from frees and a 65) and Jamie Stapleton landed three points from open play. They certainly had a bit more in the scoring department than Solohead, who depended heavily on the Dee brothers: James with 1-10 (0-2 from play) and Stephen on 0-4 from open play.

It’s very difficult for a club like Solohead to compete with a team that contains former senior medallists.

For me it’s one of the limitations of this grade, which was originally intended to help clubs like Solohead but instead has become a type of final fling for some former seniors. That’s no fault of Sarsfields – or of Clonoulty last year – but it is a reality. In fairness this was Sarsfields’ fourth team, which highlights an incredible depth of resources.

Elsewhere, Holycross further endorsed their growing potential by adding the Under 19 county title to the Under 17 version already in the bag. It’s an impressive double and bodes well for the future.

A sizeable section of the team shared in both wins, so the club’s challenge now will be to nurture and develop this emerging talent. Not an easy challenge, though one you’d rather have than be without.