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Limerick club hurling in a very healthy state |
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Written by Mal Keaveney
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 |
WITH Limerick at a near all-time low on the county senior hurling front, Blackrock has given the county a much-needed boost with qualification for an historic St Valentine’s Weekend All-Ireland Junior Final appearance against Naomh Colum Cille (Tyrone) at Croke Park.
In front of their loyal and enthusiastic supporters, the Rockies – who draw their players from the small community of Ardpatrick and Kilfinane in the south of County Limeick– displayed admirable battling qualities to topple fancied Black & Whites of Skeoughvosteen in Kilkenny, 1-18 to 1-11, at Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary.
Blackrock turned over three points in arrears, but quickly gained parity inside minutes of the second half, only to then concede a relatively easy goal.
The under-pressure Limerick and Munster champions, however, went on a scoring spree in the closing quarter, hitting a superb 1-8 to a mere two points from their opponents.
Although seven points divided the sides at close of play, the real difference, Aidan Murphy’s tonic of a goal, arrived just minutes shy of the final whistle.
“I honestly don’t remember a whole pile about it,” he admitted afterwards.
“I just sensed a chance and went for it. There was a distressed look next on the faces of the Black & White lads, and I knew we had it in the bag then.”
Murphy made a handsome contribution of 1-5 in a man of the match display for Blackrock.
Within minutes of Sunday’s win, the on-line facebook page of Blackrock GAA Club was inundated with messages of congratulations from near and far, with contributor Anthony Palmer justifiably describing the team as “legends.”
On the club hurling championship front, it’s been a massively successful championship season. Adare came up just a fraction short to eventual winners Newtownshandrum (Cork) in the Munster Senior Championship, while South Liberties stunned Douglas of Cork in the Intermediate Decider and Blackrock secured their provincial crown with a pulsating victory over Fermoy, Cork.
Liberties relinquished their championship interest to Kilkenny’s St Lachtain’s (Freshford) after a determined performance the other weekend.
In football, Mountcollins also contested the Munster Junior Final against Castlegregory of Kerry.
And youthful St Mary’s/Sean Finns, of Rathkeale, pipped Templederry Kenyons (Tipperary), 0-13 to 0-12, in an exciting Munster Junior B Hurling Final at Raheenagh (Killeedy GAA) at the weekend.
Saturday week’s tea-time (6pm) outing at ‘headquarters’ will represent a second All-Ireland Final outing for Blackrock, a team credited with landing Limerick – at a time when club champions represented their county – its first All-Ireland way back in 1898.
Interestingly, all those years ago, it was also in Tipperary Town that Blackrock (of Kilfinane) finished their fairytale season with a 3-4 to 2-4 victory over Tullaroan of Kilkenny.
Dinny Grimes captained that mighty Blackrock Team of over a century ago, and his latest successor is Brendan Hennessy, whose team enter the 2010 final as clear favourites. Blackrock’s management consists of Justin O’Donnell, Con Danaher, Pat Heffernan, Ger O’Brien, Jimmy Quilty and Liam Hayes (coach, Dromina).
Any prospect of a first All-Ireland Senior title for Limerick since 1973 appears light years away, especially in the wake of an embarrassing four-point challenge defeat by Justin McCarthy’s new look outfit to lowly Carlow on Saturday.
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