Sun Aug 18 - Senior Hurling Final: Galway v Fr. Tom Burke's

Fr. Tom Burke’s 2-18 Galway 0-21

Fr. Tom’s left it late to capture the senior hurling trophy, and that after seeing 3 star players return to Ireland before the final.  Galway looked to be very much the side in control of affairs for most of the game, and while not scoring at will, were able to maintain more or less a 4 point advantage until late in the game.  John Moylan was on form for the westerners, and while taking the frees was also responsible for some great scores, and with Lorcan McLaughlin playing well at center forward Galway seemed destined to take the cup.  Tom’s stuck with it, however, and introduced Cormac Joyce-Power in the second half and the Limerick man set up what was the winning goal for Ali Dooey and Tom’s late in the game. 

Tom's Captain, John Buckley, accepts the Eddie Flaherty Cup

from Nora Flaherty.

It was an evenly contested opening 30 minutes with Galway holding a slight advantage on the scoreboard at the break.  There was little given and each side worked hard for their scores.  Galway had John Moylan on the frees and the Beagh man was on the mark.  Galway were sharp in the back line, Tom Davey was doing a diligent job at corner back and made some good clearances.  Ronan Burke and Lorcan McLaughlin were also on the mark for Galway who looked very much in control.

Tom’s got some fine scores from Aaron Moore and John Buckely early on, but were guilty of misfiring with some good chances missed.  Ali Dooey hit some frees over late in the second half as Tom’s capitalized on some indiscipline in the Galway defence.  At the break it was a 0-8 to 0-6 in favour of Galway.

Galway continued to hold the edge in the second half.  Ronan Burke at wing back was under everything and McLaughlin at center forward tallied a couple of beautiful points.  The lead opened to five as Corcoran Bergin, Moylan and Andrew Casey each found the mark.  Tom’s worked themselves back into it with Dooey proving to be the main outlet for the long ball into the forwards, and Cormac Joyce-Power who played on the edge of the square a target man, though the Galway defence largely had him bottled up.  Dooey pointed 3 and Matt Kenny, who made run from wing back one, to pull Tom’s within 2.

Fr. Tom's waiting to receive their 2019 winners medals.

Entering the final quarter it was Galway who started to pull away again as the game ebbed and flowed.  McLaughlin pointed off a Darragh Lawler sideline and Moylan hit 3 frees to a single score form Darragh McGrath the lone Tom’s score.  Tom’s got the break they needed when Peter Boylan who had entered as a sub got on to a loose ball and his shot took a deflection and wrong footed Galway keeper John Coleman. Galway, however, continued to chip away with the points.  Moyland answered with a fantastic effort over from distance, and Danny Burke another to put Galway four to the good once more.  But that was not all she wrote.

As Tom’s persisted with their attacking plan, Dooey pointed to put a goal in it with 4 minutes left to play.  Joyce-Power put one over from a tough angle on the wing, and another Dooey point had Tom’s just the one behind.  The goal came after Joyce-Power trekked out to the corner to pick up a ball played low in that direction and played a perfect pass to Dooey who got ahead of his man and was running through on goal.  The Dunloy man fetched perfectly and blasted home to send Tom’s supporters, who had watched their team play from behind most of the game, into raptures with time almost up.  Joyce-Power added a point and now it had to be a goal for Galway.  Tom’s packed the defence and did everything they could to prevent a Galway goal that would have tied the game.  Tom’s held on to win their first senior hurling championship since winning two years ago in a best of seven series against Galway.

Galway:  John Coleman, Mark Bermingham, Tom Davey, Corcoran Bergin, Brian Kennedy, Ronan Burke, Danny Burke, Darragh Lawler, Andrew Casey, Lorcan McLaughlin, Niall Walsh, John Moylan, Adam Kenny.

Tom’s:  Kevin Flynn, Ian O’Shea, Damien O’Loughlin, Matt Kenny, Eamon Egan, Brian Flynn, Aaron Moore, Rory Purcell, John Buckley, Darragh McGrath, Sean Downey, Vincent Doyle, Ali Dooey.

By Rory O'Donnell