Kilruane take aim at Ireland’s best

GAA: AIB Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final Preview

By Shane Brophy

Ballygunner v Kilruane MacDonaghs

Walsh Park, Waterford

Sunday, 6th November

Throw-in @ 1.30pm (E.T.)

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)

Kilruane MacDonaghs will have to quickly dust themselves down from the celebrations of their first county title in 37 years as they face up against Ballygunner in the Munster club quarter final on Sunday.

It’s as daunting a prospect a new county champion can get, and in the backyard of the defending Munster & All-Ireland Club champions.

However, it is one Kilruane will relish as they won’t be given much of a chance by anyone, but they are comfortable in the role of underdogs.

“It will be fantastic to go forward against a very formidable team,” said Kilruane manager Liam O’Kelly after the game.

“We will be putting our shoulder to the wheel for that,” added captain Jerome Cahill.

“We want to represent Tipperary well and do the county proud, and not let all our hard work come to nothing either.”

It will help that the last time Kilruane were county champions in 1985, they went onto claim Munster and All-Ireland glory. That tradition will stand to them, particularly as in that 85 campaign they beat a star-studded Blackrock team from Cork in a Munster semi-final that went to a replay, a game they weren’t supposed to win.

All the pressure will be on Ballygunner on Sunday as, with no disrespect to their challengers in Waterford, they were expected to retain their county title which they did comfortably in beating Mount Sion in the final on September 11th last.

While some will point to the fact that Ballygunner will be seven weeks without a competitive game going into Sunday’s Munster quarter final, they were in the same boat last year when they went to Ennis in the first round and easily beat Ballyea.

That lack of match-sharpness is something that might aid Kilruane, but Ballygunner will be fresh, plus there is a feeling that they were just doing enough to retain their Waterford title, with their focus on being primed to defend their provincial and All-Ireland titles in November.

They are a team dripping to talent, right from goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe, through Barry Coughlan, the O’Mahony brothers Philip and Padraic, Peter Hogan, and Waterford star Dessie Hutchinson. Add in Patrick Fitzgerald who wasn’t eligible to play adult grade last year, they are arguably stronger in this campaign.

It’s a big ask for Kilruane but one they’ll take into with gusto. They have nothing to lose and in these softer conditions, their direct approach will be something Ballygunner won’t be used to all that much with most Waterford sides playing a possession game. They only have to look back at how Loughmore/Castleiney made things incredibly difficult for Ballygunner last year but didn’t have the slice of good fortune with them to get over the line.

It would be the shock of shocks if Kilruane were to win, but belief is coursing through them at the moment so you cannot write them off.

Verdict: Ballygunner