North Final is a sell-out
By Shane Brophy
Covid restrictions mean just 200 people will be able to attend Sunday’s North Tipperary Senior Hurling Final between Kiladangan and Kilruane MacDonaghs in MacDonagh Park, Nenagh (6.15pm).
Each club were given one hundred tickets each which were all gone as of Monday night, far short of the demand there would be between two neighbouring clubs, as well as the wider hurling follower base in North Tipperary.
The match, however, will be live streamed for free, on the North Tipperary GAA Facebook page, sponsored by Andy’s Gastropub in Nenagh.
This will be the third time in the past five North finals that Kiladangan and Kilruane MacDonaghs have squared off, with Kiladangan winning the 2016 final in Cloughjordan, which marked the centenary of the 1916 Rising, while in 2018, Kilruane ended a 28-year wait for their latest divisional crown with a comfortable final win in Nenagh. This one will ultimately decide who is the best of this mini era between the great rivals.
Kiladangan will go into the game as favourites, but they were the same in 2018 when Kilruane’s greater hunger and desire won the day and the MacDonaghs will have to show that again and more if they are to win this time round.
In that was a speed-date like North Championship which will be wrapped up in a nineteen day spell, the teams with the strongest panels were always going to cope best, of which Kiladangan are one of them.
Having to go without three key players against Toomevara because of Covid issues, and still recording a sixteen point win goes to show the strength they have, able to call on players playing at senior ‘B’ level and still not missing a beat.
With Declan McGrath expected back from suspension, it is likely to be the same Kiladangan team that played in last years county final and they showed in the final quarter against Nenagh Eire Og last Sunday that they still have the hunger for the fight.
However, their overall performance was patchy and they will hope to get back near the one they produced against Toomevara which was full of movement and creativity.
Prior to the campaign, Kilruane were one of the sides seen as vulnerable to an upset by an O Riain level team but three games on they are still standing and this run of games is exactly what the team needed.
They are gelling well, based on a strong half back line of Kieran Cahill, Craig Morgan and Niall O’Meara. The return from abroad of Sean MacAdams has provided a spark in the middle third, while in the forwards, the relocation of Willie Cleary and Seamus Hennessy to the forwards has worked well so far in terms of their ball-winning ability.
One area Kilruane have to address ahead of the final, and indeed long term, is their free-taking with Paidi Williams, Cian Darcy, Willie Cleary and Kian O’Kelly all being tried to varying degrees of success.
While the Frank McGrath Cup is a reward in itself, the winner will also secure at least a second chance in the knockout stage of the county championship through a preliminary quarter final if their group stage doesn’t go well and considering Kilruane are in a group with Nenagh, Borris-Ileigh and Roscrea, there are no guarantees when it comes to that.
Verdict: Kiladangan