Nenagh CBS aim to finally join Harty Cup winners Roll of Honour

GAA: TUS Munster Post Primary Schools Senior 'A' Hurling - Dr. Harty Cup Final Preview

St. Joseph’s CBS, Nenagh V Ardscoil Ris, Limerick

Cusack Park, Ennis

Saturday, 2nd February

Throw-in @ 1.00pm (E.T.)

Referee: Cathal McAllister (Cork)

By Shane Brophy

The Dr. Harty Cup was first played for in 1918 and St Joseph’s CBS Nenagh aim to get their hands on it for the first time when they take on recent aristocrats Ardscoil Ris in the 2024 final this Saturday.

Four times previously Nenagh have had their hopes of joining that elite roll of honour dashed with that bitter taste of disappointment in their mouths following final defeats. Great players such as former Waterford star Brian Flannery, and Tipperary All-Ireland winners Mark O’Leary and Jason Forde, have lined out for the North Tipperary school in finals, but haven’t been able to get over the line.

Three of losses in 1990, 1996 & 1997 were to previous powerhouses of the competition in St Flannan’s Ennis and St Colman’s Fermoy who were boarding schools at the time and could attract the best talent from right around the country. Nenagh’s most recent final loss came in 2012 to a combination two Dungarvan schools (Colaiste na nDeise) at a time when schools hurling in Waterford was very strong.

Now standing in Nenagh’s way for a first title is another Harty Cup powerhouse, though of a more recent vintage in Ardscoil Ris from Limerick who are competing in their seventh final, all of them since 2010, and have a superb record of five wins with their only loss coming in their most recent final of 2022 to another school named after St Joseph, from Tulla in Clare. Maybe an omen!

Seeing the likes of relatively small schools such as Tulla, Our Lady’s Templemore and last year, Cashel Community School, break their ducks in the competition should give Nenagh added belief that their time has come, but also a little envy that other schools have managed to get in ahead of them, which is always a powerful motivator if used in the right way.

As in their four previous finals, Nenagh CBS will go into this final as the underdog, but they won’t lack for belief as if this senior team were to win on Saturday, it would complete a unique double in winning the Dr Harty Cup (Under 19 ‘A’) and the Dean Ryan Cup (Under 17 ‘A’ Hurling) for the first time in their history in the same school year.

In that Dean Ryan final last November, Nenagh weren’t supposed to win that either, but they produced a performance of skill, grit, and determination to come from behind and beat a much favoured St Flannan’s, Ennis.

Players such as Conor Grace, Eoghan Doughan, and Austin Duff who started in that game are chasing an amazing double, and it can’t be underestimated how that success created an added belief among the seniors that if the juniors can break their duck, why can’t we!

Senior captain Darragh McCarthy, Cian Connolly and Zak Keller were mentors on that Dean Ryan team, and they would have looked on enviously at that success, adding fuel to the fire to go on achieve their own piece of history in the Harty Cup.

While Ardscoil Ris are a Limerick school, based in Caherdavin on the north side of the city, this years team has a strong Clare hue to it with ten of the starting line-up from the semi-final win over Thurles CBS coming from the Banner county and clubs such as Cratloe, Clonlara, Sixmilebridge and Smith O’Brien’s from Killaloe. Quite a number won All-Ireland minor medals with Clare last year, so Nenagh are fully aware of the challenge that awaits them.

However, the manner of Nenagh’s Dean Ryan Cup success and the late Harty Cup semi-final win over Charleville CBS shows what this school is all about. They have a star in Darragh McCarthy, but they aren’t a key-player-laden team. The work hard for one another and never know when they are beaten.

In Nenagh’s previous four final defeats, they got off to slow starts in all of them and ended up well-beaten. If they are still in contention in the second half next Saturday, they have the ability and mindset to make history.