Kiladangan juniors aim to keep the good times going
Kiladangan go in search of the first part of a hurling and football double when they take on Moyle Rovers in the County Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship Final on Saturday.
GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship Final Preview
By Shane Brophy
KILADANGAN v MOYLE ROVERS
Pairc Shilean, Templemore
Saturday, 12th October
Throw-in @ 4.00pm
Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines)
The following weekend, the club will face Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams in the football equivalent as Kiladangan look to shake off the disappointment of losing their senior hurling crown last month.
The clubs second team have certainly boosted morale with their run to the final as they chase a third title in the grade after previous successes in 1971 and 2016. The first was with the clubs first team which has shown the growth of Kiladangan in recent years to where they won two senior titles in four years, 2020 and 2023.
The 2016 success, with their second team, highlighted the strength of the club as a whole from where they subsequently were promoted from intermediate in 2018 and had two senior teams for four years, prior to the O Riain Cup being rebranded as premier intermediate in 2022.
In that year, however, Kiladangan were relegated from the second tier and suffered back-to-back relegations by dropping from intermediate to junior ‘A’ at the end of last season.
To their credit, they have rebounded well, winning both the North League & Championship this year, and are now one step away from a return to the intermediate grade at the first time of asking.
Kiladangan have suffered just one defeat in the championship to date in the round-robin phase of the North Championship to Ballinahinch but exacted revenge in the semi-final before going onto get the better of Toomevara in a thrilling final in Borrisoleigh. From there, they accounted for Thurles Sarsfields and St Patrick’s in the county knockout stages.
They are led well by captain Shane Seymour at full back while they have a lot of senior experience in the likes of goalkeeper Ciaran Kelly, centre back Martin Minehan, midfielder Johnny Horan, as well as Eoghan Sharkey and Dan O’Meara who played in last years senior final against Thurles Sarsfields.
They are sprinkled with youthful vigour as well in the likes of Gavin & Jack McGrath, while Eoin Meagher and Neil Cahalan are strong performers at this level for them.
They face their stiffest test to date in the county final in the form of South champions Moyle Rovers for whom this is their first team.
The Powerstown/Lisronagh club have fallen back from the high of being a very competitive intermediate team in the last decade to junior ‘A’ but appear to be on the way back.
Their morale won’t have been helped by the manner of their heavy defeat to Loughmore/Castleiney in the senior football semi-final last weekend as their quest for a county double came to an end.
It isn’t a team littered with players that would have been prominent for Tipperary hurling teams at various grades apart from former Tipperary minor and under 21 Stephen Quirke who has missed the last couple of weeks through injury and would be a huge addition if he could play some part in this game.
They have a rock-solid half-back line in Cathal McKeown, Luke Boland, and Ben Owens while Tipperary senior footballer Riain Quigley is strong at midfield while Luke Delahunty, Rory Collins, Killian Butler, and captain Dara Ryan are the most prominent in attack.
Moyle Rovers accounted for St Patrick’s by seven points in the South final so on the basis of this they would be entitled to be favourites considering Kiladangan were fortunate to get past the South side in the semi-final with the help of a last gasp Dan O’Meara goal. Added to that were Moyle Rovers impressive county knockout stage wins over Lattin Cullen and a strong Holycross/Ballycahill side.
However, Kiladangan are nothing if not competitive and over the years have shown the ability to confound the odds at this level and have the ability and quality to get their hands on the DP Walsh Cup once again on Saturday.