Croke and Hogan Cup semi-finals took place on Saturday. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Masita Croke Cup Semi-Finals
Thurles CBS 0-21 Coláiste Bhaile Chláir 0-17
Presentation College Athenry 4-13 St Kieran's College 2-11
The 2025 Masita Croke Cup final will be the first decider not to feature St. Kieran’s College since 2013, after Presentation College, Athenry knocked the famous Kilkenny school out of the race for All-Ireland honours this afternoon at Bansha in Tipperary.
Presentation College will meet Thurles CBS on St. Patrick’s Day in Croke Park, following the Harty Cup champions’ 0-21 to 0-17 win over Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in Banagher.
A disappointing showing in the Connacht final suggested that Coláiste Bhaile Chláir were the outsiders of six going into the All-Ireland series, but the Claregalway side pulled off a memorable upset win over Kilkenny CBS at St. Rynagh’s GAA club in the quarter-final, and they were extremely competitive at the same venue this afternoon.
Gearóid King and Ben Morley hurled well at midfield for the Galway side, with King hitting two first half points. Eoin Collins also scored well from dead balls, but Thurles CBS had a more balanced attacking threat, and it was only their inaccuracy – they shot 13 first half wides – that meant they were on level terms at half-time, 0-9 apiece.
That failing was addressed after the break when Jack Hayes, Robbie Ryan, Cormac Fitzpatrick and Ryne Bargary all scored from play in the first ten minutes of the second half, with Hayes shooting narrowly over the crossbar when it looked like the first goal of the game was imminent.
A couple of frees from Collins briefly pulled the lead back to a single point, but Thurles CBS were much more efficient overall, and 0-7 from Fitzpatrick as well as three points each for Ryan and Hayes carried them over the line.
While there were no goals in Banagher, it was a very different story in Bansha, where it finished 4-13 to 2-11 in favour of Presentation College, who will hope to win their first ever Croke Cup at the fifth attempt later this month.
Ciarán Leen struck a couple of early points but a sublime Ed Lauhoff score from the right sideline levelled it up after an enjoyable opening ten minutes.
Presentation began to use their strength in the middle third and the power of Darragh Counihan and Galway senior panellist Seán Murphy down the spine of the defence to lead 0-9 to 0-6 going into first half stoppage time, and that lead was doubled when Ethan O’Brien had a shot for a point blocked, and the Turloughmore club man followed up to scoop up the rebound and fire a low shot to the corner of the St. Kieran’s net from 15 metres out.
That was still the margin 12 minutes into the second half when Counihan cleared a ball, Jason Rabbite drove at the St. Kieran’s defence and his ball across was met by Oscar Fitzpatrick, who looped a shot over the goalkeeper into the net.
Aaron Niland returned to the action and he set up a goal for Leen while Rabbite turned provider for Eoin Hannon to also raise a green flag for the Galway side, who always had a bit to spare.
Masita Hogan Cup Semi-Final
St Patrick's Maghera 2-10 Mercy Mounthawk 1-8
The Hogan Cup semi-final between five-time winners St. Patrick’s of Maghera and Mercy Mounthawk of Tralee that was postponed last week was played tonight in Abbotstown, and it was the Derry school who prevailed, with Dara O’Kane coming off the bench to kick a clinching goal in their 2-10 to 1-8 win.
Mounthawk midfielder Ben Murphy and Darach McGonigle of St. Pat’s scored the first half-goals while Paddy Lane kicked all three points for the Corn Uí Mhuirí champions in the opening half, after which they trailed by a single point, 1-4 to 1-3.
The sides were all square at 1-5 apiece five minutes into the second half, but St. Pat’s tightened their grip on things from here, locking down the highly-rated Mounthawk attack and scoring four points in a row through Finbhar McShane, Cormac Óg McCloskey, Darragh O’Neill and Gabhan McIvor.
Mounthawk regathered their strength and hit two points to half the gap with two minutes to play, but a counter-attack led to O’Kane scoring the goal that secured their progression through to a final clash with St. Colman’s of Claremorris in a fortnight.