AIB GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Final: Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 2-25 Ruairí Óg Cushendall (Antrim) 2-14

Na Piarsaigh became the first Limerick side to win the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling title, beating Ruairí Óg, Cushendall by 11 points thanks largely to a devastating first-half performance at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day.

Having lost two All-Ireland semi-finals in the last five years, Na Piarsaigh announced their arrival on the national stage with a performance of power and precision, delivering the Tommy Moore Cup to Shannonside for the first time in the 35-year history of the competition.

Na Piarsaigh were 13 points up after 26 minutes, 12 clear at the break and finished 11 ahead at the end of what was, in truth, a fairly one-sided game, with Ruairí Óg netting two second half goals to leave the scoreboard less lopsided, but without ever making a real game of it.

Na Piarsaigh had heroes all over the field, but it is attacker Adrian Breen, who wore No. 24 having been named in the side on Tuesday night, who was named man-of-the-match after hitting 1-4 from play on a day to remember for himself and the northside Limerick club.     

Adrian Breen’s inclusion ahead of Kevin Ryan had an immediate and telling impact. In the very first attack of the game, Na Piarsaigh breached the Antrim side’s rearguard, David Dempsey finding an opening on the edge of the ‘D’, but instead of striking for goal, he snapped a pass inside to Breen, who controlled the sliotar expertly and struck a low shot to the back of the net.

With just 35 seconds on the clock, it was a crushing early blow for Cushendall to absorb. To their credit, the men from the Glens hit back with two quick scores from Alec Delargy and Neil McManus, but there were clear and early signs that they were being struggling to cope with Na Piarsaigh’s superiority in the middle third.

Inter-county star Shane Dowling, a snarling presence in that middle third, struck three successive scores in a profitable three-minute spell to underscore the Limerick side’s dominance, while David Breen, who was utterly dominant in the air in the first half, flashed a shot just wide, which had it gone in, would surely have killed the game off.

Shane McNaughton did respond with a wonderful score from play, but Neil McManus missed two chances from placed balls for Ruairí Óg and those misses appeared to drain the life from the Ulster champions' challenge.

With David Breen and David Dempsey imperious in the air for Na Piarsaigh, Ruairí Óg tried to establish some sort of grip on the game, but they just couldn’t keep the tide from rushing in. In a further nine-minute spell, Na Piarsaigh hit a seam of form and mined six points without reply to go 1-10 to 0-3 ahead after 25 minutes. 

Then, from nothing, Na Piarsaigh struck a second goal. It was a sweeping score of real beauty which neatly captured the Limerick champions’ wonderful play in the glorious conditions. Goalkeeper Pádraic Kennedy  cleared to captain Cathal King, who bounded up the Hogan Stand side of the field with the ball and then released Kevin Downes with a sweetly-timed pass. Downes turned his man and applied the finish to leave his side 13 clear with half-time approaching.

Again, Ruairí Óg responded with three points in a row, but Na Piarsaigh finished the half with scores from Peter Casey and Downes to go in 2-12 to 0-6 ahead at the break.

They were 16 points clear when Ruairí Óg offered their huge support some hope with a goal in the 38th minute. Shane McNaughton dropped a free short and Neil McManus met the sliotar with an overhead strike on the edge of the square to raise a green flag.

McManus, who finished with 1-7, dropped over two more frees to cut the gap, but with midfielder Alan Dempsey showing superb accuracy, the Limerick side were able to keep their opponents at arm’s length throughout the second half.

In the end, Ruairí Óg snaffled a second goal in the 58th minute when McManus arrowed a free into the square and 37-year-old Karl McKeegan lashed the sliotar to the back of the net. However, it was Na Piarsaigh’s day, and they were full value for an 11-point win.

*** 

**Scorers for Ruairí Óg Cushendall: **Neil McManus 1-7 (0-7f), Shane McNaughton 0-4, Karl McKeegan 1-0, Alec Delargy 0-1, Conor Carson 0-1, Eoghan Campbell 0-1.  

Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: Adrian Breen 1-4, Shane Dowling 0-7 (0-4f), Kevin Downes 1-2, Alan Dempsey 0-4, Peter Casey 0-3, David Breen 0-2, Ronan Lynch 0-1 (0-1f), Will O’Donoghue 0-1, Pat Gleeson 0-1 (0-1 65).

RUAIRÍ ÓG CUSHENDALL: Eoin Gillan; Ryan McCambridge, Martin Burke, Arron Graffin; David Kearney, Eoghan Campbell, Seán Delargy; Shane McNaughton, Alec Delargy; Conor Carson, Neil McManus, Seán McAfee; Paddy McGill, Donal McNaughton, Christy McNaughton. Subs: Eoin Laverty for Neil McManus (21-23, Temp), Ryan Delargy for Sean Delargy (33), Karl McKeegan for Donal McNaughton (38), Aidan McNaughton for Christy McNaughton (43),  Eunan McKillop for Arron Graffin (55), Eoin Laverty for Paddy McGill (58).  

NA PIARSAIGH: Pádraic Kennedy; Mike Casey, Kieran Breen, Kieran Kennedy; Mike Foley, Ronan Lynch, Cathal King; Alan Dempsey, Will O’Donoghue; Shane Dowling, David Breen, Adrian Breen; Kevin Downes, David Dempsey, Peter Casey. Subs: Kevin Ryan for David Breen (54), Pat Gleeson for Will O’Donoghue (57).  

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)