Harty Cup Final

Our Lady’s Secondary School, Templemore (Tipperary) 2-22 St Colman’s College (Cork) 1-6

By Jackie Cahill at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

For the first time in 39 years, Our Lady’s Secondary School, Templemore, are Dr. Harty Cup champions.

Our Lady’s were known simply as Templemore CBS back in 1978 when Martin Bourke captained the team to glory, but the long wait finally ended in front of 4,924 spectators at Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds this afternoon.

To make it even better, Our Lady’s delivered a big performance on the big day to rout nine-time champions St Colman’s by 19 points.

It was a display worthy of champions and after losing finals in 2000, 2002, 2013 and last year, Our Lady’s ended the famine in style.

Eight players who started the 2016 final loss to Ardscoil Rís lined out again as Our Lady’s made no mistake when this latest opportunity presented itself.

Brian McGrath, captain of the Tipperary team that captured All-Ireland minor glory last year, scored 1-7 from centre forward but Our Lady’s had heroes all over the field.

Jerry Kelly was superb at wing forward with five points and midfielder Stevie Nolan, who went off bloodied in stoppage time, contributed four points in a power-packed performance.

Skipper Paddy Cadell, another All-Ireland minor winner last year, marshalled a rock-solid rearguard as, from the off, Our Lady’s made their intentions clear, racing into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead within nine minutes.

McGrath got the ball rolling with a free before Nolan, Kelly, McGrath again and Andrew Ormonde pointed from play.

St Colman’s, in their first Harty final in 14 years, finally got off the mark when wing-back Eoin Roche put over a ninth-minute point but in the opening half, none of their forwards managed to score from play.

Niall O’Leary also contributed from the half-back line while midfielder Diarmuid Lenihan scored two frees.

In contrast, Our Lady’s would finish the first half with five of their six forwards on target, while Nolan contributed three points from midfield.

Ahead to 0-6 to 0-2, Our Lady’s struck for goal in the 17th minute and it was a brilliant Andrew Ormonde effort as he left Kieran Neville trailing in his wake before crashing a shot into the far top corner.

Our Lady’s were almost in for a second goal three minutes before half-time but Ray McCormack’s shot was blocked by St Colman’s goalkeeper Eoin Davis.

In first half stoppage time, Our Lady’s managed three points to open up a 1-12 to 0-4 interval lead.

They were full value for that 11-point margin, too, and other scores were left out there as Our Lady’s registered eight wides before the break, compared to just two for St Colman’s.

Our Lady’s were too hot to handle, as McGrath played the ‘link man’ role brilliantly from centre forward.

A 24th-minute score vividly illustrated how tuned in Our Lady’s were, as Nolan and McGrath played a one-two before Nolan arrowed over a classy score.

David Lardner pointed from play early in the second half as St Colman’s forward finally got on the scoresheet – but that was the sum total of the attacking sextet’s efforts.

O’Leary was the best St Colman’s player on view and after he was shoved into attack, the Castlelyons starlet bagged a 49th-minute goal.

But within a minute, McGrath had cancelled that out at the other end and when he added a free, Our Lady’s were 2-20 to 1-5 ahead.

It was a day when a far superior Our Lady’s outfit would respond to whatever was thrown at them and their commitment to the cause was summed up in stoppage time when Nolan threw his head in the way of Lardner’s shot – and was taken off with blood streaming from his face.

Colman’s will now regroup for an All-Ireland quarter-final clash with St Brigid’s of Loughrea, with Our Lady’s safely through to a Croke Cup semi-final on 11 March.

Scorers for Our Lady’s: Brian McGrath 1-7 (2fs, 265s), Jerry Kelly 0-5, Stevie Nolan 0-4, Andrew Ormonde 1-1, Lyndon Fairbrother 0-4 (3fs), David O’Shea 0-1.

**Scorers for St Colman’s: **Niall O’Leary 1-1, Diarmuid Lenihan 0-3 (2fs), Eoin Roche and David Lardner 0-1 each.

**Our Lady’s Secondary School, Templemore: **Eoin Collins (Drom & Inch); Sean Ryan (Templederry Kenyons), Paraic Campion (Drom & Inch), Eoghan Ryan (Loughmore-Castleiney); Neil Quinlan (JK Brackens), Paddy Cadell (JK Brackens, Capt), Aidan O’Meara (Drom & Inch); Diarmaid Ryan (Clonakenny), Stevie Nolan (Drom & Inch); David O’Shea (JK Brackens), Brian McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney), Jerry Kelly (Borris-Ileigh); Andrew Ormonde (JK Brackens), Ray McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), Lyndon Fairbrother (JK Brackens).

Subs: Shane Doyle (JK Brackens) for McCormack (52), Jack Ryan (Toomevara) for D Ryan (53), Jason Gilmartin (Roscrea) for Ormonde (57), Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy) for O’Shea (59), Delacy Byrne (Clonakenny) for S Ryan (60).

St Colman’s Fermoy: Eoin Davis (St Catherine’s); Eoin Wallace (St Catherine’s), Jamie O’Leary (Castlelyons), Kieran Neville (St Catherine’s); Sean McCarthy (Fermoy), Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers); Shane O’Connor (Bride Rovers), Diarmuid Lenihan (Ballyhooley); Jamie Sheehan (Kilworth), Barry Murphy (Castlelyons), David Lardner (Fermoy); Conleith Ryan (Bride Rovers), Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), Adam Creed (Fermoy).

Subs: Ross O’Sullivan (Fermoy) for Neville (24), Richard Galvin (St Catherine’s) for Ryan (h.t.), Greg Lardner (Fermoy) for Creed (h.t.), Jake Mehigan (Ballyhooly) for Sheehan (46), Fionnán Hickey (Ballyduff Upper) for Murphy (60+2).

Referee: Rory McGann (Clare).