Stephen Donnelly, Thomastown, pictured ahead of the AIB GAA Club Hurling All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Final, between Castlelyons and Thomastown. This season, AIB will honour #TheToughest players in Gaelic Games - those who persevere no matter what, giving their all for their club and community. AIB its 33rd year supporting the AIB GAA All-Ireland Club Championships. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
By Cian O’Connell
Thomastown remained defiant. Narrow Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Final defeats in 2019, 2020, and 2022 hurt deeply, but Thomastown still found a way to thrive in 2023.
Winning silverware, securing senior status, and adding a Leinster title means these truly are exciting times for the progressive Kilkenny club. Saturday evening’s AIB All-Ireland IHC Final encounter against Castlelyons will provide another chapter in Thomastown’s history.
“There is huge excitement and a buzz, in all fairness all the town and our support are really getting behind us,” Thomastown captain Stephen Donnelly acknowledges. “You can even see the buzz on their faces when you're talking to them, we cannot wait.”
Donnelly starred in the Kilkenny decider against Mooncoin, clipping 1-8 from play. “I don't know how to explain it, everything just fell right for me that day,” her reflects. “That doesn't happen too often, it was a once in a lifetime kind of a thing. I was just lucky it happened on that day.”
Being competitive in the juvenile ranks has enabled Thomastown to flourish. The sheer hard graft being put with teams matters according to Donnelly. “Massive work,” he responds.
“I think in 2022 we were the only team that didn't win up along. The U15s, U17s, and U21s all won, so we got it done this year. The U21s won an A Final, they got back to another one this year, but they were just beat by a good Dicksboro team. So, there is youth coming.”
To be operating in the top tier in Kilkenny once more in 2024 ensures there is hope in the Thomastown air. “The last time we won an intermediate was 40 years ago in 1983,” Donnelly says. “They got to a senior county final a couple of years later and got relegated shortly after that.
Thomastown defeated Fullen Gaels in the 2013 AIB All-Ireland JHC Final at Croke Park. Photo by Sportsfile
“It is massive, we had come so close in the last few years. Thankfully we got over the line.”
Thomastown turned to Henry Shefflin for guidance in 2021. That campaign ended in a Kilkenny semi-final loss to Glenmore, but valuable lessons were learned. “We had Henry for a year in 2021, Glenmore beat us in the semi-final that year,” Donnelly says. “They went on to win the county final, they beat us by two or three points.
“Obviously, Henry with his experience you are going to learn loads. We did. You can take positives from each loss too, in that you'd learn certain stuff. We did that, we brought that on every year. Thankfully we got over the line.”
A nice blend of emerging and established players have blended together in recent years. “I'd say the average age is around 23 or 24, we have a mix of youth and experience,” Donnelly says.
“We still have Tucker (Thomas O'Hanrahan), Jonjo (Farrell), Davey Pender, Richie O'Hara, they all played in the junior All-Ireland 10 years ago. They have experience from that day and they share it with us.
“Jonjo is unreal, he is a key player for us, you learn a lot from his experience down through the years.”
For a while Thomastown had to deal with defeats and setbacks, but momentum has been generated again. Back in 2013 Thomastown eventually shrugged off Fullen Gaels’ spirited challenge at GAA headquarters. The Kilkenny outfit make a welcome return to the Jones Road venue this weekend.
