Clare U-15 title for St Joseph’s, Tulla

St Joseph’s, Tulla 0-15   St Caimin’s, Shannon 1-10

St Joseph’s survived a late St Caimin’s rally to capture the Clare Colleges U-15 hurling title at Clareabbey last week. The title offers compensation for the fact that the East Clare School were narrowly defeated earlier in the season by eventual winners Nenagh CBS in the Munster B U-15 semi-final.

Tulla started brightly but hit five wides before getting on the scoreboard through a Conor Henry point.
The East Clare school dominated possession but were unable to translate this superiority into scores. Gradually, St Caimin’s, through the strong hurling of their backline and Dean Devanney, got a foothold in the game and they had a similar period of dominance in the 10 minutes before half-time. However, they also suffered a high number of wides. The half-time score was 0-7 to 0-4 in favour of Tulla.
The second half was a carbon copy of the first in that Tulla dominated the first half of it and Shannon owned the last 10 minutes of the game.
The half started very brightly, with Tulla captain Darren Chaplin, who scored 11 of their 15 points, taking the game to Caimin’s. He registered four points on the trot, the highlight of which was a kicked effort from 25 yards when he lost his hurley.
As a result of this strong play, with 12 minutes to go Tulla led by 0-14 to 0-7 and the game seemed over but St Caimin’s rallied gamely.
A goal by Brian O’Connor, two pointed frees and an Aaron Shanagher point meant there were only two points between the teams with two minutes left. During those two minutes, plus three minutes injury time, the Shannon men poured forward in waves chasing a winner.
They had two 21 yard frees saved by the Tulla rearguard and there was huge relief for the East Clare school when referee Fergie McDonagh blew the full-time whistle. The East Clare school delivered a fine, hardworking performance led by captain Darren Chaplin, the older players up the centre line and Brian Fahy. St Caimin’s had their best performers in Cian Collopy, Kevin Justice, Dean Devanney and Cathal Lynch.
In previous rounds, Tulla had defeated Ennis CBS and St Anne’s Killaloe in the semi-final. St Caimin’s defeated St Flannan’s comprehensively in their semi-final.

St Joseph’s: Shane Hunt (Tulla); Mattie Troy (Broadford), Cathal Linnane (Feakle), Gavin O’Brien (Crusheen); Kevin Conlan (Tulla), Stephen Conway (Feakle, 0-1), Gary Cooney (O’Callaghan’s Mills); Martin Daly (Feakle), Diarmuid O’Brien (Broadford); Brian Fahy (Tulla, 0-2), Enda Noonan (Feakle), Eoin Whelan (Bodyke); Darren Chaplin (Broadford, capt, 0-11, 0-7f) Conor Henry (O’Callaghan’s Mills, 0-1), Mattie Culloo (Tulla).
Subs: Conor Dinan, Pa Duggan, Colm McNamara, Daragh Murphy, Jack Dillon, Jack Lynch, Patrick O’Mahoney, Robert Marsh, Jamie O’Halloran, Adam Hehir.
St Caimin’s: Cian Collopy (Wolfe Tones); Liam O’Connor (Newmarket), Kevin Justice (Wolfe Tones), Cathal Kinnane (Sixmilebridge); Cathal Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Daragh McMahon (Wolfe Tones), Sean Kelligan (Wolfe Tones); Dean Devanney (Wolfe Tones), David McNamara (Newmarket); Pa Mulready (Sixmilebridge, 0-1), Aaron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones, 0-5), Colin Guilfoyle (Newmarket, 0-2f); Jack Cunningham (Wolfe Tones, 0-1), Cathal Hayes (Newmarket), Cahir Agnew (Sixmilebridge, 0-1).
Subs: Brian O’Connor (Wolfe Tones) (1-0).