Emphatic finish sees Flannan’s clinch Dean Ryan Cup

Munster Under 16.5A PPS Hurling Championship Final
St Flannan’s College 3-16 Ardscoil Rís 0-16

The ‘buzz’ is unquestionably back in St Flannan’s after a masterful finish ensured that they bridging a ten year gap to their last Dean Ryan Cup in TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick on Wednesday afternoon, writes Eoin Brennan.

Two years on from a long-awaited 15 year Harty Cup success in 2020, Munster’s Post-Primary Schools’ roll of honour leaders confirmed the richness of their conveyor belt of emerging talent in what was a novel final against Ardscoil Rís.

With 27 of the 26 players on show being Clare natives, it was a noteworthy occasion capped off by a fairytale finish that included clinical goals for chief marksman Oisin Whelan, the lively Luca Cleary and fittingly captain Dylan Keane Hayes to cement St Flannan’s 13th Dean Ryan crown.

It was an outcome that certainly didn’t seem likely when trailing a Danny Chaplin (4) and Eoin Begley (2) led Ardscoil by 0-8 to 0-6 by half-time.

By that stage, the Limerick college had a distinct edge but the tide would turn decisively for the new half as St Flannan’s gathered unstoppable momentum to eventually outscore their opponents by 3-10 to 0-8.

Leading by 0-12 to 0-11 by the turn of the final quarter, the major turning point arrived immediately on the resumption when Luca Cleary and Substitute Kieran McDonnell combined brilliantly to offload to Whelan to fire to the net and from there, the Ennis college would never look back.

Cleary added a superb opportunist goal in the 55th minute while captain Keane Hayes slalomed through for an injury-time clincher to wild celebrations and fireworks from their loyal supporters.

St Flannan’s College: Cian Howard (Éire Óg); Joe Casey (Kilmaley), Fiachra Ó Braoin (Sixmilebridge), Paddy Nagle (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Ronan Kilroy (Banner), James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Tiernan Collins (Clarecastle); Dylan Keane Hayes (Kilmaley) (Captain) (1-1), Eoin Kennedy (Ballyea) (0-1); Mark O’Connor (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Fred Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona) (0-2), Jack Mescall (Inagh-Kilnamona) (0-1); Luca Cleary (Éire Óg) (1-0), Oisin Whelan (Clarecastle) (1-7, 6f), Michael Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus) (0-1)
Subs: Sam Scanlon (Clooney-Quin) (0-1) for O’Connor (37), Kieran McDonnell (Ballyea) (0-1) for Power (42), Tadhg Boddy (Bruff) for Kennedy (52), Evan Price (Clarecastle) for Nagle (56)

Ardscoil Rís: John O’Connor (Ahane); James Finn (Na Piarsaigh), Jamie Moylan (Cratloe), John O’Keeffe (Na Piarsaigh); Sean Duff (Mungret St Paul’s) (0-1), Sean McNamara (Smith O’Brien’s) (Captain), Darragh Horkan (Na Piarsaigh); Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul’s); Niall Liddane (Sixmilebridge), Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara), Fionn O’Brien (Bruree) (0-2, 1f); Danny Chaplin (Sixmilebridge) (0-7, 6f), Marc O’Brien (Cratloe) (0-1), Eoin Begley (Clonlara) (0-2)
Subs: Sean Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus) (0-3f) for Liddane (36), Patrick Kearney (Adare) for Chaplin (51)

Referee: Tom McGrath (Tipperary)