Flannan’s bid to dethrone the Harty Cup champions

FROM the moment the draws for the play-off stages of this season’s Dr Harty Cup (Munster Colleges Senior A Hurling Championship) were made, the possibility of a meeting  between title holders, Ard Scoil Rís, Limerick and competition specialists, St Flannan’s sparked huge excitement.
With both winning their quarter-finals last week, the stage is set for what could well prove to be one of the games of the season as they meet in the semi-final on Sunday.
The Gaelic Grounds in Limerick will host both semi-finals, with the clash of Ard Scoil and Flannan’s opening proceedings at 2pm to be followed by the meeting of Our Lady’s Templemore and Charleville CBS at 3.30pm. Noel Cosgrove, Tipperary will referee the Flannan’s v Ard Scoil game, with Limerick’s Mike O’Connor in charge of the other semi-final.
Leaders in the Harty Cup roll of honour with 21 titles to their credit, St Flannan’s haven’t won the title since 2005. Last year’s win by the Limerick school, who have four Clare players in their starting line-up, was their first.
From the beginning of the campaign this year, St Flannan’s have looked like the team most likely to dethrone the holders, if they are to be beaten. It will, however, take a powerful display if they are to get through going on the form Ard Scoil Rís showed when overcoming the challenge of Thurles CBS last week in what was a repeat of last year’s final.
“They were very impressive. They are a well balanced side with eight of last year’s team that went on to contest the All-Ireland final and it will take a huge performance to beat them,” according to Alan Dunne who, along with John Minogue, takes charge of St Flannan’s this year.
Adding to the interest in this game is the fact that the Ard Scoil Rís manager is a former Harty Cup medal winner with St Flannan’s. Limerick’s Niall Moran was a member of the St Flannan’s panel that won Harty Cup and All-Ireland honours in 2000 when Dunne and Minogue were also at the helm. Moran was a student at Ard Scoil but transferred to St Flannan’s in his Leaving Certificate year.
“They beat this particular St Flannan’s team in the U-15 final and also in the Dean Ryan (junior) final of two years ago, which was played in Clarecastle. It’s understandable that they will carry the favourites’ tag into Sunday’s game,” Dunne said.
Not happy with how things went last time out, he said, “We were disappointed with our display against St Colman’s and a repeat performance will see us out of the competition.”
A win for St Flannan’s this week will see them move a step closer to completing the senior and junior hurling double in the province. They have already captured the Dean Ryan title when beating De La Salle in impressive fashion at Cashel.
The defending Harty Cup champions will line out on Sunday without midfielder Mark Ryan, who was sent off at the end of last week’s win over Thurles CBS. An important member of last year’s winning team, his absence is a blow to their hopes of retaining the title.
There are four Clare players, Martin Moroney (Parteen), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge), Oisín Hickey and Damian Moloney (Meelick) in the Limerick side’s starting line-up. Moroney and Clare minor star from last season, Shanahan, were in the starting team last year and they have both been in great form in this campaign. Bobby Sherlock from Meelick is also a member of the Ard Scoil Rís panel.
It is an experienced team, which includes Shane Dowling, John Fitzgibbon and the highly rated Declan Hannon, who is a member of the Limerick senior panel in training for the 2011 campaign.
Manager Moran is joined by Derek Larkin and Liam Cronin and this is the same management team as last year.
“St Flannan’s had a star-studded team before they were joined by Purcell, Boyce and Seadna Morey at the start of the year. Morey was the best player in the All-Ireland minor final, while Tony Kelly was outstanding last year. They started out as favourites for the title,” commented Ard Scoil mentor, Derek Larkin this week.
“We are up against it. Remember, we are only there one year and it took us a long time to get to this stage. They have the tradition,” the Offaly native continued.
“Mark Ryan will be a huge loss to us. We picked up a number of injuries in last week’s game and we won’t know until later in the week whether or not we will have a clean bill of health for Sunday’s game,” said Larkin.
With a number of the Clare minor side from last year’s successful campaign in their ranks, St Flannan’s look a well-balanced outfit. If they are to overcome the holders this week, players like Noel Purcell, Seadna Morey, Enda Boyce, Tony Kelly, Cathal Doohan and team captain, Stephen O’Halloran, all members of the county minor panel last year, will have to be at their best.
There is no doubt but that this game has all the ingredients of a cracking contest and while the title holders would, on paper at least, look to have a slight advantage, St Flannan’s have the ability to end their reign and qualify for the final at the end of February.