Historic first-time final place for Ard Scoil Rís

OUTSTANDING performances by Cathal McInerney (Cratloe) and Martin Moroney (Parteen) inspired Ard Scoil Rís from Limerick to qualify for the Dr Harty Cup final for the first time in their history when they overcame St Caimin’s from Shannon at Meelick on Sunday.

The Clare teenagers were magnificent throughout in the winners’ backline on a day when the Limerick-based school held the upperhand in most positions as the reversed the result of last year’s semi-final when St Caimin’s were victorious in a replay.
Physically stronger throughout the pitch, Ard Scoil Rís were by far the better team on this occasion and could well have had a greater winning margin. A major factor in preventing them from recording a bigger win was the performance of Noel Purcell at full-back for St Caimin’s. The Sixmilebridge player was certainly St Caimin’s best on a day when the Shannon school managed just two points from play.
Exchanges were hard, particularly in the opening stages, as both sides fought for the upperhand. The match was six minutes old before the opening score came and it fell to the winners as Kevin Downes pointed. Mark Ryan and Declan Hannon followed with like scores and Ard Scoil were three points to the good by the 11th minute.
The game was 12 minutes old when St Caimin’s finally got off the mark thanks to a Pa Sheehan free from all of 80 metres but even at this early stage, the winners were dominating in a number of vital areas, particularly in the half back line.
It was 0-5 to 0-1 at the end of the opening quarter and St Caimin’s were finding it particularly difficult to make any impression in attack. Paudge Collins had their second point but Ard Scoil hit back with four points in succession to lead by seven as the game entered injury time at the end of the opening half. St Caimin’s had the final say in the half when Aaron Cunningham was on target.
Inside a minute of the restart, the Limerick school struck again when Mark Ryan had his third point. A brace from Pa Sheehan, both frees, closed the gap to five but the Shannon school never looked like getting any closer. McInerney and Moroney were particularly dominant at this stage in defence, while Declan Hannon, now at centre-back, was also in command.
It was 0-12 to 0-5 in the winners’ favour at the three-quarter stage and 10 minutes later, they had stretched their lead to nine points. By now, Sixmilebridge’s Jamie Shanahan was in their attack and with his first touch, he almost had the game’s first goal but the ball went just outside Tommy Griffin’s left-hand upright.
A couple of minutes later, a first-time strike from Donagh Keogh was well saved by PJ Hall in the winners’ goal. Ard Scoil Rís finished out the game strongly with two points in the final minute to seal a first ever final date when they will play the defending champions, Thurles CBS, at the end of February.
McInerney and Moroney excelled in the winners’ defence and others to impress on the day were Declan Hannon, Seán O’Brien, Mark Ryan and Kevin Downes.
For a disappointing St Caimin’s, Noel Purcell was their best player while Kevin Lynch, Enda Boyce and Aaron Cunningham tried hard throughout.

Ard Scoil Rís: PJ Hall (Adare), Alan Dempsey (Na Piarsaigh, Eoghan McCarthy (Mungret), Martin Moroney (Parteen); Cathal McInerney (Cratloe), Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh), Ciarán Keogh (Na Piarsaigh); Seán O’Brien (Patrickswell), Niall Kennedy (Granagh-Ballingarry); Mark Ryan (Na Piarsaigh), Declan Hannon (Adare), Brendan O’Connor (Croagh-Kilfinny); John Fitzgibbon (Adare), Kevin Downes (Na Piarsaigh), Adrian Breen (Na Piarsaigh).
Subs: Kevin McNamara (Na Piarsaigh) for Keogh (half-time); Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge) for Dowling (40 minutes); Mark Carmody (Patrickswell) for O’Connor; Dowling for Dempsey and David Sheppard (Na Piarsaigh) for Kennedy.
Scorers: Declan Hannon (0-4), frees; Mark Ryan, John Fitzgibbon (2 f), Kevin Downes (0-3) each; Cathal McInerney, Niall Kennedy and Adrian Breen (0-1) each.
Frees for:11; wides: 11; 65s: 1.
St Caimin’s: Tommy Griffin (Newmarket), Niall O’Connor (Newmarket), Noel Purcell (Sixmilebridge), Eanna Burns (Sixmilebridge); Enda Boyce (Cratloe), Kevin Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Darren O’Connor (Newmarket); Cathal O’Connor (Sixmilebridge), Frank Melody (Newmarket); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Pa Sheehan (Sixmilebridge); Shane Liddy (Newmarket), Donagh Keogh (Newmarket), Alan Mulready (Sixmilebridge).
Scorers: Pa Sheehan (0-4), all frees; Aaron Cunningham and Paudge Collins (0-1) each.
Frees for: 14; wides: 8.
Referee: Willie Barrett, Tipperary.