Carbery Rangers players celebrate their Cork senior final victory

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THERE WERE SIX players who featured during the 2003 Cork junior final that also saw gametime earlier this month when Carbery Rangers at last experienced the winning feeling on county senior final day.

If vaulting from junior kingpins to senior champions seems meteoric, they needed plenty patience as well to get to the stage where today they enter the Munster senior club football arena for the first time at the Gaelic Grounds against Monaleen.

An All-Ireland winner with Cork in 2010, John Hayes was the hub of the Carbery Rangers attack during that junior success (2003) and the intermediate win (2005).

What followed was a long slog to reach the summit, pockmarked by a succession of near misses in the knockout stages.

• 2010: Semi-final – St Finbarr’s 1-10 Carbery Rangers 0-8
• 2011: Semi-final – Castlehaven 2-12 Carbery Rangers 0-5
• 2012: Semi-final – Castlehaven 2-9 Carbery Rangers 0-9
• 2013: Quarter-final – Bishopstown 5-10 Carbery Rangers 0-14
• 2014: Final – Ballincollig 1-13 Carbery Rangers 1-10
• 2015: Semi-final – Nemo Rangers 1-11 Carbery Rangers 0-13

They were remarkably consistent over the past six season before this year all those lessons was absorbed and successfully translated into the victory they desperately craved.

Victory over Ballincollig was a testament to their patience and resilience. A first county senior title was duly cherished.

• History makers! O’Rourke stars as Carbery Rangers clinch first Cork senior football title

“We have been up senior 11 years, so those (junior and intermediate) wins are a little bit of a distant memory.

“Eventually it’s something we can look back on that we’ve come a long way but at the moment, all the last few years have been focusing on to make sure Ross are one of the stronger senior sides in Cork.

“There would have been a feeling out there that this year was our last chance. To finally win a final was just a brilliant feeling.

“For us this is a natural progression. It’s a new experience for everyone in terms of the Munster senior championship. It’s an exciting challenge.”

Carbery Rangers players celebrate their Cork senior final victory

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

On a personal level, the county final day was one to savour. Hayes kicked 0-5 en route to Carbery Rangers victory, his brother Seamus chipped in with 0-2 alongside him in attack.

Before the game, word had reached him that his cousins Darren and Ronan Crowley had enjoyed victory with Bandon in the intermediate final curtain-raiser.

!It put pressure on us a small bit after the lads won. I met the two of them when we were going out on the pitch, they were doing the lap of honour with the football cup. It was a great achievement.

“For my mom and my aunt Carmel, it was obviously great satisfaction. A lot of my family would have got a lot of enjoyment out of the day.

“In GAA there’s a lot of bad days and a lot of hard days. Your family suffers along with you when things are going badly so it was nice to see things working out well on this occasion.”

Carbery Rangers finally entered the winners enclosure with Douglas man Ronan McCarthy at the helm. It was a native of the Rosscarbery club Micheal O’Sullivan – a teammate of McCarthy’s on the Cork team that contested the 1999 All-Ireland final against Meath – that had laid the foundations.

Former Cork footballer Micheal O’Sullivan

Source: INPHO

“They’d be different guys. Haulie was an excellent coach. He was very close to a lot of guys on the panel as well so it’s not easy always for a guy who’s been involved with a lot of players to get straight into management.

“But he did an excellent job. We probably should have achieved the county title when he was in charge, so no one would lay the fault at his door.

“I think Ronan came in and a lot of the work the lads over the last few years had done, probably added a bit of freshness and opportunities for guys that weren’t featuring as much previously.”

Former Cork selector Ronan McCarthy

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

Hayes had a ringside seat for Carbery Rangers preparations, breaking away from the inter-county game for good last January to concentrate on club endeavours, and can see the fixture frustrations that engulf club players.

“It is a benefit being around the whole time training with the club but I think the first six months are a big struggle for club players. (It’s) something the GAA need to look at.

“There’s talk of a players’ body being set up but it shouldn’t need to be done to give a little bit of respect to the club competitions.

“I’ve looked at it myself in the past with other guys and as long as the inter-county structure is set up as it is with the drawn-out nature, then the club players are going to suffer and they are going to have to wait.

“As far as I can see so far there’s only lip service being paid to it in terms of actually doing anything to it.

“But at the moment, I’m only focusing on Sunday and progressing in the Munster championship is all I can worry about.”

Carbery Rangers player John Hayes

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

The provincial stage is one they want to shine on. Carbery Rangers have previous experience of Munster football at junior and intermediate level.

Rather than this being a novel bonus experience, they are treating it the same as any demanding championship encounter.

“If we go out and don’t perform, it’s going to leave a sour taste after winning the county regardless. I don’t really buy that it’s a pressure off situation.

“I want us to progress in the Munster championship. We’ve been knocking on this door, having hoped to get to this stage with a few years.

“Now we have the opportunity, it’s up to us to go out. It’s a step up in quality and a step up in class.

“There is pressure on us in wanting to represent ourselves on the Munster stage.”

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Munster SFC club quarter-final: Monaleen v Carbery Rangers, Gaelic Grounds, 3pm

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Henry Shefflin and Ballyhale players celebrating their 2016 All-Ireland club final win.

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

“WE WERE SLAGGING him actually that he was only back with the club a couple of months and was writing stories about how the club players were being treated!

“Jesus, if he’d been there for the last 13 years, that club players association would have been set up a lot sooner!”

Andy Moloney is laughing at his recollection of reading Henry Shefflin’s views on the plight of club players this summer.

Moloney and Shefflin go back to college days in Waterford IT, a firm friendship struck up with hurling as the bond between them.

Now ex-Tipperary and Waterford player Moloney is part of the Ballyhale management team, ex-Kilkenny player Shefflin one of the players he is in charge of.

The most celebrated hurler in the game called time on his inter-county life in March 2015. Eight days earlier he had scaled the peak of club hurling as Ballyhale flattened Kilmallock in Croke Park.

Since then Shefflin has been able to fully devote himself to improving of the fortunes of the Shamrocks. They fell short at the semi-final hurdle in Kilkenny last year, today they are back in the showpiece on Noreside.

Moloney has witnessed first-hand how Shefflin continues to orchestrate and influence, this year from the centre of the pitch as a midfielder.

“Henry’s a huge asset at club level, he’s very good for the young fellas.

“He doesn’t let them away with anything. He’s very focused on what he wants.

“That’s been his hallmark. He knows what he wants, he trains to get it and he expects everyone to be on the same page.”

Moloney is the managerial sidekick to Colm Bonnar, a Tipperary duo who are just as well-versed in Waterford club hurling.

They fetched up for the first time in Ballyhale in January 2014 and have marvelled at how this village in south Kilkenny continues to churn out players and teams that achieve All-Ireland greatness.

• All-Ireland Club – 6 (1981, 1984, 1990, 2007, 2010, 2015)
• Leinster Club – 8 (1978, 1980, 1983, 1989, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014)
• Kilkenny SHC – 15 (1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014)

“You walk in and it’s just a simple set up, dressing-rooms and two playing fields. And that’s it.

“When the evenings are dark, we go to Piltown or Carriganore for training. We just get on with it.

“They keep everything simple and I think that’s the big thing with Kilkenny in general.

“When people talk about the All-Black’s in rugby, they say they do the simple things right 99% of time.

“With Kilkenny in general, it’s the same and that’s why they’ve been as successful as they have.”

Ballyhale attack the club scene in a relentless fashion. A long, exhausting campaign eventually took its toll in 2015. After their St Patrick’s Day win, they were back in Kilkenny championship action less than a month later.

By last autumn, they were running on empty and their challenge buckled under the strain.

2016 dawned and they fashioned a new challenge. It wasn’t straightforward, Moloney and Bonnar watched the All-Ireland winning side they constructed get picked apart.

Alan Cuddihy moved to Dubai. Conor Walsh has been out injured for the guts of 18 months now. Cha Fitzpatrick retired.

And then on that epic August night in Thurles, as Kilkenny and Waterford traded blows, they watched Michael Fennelly get struck down.

Michael Fennelly suffered his injury against Waterford in Semple Stadium

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

“Michael is a huge player for us, whether he’s playing at midfield or centre-back, he’s a huge player,” admits Moloney.

“When we saw him going out, we thought ‘here we go’. But you know what, it’s amazing when you lose a player of that calibre, the other players seize the opportunity to step up.”

That’s been assisted by the stream of young players flowing into the Ballyhale senior squad. Last weekend their minor side lifted the county crown in the A grade in Kilkenny.

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“It adds a bit of impetus to the whole setup,” outlines Moloney.

“But because of the U17 rule, only two of them are eligible to play, Dylan Aylward and Darren Mullen. The rest of them aren’t eligible to play.

“But we carry them with us to make numbers in training and also it’s a good experience for them as well to be in the same dressing-room as Colin (Fennelly) and Henry and TJ and these lads.”

Today’s Nowlan Park opponents are not unfamiliar. With Brian Hogan and Martin Comerford previously, and Mark Bergin and Mark Kelly currently, they are plenty Kilkenny senior hurlers that Ballyhale players have rubbed shoulders with.

When Ballyhale made a breakthrough in 2006 to land their first Kilkenny title in 15 years, O’Loughlin Gaels were the force they defeated.

Last year the city side knocked Ballyhale out in a Kilkenny semi-final. They had no qualms about that result yet the Shamrocks rich tradition means the current players strive for more silverware today.

“Their fathers would have been on that team in the 80’s, they like to emulate them and maybe get one over if they could.

“At the same time, there’s a great respect there for the younger players to the older ones. No one gets ahead of themselves. They keep their feet on the ground.”

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Kilkenny SHC final: Ballyhale Shamrocks v O’Loughlin Gaels, 3.15pm

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Castlebar Mitchels 3-13
Knockmore 0-10

CASTLEBAR MITCHELS HAMMERED home their dominance of the club scene in Mayo with a powerhouse display against Knockmore — running out 3-13 to 0-10 winners.

When the game was there to be won early in the second half, they put the foot down and crushed their opponents resistance thanks to a man-of-the-match display from Paddy Durcan, who will be an injury doubt for their Connacht championship opener next weekend after he had to leave the field with 15 minutes to go through injury.

Durcan’s 1-1 inside the opening seven minutes of the second half proved decisive on front of 5,375 paying spectators.

The wing-back, who had fine tussle with Mayo team-mate Kevin McLoughlin while he was on the field, hammered the ball home from close range after a flying break from an interception in the middle of the park to put his side seven points clear.

There was just two between the sides at the break, but early points from Neil Douglas and Durcan after the restart set up the county town side for victory in the first floodlit final in Mayo.

Appearing in their first county final for seven years, the north Mayo men were the rank outsiders going into the game, but following their upset win over Breaffy in the semi-final they couldn’t be discounted.

However, they didn’t score in the second half until halfway throgh it and by that stage they trailed 1-10 to 0-4. Of the six points they kicked in the second half, five of them came from frees — four of those from Peter Naughton and all when the game was effectively done as a contest.

Mitchels kept going through the gears and goals from Neil Douglas, who had another fine showing kicking 1-6, and the other from Barry Moran hammered home their advantage as they claimed their 30th Mayo senior football title and third in four years.

Knockmore’s Darren McHale reacts after hitting the woodwork.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

The first half was played at a break-neck pace, with both sides opting to work the ball from the back through the hands to make their way downfield. Castlebar Mitchels went in leading by two at the break after a strong second third saw them pull back an early Knockmore two-point lead.

The game kicked into life two minutes in, when Knockmore sweeper Sean Rutldge broke from deep and swung over a point from the left hand side. The north Mayo men pushed two points clear six minutes in when Peter Naughaton landed a beauty with the outside of his right boot under pressure 35 metres out on the MacHale Road side of the ground.

Castlebar got running on the scoreboard when Paddy Durcan kicked the first of two points he landed from range in the opening half ten minutes in. Knockmore stretched their lead back out to two points through a Colm Reape point.

That was followed by two poor wides from Barry Moran and Cian Costello for the defending champions, before Neil Douglas kicked his first of the evening from a close range free.

Durcan levelled it up with another long range effort 12 minutes from the end of the half.

Mitchels then hit a little purple patch kicking three in a row, with Douglas tapping over another free Aidan Walsh hit an effort that Aidan Kilcoyne misjudged the flight of and it bounced over the bar, then Douglas tapped over one from a tight angle from play.

Kevin McLoughlin drove over his sides fourth point just before the break to send Mitchels in leading 0-6 to 0-4 at the short whistle.

Scorers for Castlebar Mitchels: Neil Douglas (1-6, 4f), Paddy Durcan (1-3), Barry Moran (1-0) Aidan Walsh (0-2), David Stenson (0-2, 1f),

Scorers for Knockmore: Peter Naughton (0-5, 4f), Keith Rutledge (0-2, 1f), Colm Reape (0-1), Kevin McLoughlin (0-1), Sean Rutledge (0-1)

Castlebar Mitchels

1. Rory Byrne

2. Shane Irwin
3. Ger McDonagh
4. Donie Newcombe

5. Ray O’Malley
6. Eoghan O’Reilly
7. Paddy Durcan

8. Aidan Walsh
9. Barry Moran

10. Fergal Durkan
11. Cian Costello
12. James Durcan

13. Niall Lydon
14. Neil Douglas
15. Shane Hopkins

Subs: 18. David Stenson for James Durcan (43), 17. Ronan Burke for Paddy Durcan (46), 19. Danny Kirby for Niall Lydon (50), 23. Jake Gannon for Cian Costello (53), 20. Callum Kyne for Neil Douglas (53), 24. Johnny Maughan for Donie Newcombe (54).

Knockmore

1. Aidan Kilcoyne

2. Marcus Park
3. Shane McHale
4. Diarmuid Walsh

5. Justin Rice
6. Andrew Keane
7. Nathan Hardy

8. Thomas Clarke
9. Kevin McLoughlin

10. Darren McHale
11. Colm Reape
12. Keith Rutledge

13. Sean Rutledge
14. Kieran Langan
15. Peter Naughton

Subs: 18. Brian Gibbons for Thomas Clarke (37), 21. Francie O’Neill for Darren McHale (49), 17. John Brogan for Marcus Park (55), 24. Alan Loftus for Colm Reape (56), 19. Ciaran Canning for Diarmuid Walsh (57).

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Updated at 18.30

INTER-COUNTY STAR RICHIE Hogan was in inspired form as his Danesfort side condemned Fenians to relegation from the Kilkenny SHC today.

Fenians, for whom JJ Delaney started centre-back, were on the back foot after just nine minutes when James Mulally found the net for Danesfort.

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But Fenians rallied well and edged themselves back in front through a Conor Tobin goal from a penalty on 25 minutes.

The two sides couldn’t be separated last Sunday, as they played out a 0-14 to 0-14 draw, but it was the prolific scoring of Hogan, from play and placed balls, which eventually proved the difference in Palmerstown.

Hogan accounted for 13 points (eight frees), and Mulally, a late addition to the starting team, 1-2 of Danesfort’s total as they clinched a 1-18 to 1-12 victory.

Meanwhile, Westport have secured promotion to Mayo’s senior grade after Lee Keegan’s side won the intermediate championship this evening.

Westport finished up 0-10 to 0-4 victors at MacHale Park in the curtain-raiser to tonight’s senior final between Castlebar Mitchels and Knockmore.

The excellent Fionn McDonagh kicked five points (three frees) for Westport, who led by 0-5 to 0-2 at half-time and they matched that score again in the second period to ensure it was Brian McDermott who was presented with the James Sweeney trophy.

Elsewhere today, Oran ended Four Roads’ hopes of winning a ninth successive Roscommon SHC title with a 2-15 to 1-12 win after extra time, in their final replay.

After playing out a 0-17 to 3-8 draw two weeks ago, the sides couldn’t be separated once again in 60 minutes of hurling — today’s game finishing 0-11 apiece after the hour.

But it was Oran who really ignited in extra-time, scoring 2-4 to Four Roads’ 1-1 to claim a memorable victory.

In ladies football, Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne retained their Ulster title with a 2-12 to 1-6 victory against Tyrone’s St Macartan’s in Galbally.

The reigning All-Ireland champions were in control throughout with Catriona McConnell and Niamh Callan getting their goals, one in each half.

More to follow…

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​Cuala 1-15
Kilmacud Crokes 0-15

Paul Keane reports from Parnell Park 

A STORMING FINAL few minutes from Cuala ensured that they claimed back-to-back Dublin SHC titles for the first time though only after flirting with disaster at Parnell Park.

Mattie Kenny’s men roared into a 1-7 to 0-1 lead early on and looked to have victory sewn up even at that stage but remarkably found themselves two down after 54 minutes.

Crokes, the 2012 and 2014 champions, dominated the second half in what proved to be the ultimate game of two halves and should have held on for the win.

But having scored just one point, and that from a free, in the opening 24 minutes of the second half, Cuala somehow found their range late on to outscore Crokes by 0-6 to 0-1.

It sealed a slightly flattering three-point win for the Dalkey men who will play Borris-Kilcotton of Laois in the AIB Leinster club championship next Sunday.

But it was tough on Crokes who showed real character to reel off eight points in a row in the third quarter of the game having hit the interval trailing by 1-8 to 0-4.

Ollie Baker’s side got the worst possible start when they fell 1-5 to 0-0 down and they didn’t score until the 24th minute.

Colm Cronin, who finished with 1-3 for Cuala, hit an early goal and Crokes looked rattled with Oisin O’Rorke wasting two great chances for frees.

O’Rorke recovered though and finished with a 10-point tally that including some fine scores from play during that storming second half.

Substitute Dillon Mulligan also weighed in with three points for the Glenalbyn side who led 0-14 to 1-9 with six minutes remaining.

Cuala looked flat out of ideas but somehow rose to the challenge and finished superbly with points from Nicky Kenny, Cronin, Sean Treacy and Mark Schutte to win a memorable game.

Scorers for Cuala: Colm Cronin 1-3, David Treacy 0-5 (0-4f), Nicky Kenny 0-3, Mark Schutte 0-2, Sean Moran, Sean Treacy 0-1.

Scorers for Kimacud Crokes: Oisin O’Rorke 0-10 (0-5f, 0-2 65), Dillon Mulligan 0-3, Caolan Conway, Fergal Whitely 0-1.

Cuala celebrate their Dublin SHC victory in the dressing rooms.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Cuala

1. Sean Brennan

2. Oisin Gough
3. Cian O’Callaghan
4. Simon Timlin

5. Jake Malone
6. Paul Schutte
7. John Sheanon

8. Sean Moran
9. Darragh O’Connell

10. Cian Waldron
11. Colm Cronin
12. David Treacy

15. Sean Treacy
13. Nicky Kenny
14. Mark Schutte

Subs:
24. Con O’Callaghan for Waldron (43)

Kilmacud Crokes

1. Matt Collins

2. Niall Corcoran
3. Ronan Walsh
4. Jamie Clinton

5. Bill O’Carroll
6. Jack Doughan
8. Cian MacGabhann

21. Robert O’Loughlin
9. Naomhan O Riordain

15. Ryan O’Dwyer
14. Oisin O’Rorke
26. Caolan Conway

12. Fergal Whitely
10. Ross O’Carroll
11. Sean McGrath

Subs:
Dillon Mulligan for O’Loughlin 30

Referee: Sean Stack (Parnells)

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ON 31 OCTOBER last year, Cuala’s long wait was over.

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After endring 21 years without a Dublin SHC title, the Dalkey side are now just one game away from defending their crown for the first time in their history.

But reaching today’s final [throw-in at 15:00], where they will face Kilmacud Crokes, has been far from straightforward for the reigning champions.

Not that inter-county star David Treacy expected anything different.

“When you are the champions, others raise their game against you. It can be extremely difficult at times,” Treacy says. “But it is something you have to cope with and we are still grinding out the wins.”

The Dublin forward believes a winning mentality has developed within the southside club’s setup, a never-say-die spirit that has seen then come out victors in the last two closely-fought rounds.

“I think the extra-time win over Ballyboden in the quarter-finals helped the team mature and we still managed to get a result to reach the final against a physical Lucan Sarsfields team.

“The semi-final against Lucan was a slow burner; the backs won us the match in the end. It was a tough day in tough conditions, and it was just as much about conceding fewer points than scoring more than the opposition,” the 26-year-old continues.

“We were happy to get the result, it’s better to win ugly than lose playing well.”

Treacy was speaking at an AIB launch event where anyone who switches or purchases a new AIB Home Insurance policy can nominate a GAA club of their choice to receive a €50 cash reward.

Source: SPORTSFILE

Treacy is thriving with the added responsibility that comes with playing for his club, and almost single-handedly dragged his team into today’s final, contributing nine of his side’s 13 points in the semi-final, eight of which came from frees.

“I think everybody wants to be the guy your teammates turn to when the side is in need. With the club there is probably a bigger onus to be a leader.

“I’ve worked on the dead balls more this year; just to reduce that margin of error. It slowly becomes robotic and second nature the more you practice.”

Today, Cuala face a stern test against a Crokes side that lifted the trophy in 2012 and again two years later, with the Stillorgan-based club having no such problems in their semi-final, comprehensively defeating O’Toole’s by a twelve-point margin.

“They are a highly experienced team, we’re under no illusions,” Treacy warns.

“We train in the same places, we have the same schools friends, so that will add an extra edge, but it’s a challenge to look forward to.

“Some of our senior members would have played in the 2012 final when they beat us by seven points. But there’ll be no fear; we’ll use it to our advantage.”

Despite Saturday representing his third county final, Treacy still treasures every chance to win more silverware, with that rivalry between the opposing players adding a bit more spice to the occasion.

“It’s rare you’d get a full stadium for a club match, but it’s different for a final, it should be close to full and there’ll be a huge buzz.

“To play for Dublin is fantastic, but this is different.  The county team in many ways represents an accumulation of all your hard work through the years.

“But I’ve been playing for Cuala for 20 years, my brother [Sean] is in the team and my father was part of the winning team in 1994, so there’s tradition there.”

Whether the winning tradition continues into this afternoon however, remains to be seen.

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Clare hurling great Ger Loughnane

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

CLARE HURLING LEGEND Ger Loughnane, Kerry football great Pat Spillane, Dublin’s All-Ireland winning midfielder Brian Fenton and Waterford hurling manager Derek McGrath were all honoured for their GAA exploits last night.

The quartet were recognised at the annual awards ceremony by the Gaelic Writers’ Association in Dublin.

Loughnane and Spillane are the latest additions to the GWA Hall of Fame while Fenton was selected as the 2016 Football Personality of the Year with McGrath winning the hurling accolade.

Loughnane was part of a Clare team that won two National Hurling League medals in 1977 and 1978 while his brilliant displays for the Banner were recognised with two All-Star awards.

As a manager he enjoyed incredible success in leading his native Clare to two All-Ireland titles in 1995 and 1997 along with three Munster senior titles. The Feakle man also managed Galway.

Spillane was one of the stars of a great Kerry team with his collection of nine All-Stars a record for a Gaelic footballer. He also claimed eight All-Ireland senior medals and 12 Munster titles.

Fenton enjoyed an outstanding season at midfield for the All-Ireland champions Dublin as he helped them retain the Sam Maguire. He was also central to their National League and Leinster senior triumphs.

McGrath’s Waterford team contested the finals of the National hurling league and Munster championship while also playing out two thrilling games with Kilkenny at the All-Ireland semi-final stage.

REIGNING ALL-IRELAND champions Milford were stunned by Inniscarra in the Cork senior camogie final at Cork IT on Friday evening.

Going for their fifth county title in a row, a Milford team that featured established stars and Cork camogie legends including Anna Geary and Ashling Thompson were ultimately beaten by a score of 4-10 to 2-13.

A goalmouth scramble after eight minutes saw the ball find the back of the net to give the underdogs a 1-2 to 0-2 lead.

Milford hit back moments later, however, when a Maria Watson hand pass levelled the scores at 1-2 apiece.

Shortly thereafter, Joanne Casey’s goal from a free re-established Inniscarra’s three-point advantage.

Casey then scored her second goal of the game with another powerful strike after 20 minutes, but five points from Emer Watson and two by Maria Watson saw Milford take the lead.

The ubiquitous Casey continued to prove influential though, and three successive points from frees saw her team take a one-point lead (3-5 to 1-10) into the break.

Another Casey free and a Niamh McCarthy point saw their side continue with the momentum they had picked up towards the end of the first half.

However, just when it looked as if Inniscarra had their hands on the cup, a Thompson goal from distance and a Christine O’Connor point brought the scores level once more.

But Inniscarra were not to be denied, and it was player-of-the-match Casey who made the difference again, as her three successive frees were ultimately enough to see her side over the line, bringing the star player’s individual tally to 2-7 in the process.

It was rare heartbreak for Milford ultimately, while Inniscara now travel to face Inagh-Kilnamona of Clare in Munster Senior Club Championship semi-final on Monday at 2.30pm.

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Glasgow Warriors fans Liam Johnstone aged 8 and Cameron McGarey aged 8 ahead of the side’s match with Benetton Treviso.

Source: Craig Watson/INPHO

Home

• The IRFU performance director David Nucifora insists Ireland are simply playing by the three-year residency rule.
• Rory McIlroy has climbed into contention at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
• Isa Nacewa is the only back to retain his place as Leinster prepare for Connacht, while Pat Lam’s team welcome back Tiernan O’Halloran.

Away

• Liverpool are closing in on a deal for teenage wonderkid Emeka Obi.
• Munster cult hero ‘Dutchy’ Holland is pushing the Hurricanes to new heights.
• Dwayne Wade began his Bulls career in style at his Chicago homecoming last night.

The Best Thing We Shared

Source: FootyLive100/YouTube

A struggling Swedish team celebrated a rare win with their only travelling supporter.

On The Record

We would consider everything if we thought that it was workable and achievable to be able to do that. There’s a fair few different models that we can look at and see if that would suit Irish rugby.”

The IRFU say they are open to private investment in provinces.

Where we were today

Sean Farrell was in attendance for today’s Leinster press conference with head coach Leo Cullen and Cian Healy.

The Fixture List

• Seamus Power is among the stars competing in the PGA Tour, while Rory McIlroy’s bid for glory in Shanghai continues. 
• Leinster v Connacht is the big game in the Pro12 on Saturday.
• There’s a full round of Premier League games this weekend, including Crystal Palace v Liverpool.
• It’s a big weekend in GAA, including Crokes v Cuala in the Dublin SHC.
• The Mexican Grand Prix will take place this weekend.
• The Dublin City Marathon is on this Sunday.
• It’s another busy weekend in American sport, with the Cubs v Indians and the NFL in full swing.

Showbiz, Baby!

Source: Official Dublin GAA/YouTube

Diarmuid Connolly produced a point-scoring masterclass to fire Vincent’s into the Dublin SFC final.

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AFTER 21 BARREN years Cuala finally got to rejoice last winter after they made a Dublin senior hurling breakthrough.

They bounced on from that county title to reach the Leinster equivalent where they lost out to Wexford’s Oulart-the-Ballagh.

But after all that painstaking progress, the south Dublin club then almost lost the man who had guided them to that point, Galway native Mattie Kenny.

A coach on the Galway side that contested the 2012 All-Ireland final, the Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry native was in contention for the top job with the Tribesmen last winter.

Ultimately Micheal Donoghue was installed out west, Kenny stayed on with Cuala and they’re back in another Dublin senior hurling final tomorrow.

“There was talk and rumor that he was going to get the Galway job,” admits Cuala and Dublin forward Mark Schutte.

Cuala’s Mark Schutte

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

“From our point of view, we’re delighted he didn’t get it. We’re delighted that he came back.

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“Mattie is a very motivated guy. And for him to come back, that breaths out onto the players.

“His motivation for the game, his drive. That kind of feeds on to the players and we’re working off that as well.

“Thank God I’m not in that part of the business but in talking to the chairman of the hurling board in Cuala, it is tough to find managers and get top quality coaches.

“Thank God we’ve got Mattie and look at Crokes, they have Ollie Baker. They don’t come around too easy. We’re lucky to have them at the minute.

“When you have these coaches, you want to do as best as you can while you can. That is another thing because you never know what’s around the corner.”

Cuala boss Mattie Kenny

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

Winning a Dublin final at last was a release for Cuala. There is a tinge of regret at not adding a Leinster title but an acceptance that a more seasoned team overcame them.

“There was always doubts there until you actually win one,” admits Schutte.

“To win the first one was always the monkey on our back. It was completely new to all of us.

“None of us had been involved in a Leinster club championship before. I’d say we were just beaten by a better Oulart team, no doubt about it.

Dejected Cuala players after their Leinster final loss to Oulart

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

“We’re just looking ahead to this weekend and concentrating on winning a back to back Dublin senior championship, it’d be a huge achievement for us.”

And they’re after getting one high-profile 2016 winner back in their ranks in recent weeks.

In the wake of Dublin’s All-Ireland football success, Con O’Callaghan picked up a hurley again and came on as a substitute in their semi-final win over Cuala.

“In fairness Con had a great year with the Dublin footballers,” says Schutte.

“He’s still playing with the club hurlers and footballers. It shows what the club means to him.

“The Thursday after the All-Ireland final he was back training, back pucking around.

Cuala hurler Con O’Callaghan during their semi-final against Lucan Sarsfields

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

“Con probably last year had the choice to play hurling or football. He chose football and won himself an All-Ireland medal so you can’t argue with that.

“To be honest, I was surprised at how sharp his touch was because he hadn’t picked up a hurl in the last nine months. But he’s come back, he’s done well in training and he’s a great asset to have really.”

Con O’Callaghan lifts the Sam Maguire after Dublin’s title win

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

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