Kiladangan claim North Tipperary title with win over Borris-Ileigh

Irish Examiner

4 days ago

Kiladangan are North Tipperary SHC champions for a 10th time after fending off a late Borris-Ileigh fightback at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh.
The Puckaun-based club completed a hectic schedule of three games in eight days with a tense 0-20 to 0-19 victory over the County League winners.
They showed signs of fatigue for a finish against a fresher Borris side, who scored five of the last seven points and threatened a late leveller.
Eddie Ryan had slotted three second-half frees from his own 45, but his final effort dropped short as Kiladangan held on.
Remarkably, they have appeared in seven consecutive North finals, collecting the Frank McGrath Cup four times in that streak.
They were far sprightlier when reeling off four unanswered points from the throw-in. Paul Flynn, Billy Seymour, Dan O'Meara, and Willie Connors (two frees) struck early braces.
Patrick Ryan's frees and two points from the lively James Devaney got Borris back in touch by the break; 0-11 to 0-9 in arrears.
Dara O'Dwyer, Seymour, and Conor Byrne soon extended Kiladangan's lead to five, but Borris weren't letting go.
A super Devaney score followed by Paddy McCormack and Tommy Ryan points got them back within two.
Seán Hayes and Byrne landed insurance scores, although stoppage-time points from Jerry Kelly and Eddie Ryan had it back to the minimum for a finish.
Meanwhile, former Cobh Ramblers manager Shane Keegan led JK Brackens to their second Mid Tipp title with a 1-22 to 2-18 triumph over Moycarkey-Borris at Boherlahan.
Eddie Brennan's Moycarkey were chasing a first success since 1982, and they vaulted into an early lead through goal-poacher Jack Hayes.
They arrived battle-hardened by victories over Loughmore-Castleiney and Thurles Sarsfields, but Brackens didn't fade away. In a mirror image of Tipp's opening goal in the All-Ireland final, Rhys Shelly was caught batting the sliotar down from above the crossbar, and Andrew Ormond nipped in to finish his third goal in five days.
The sides were deadlocked, 1-9 apiece, at the change of ends.
Within two minutes of the resumption, U20 All-Ireland winner David Costigan rifled to the net for Moycarkey.
The accuracy of Kieran Morris opened up a three-point lead, but Brackens were never distanced beyond that mark.
They moved ahead with four points in a row from Shane Doyle (who finished with 0-11), Ormond (1-3), and Éanna McBride.
A goal-saving Seán Hayes block denied Ciarán O'Shea the clinching score before Morris's 10th free equalised. When Lyndon Fairbrother's white flag was cancelled out by Killian Cantwell, the sides were level for a ninth time.
But Ned Delaney, who was a waterboy when Brackens made their breakthrough in 2022, came forward from wing-back for his fourth point of the day to deliver the Johnny Leahy Cup to Templemore.
For Kiladangan and Brackens, victory guarantees them a preliminary quarter-final berth, should they fail to progress through the county championship group stage, which begins next weekend.
In Saturday's South Tipp SHC final, Carrick Swan defended their title for the first time since 1986 with a 1-17 to 0-15 victory over Killenaule at Clonmel Sportsfield.
The reigning champions had to do it with 14 men for the duration after Tipp U20 Stefan Tobin was red-carded for an off-the-ball incident in the opening play.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Swans were never headed. They responded with a steady flow of points before captain Eric O'Halloran fed Aaron Dunne to beat John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer in the Robins' goal.
They led 1-8 to 0-7 at midway, and playing numbers were equalised when Eoin O'Connell received a straight red card within five minutes of the restart.
Swans held their lead from there to collect the club's 26th title. Free-taker Callum Lanigan finished with 0-9 and captain O'Halloran tagged on 0-3. Tipp senior panellist Gavin O'Halloran contributed a pair in a man-of-the-match display from centre-back.