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Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Waterford look to a bright new future
All-Ireland MHC final: Waterford 1-18 Clare 0-10 BE it hope, pressure, or expectation, pinning too much of anything on a successful minor team is never a smart move. Such behaviour is even more ill-advised again since the age-grade dropped to U17. On a greasy Saturday evening at Semple Stadium, Waterford collected a fourth All-Ireland minor crown in the county's history. The 11-point winning margin bridged a 12-year gap to their most recent acquaintance with the Irish Press Cup. Waterford got right lucky with that 2013 class, if lucky is indeed the correct term. Of those who featured in the 65-year famine-ending win over Galway, the number of players that continued up the ladder to line out in senior championship reached double-digits. Such numbers from one minor crop is absolutely the exception to the rule. Take as contrast Galway's four-in-a-row of All-Ireland minor wins from 2017-20. We counted the number of players from across the four teams who played championship this year or pushed for championship involvement. The figure did not reach double-digits. The conclusion to be taken is thus: consistency of progression from one all-conquering minor team to the next is simply non-existent. Attempting to predict who will climb the ladder is a popular exercise, but ultimately a futile one. As should be now clear, minor victories are never dealt with in isolation. The focus is always to the future. From final whistle to senior forecasting. The future will not be overlooked here. There is a need, though, to stay resident in the present for a touch longer than usual. For as much as Waterford will hope and expect to mine senior hurlers from this crop in the years ahead, the Déise, in the here and now, so desperately needed this silverware. At all levels, Waterford have ceded ground. No emergence out of the Munster SHC in the six seasons of the round-robin structure. A single Munster U20 championship win in the last nine years - and that over Kerry. No win at all in their 13 most recent outings. The recent minor record not a whole pile better. Across 2022, '23, and 24, there were 13 outings and 11 defeats. And then happened 2025. Cork were the only team to better them in Munster, in both the round-robin and decider. The Déise kids regrouped for the All-Ireland series, downing Limerick, Kilkenny, and Clare to achieve a stunning change of direction in the county's underage fortunes. The Waterford supporters in the crowd of 15,411 will have spent some of Saturday's journey home plotting future silverware around goalkeeper James Comerford, corner-back Darragh Keane, midfielder Gearóid O'Shea, half-forward Shane Power, and full-forward Cormac Spain (the latter three accounted for 0-16 of their 1-18 total). We must first, though, celebrate the eight-game campaign these young talents and their teammates survived and thrived in. 'Long nights in January and February, and you are just wondering at times is this ever going to come through. It is days like today that makes all the work worthwhile. I couldn't be happier,' said Waterford manager James O'Connor. 'The more wins we got, the more belief grew within the group. Beating Kilkenny in the semi-final was the turning point. The belief shot through the roof after that. And you see then what happened today. 'In a lot of our games, we have started very poorly. And we said today we are coming out of the traps at 100 miles an hour. We didn't want to be trailing five or six points after 10 minutes. It started from the very start today. We got 1-2 on the bounce. It set them up for a strong hour.' Pierce Quann, put through by Dylan Murphy, buried the goal inside 68 seconds. Cormac Spain and Shane Power, the latter following a Jack Power intercept, pointed to push them five clear inside four minutes. The May 2 Munster round-robin clash between the pair was level on nine occasions before a late white surge. The closest the gap was here was three. 'This campaign has been unbelievable,' continued O'Connor. 'No words can describe what it will do for the county. And what it will do for those players, which is the most important thing, is out of this world. There is going to be belief there now in a bunch of players and a belief in our county in what we can do and what we can produce. 'It gives massive hope. When you have a winning team, it shows we are doing things right within the county. Going forward, we must keep the standards and structures we have in place 'This is the base of the senior team over the next five to eight years.' Scorers for Waterford: C Spain (0-11, 0-7 frees); S Power (0-3); P Quann (1-0); G O'Shea (0-2); T Kennedy, E McHugh (0-1 each). Scorers for Clare: J Barry (0-3, 0-3 frees); P Rodgers (0-1 free, 0-1 sc), L Murphy (0-2 each); B Talty, I O'Brien, D Murrihy (0-1 each). WATERFORD: J Comerford (Ballygunner); C Lynch (Geraldines), D Murphy (St Mary's East), D Keane (De La Salle); B Penkert (Mount Sion), H Quann (Lismore), T Kennedy (Mount Sion); E Burke (Roanmore), G O'Shea (St. Mollerans); P Quann (Dungarvan), J Power (Ballygunner), S Power (De La Salle); D Murphy (Roanmore), C Spain (Ballygunner), J Shanahan (Erins Own). CLARE: L Talty (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield); Z Phelan (Sixmilebridge), N Doyle (Éire Óg Ennis), J O'Halloran (Sixmilebridge); E Crimmins (Newmarket-on-Fergus), D Kennedy (Ballyea), C Daly (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield); G Ball (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield), E Cleary (Ballyea); B Talty (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield), R Ralph (Clarecastle), J O'Donnell (Broadford); I O'Brien (Cratloe), P Rodgers (Scariff), L Murphy (O'Callaghan's Mills). Subs: J Barry (Inagh Kilnamona) for Ralph (29 mins); G Marshall (Parteen Meelick) for Talty (45); D Murrihy (Inagh Kilnamona) for Cleary (52); J Gibbons (Whitegate) for O'Donnell (61); D Mahon (Clooney Quin) for Murphy (64). Referee: C McDonald (Antrim).
Irish Examiner
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
After years of underage hurt, Waterford hurling has new starting point
'This is the starting point for our county,' declared Waterford minor manager James O'Connor after masterminding a fresh chapter in the county's underage fortunes. Across the 2022, '23, and '24 seasons, Waterford's combined minor and U20 championship record read a worrying 21 defeats from 24 outings. The 2025 U20 class fared no better. Four defeats from four outings to bring the winless run at that age-grade to 13 games. And then came the minor class. This bright young beacon of hope. Cork were the only team to better them in Munster, in both the round-robin and decider. The Déise kids regrouped for the All-Ireland series, downing Limerick, Kilkenny, and Clare to collect the Irish Press Cup from halfway up Thurles' Ryan Stand. A stunning 10-point final win. A stunning shift in the county's underage fortunes. 'This is the starting point for our county. I hope now it continues on,' said Waterford boss O'Connor. 'It is vitally important that we keep reproducing these types of players and keep the standards that are there. I am a firm believer in high standards and that they can never drop. Because if the standards drop, performance drops. It is a case of high-level all the time and I'd be hoping that is the way it is going to continue on over the next number of years. 'When you get a good bunch, you must look after them, you must keep developing the bunch, and you must keep adding to the bunch. And that is what we have to do over the next three and four years with these guys. There is a good base there for a senior team again. But we must keep adding to that over the next three or four years. 'We are not going to be winning minor All-Irelands every second year and there is no point saying otherwise. But we can be developing players to a very high standard and have them in a way that when we get them to the senior grade, that we are ultra-competitive.' O'Connor described the campaign just concluded as unbelievable. After no championship victory in his debut season in charge and only one victory last year, this 'rollercoaster journey' went in a welcome new direction in recent weeks and months. 'No words can describe what it will do for the county. And what it will do for those players, which is the most important thing, is out of this world. There is going to be belief there now in a bunch of players and a belief in our county in what we can do and what we can produce as well. And it is vital we keep that going over the next few years.' Having failed to produce anything close to a 60-minute performance in Munster, O'Connor cited the three-point semi-final win over Kilkenny as their turning point. The confidence created by that result fed a lightning fast start here. By the eighth minute, Waterford led 1-3 to 0-1. They were never caught. 'The more wins we got, the more belief grew within the group. The semi-final was the turning point. The belief after that shot through the roof. And you see then what happened today. 'Over a lot of our games we have started very poorly. And we said today we are coming out of the traps at 100 miles an hour. We didn't want to be trailing five or six points after 10 minutes. In fairness to the lads, it started from the very start. We got 1-2 on the bounce. It set them up then for a strong hour. 'It is days like today that make all the work and all the long January nights worthwhile. I couldn't be happier.' A county couldn't be happier.
Irish Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Clare v Waterford live updates from All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Final
Clare meet Waterford in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship final as a champion will be crowned in Thurles. The Banner came through Cork last time out, winning by 0-27 to 1-22 in a titanic struggle in the All-Ireland semi-final. The Déise beat Kilkenny by three points in Wexford in their semi-final, with a strong second half proving key there. Throw-in is at 5:15pm and you can can catch all the action here. Here are the released teams for the clash: Clare: Leon Talty; Niall Doyle, Jack O'Halloran, Zak Phelan; Evan Crimmins, Dara Kennedy, Colm Daly; Graham Ball, Evan Cleary; Rory Ralph, James O'Donnell, Ben Talty; Ian O'Brien, Paul Rodgers, Liam Murphy. Waterford: James Comerford; Conor Lynch, Daragh Murphy, Darragh Keane; Bradley Penkert, Hugo Quann, Tommy Kennedy; Eanna McHugh, Gearóid O'Shea; Pierce Quann, Jack Power, Shane Power; Dylan Murphy, Cormac Spain, Jamie Shanahan. Hello all, and welcome to our coverage of the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship final between Clare and Waterford. Semple Stadium in Thurles hosts the sides today as they bid to claim the Irish Press Cup. It's been a stupendous campaign for both sides so far, but only one can claim the title. The winner will bring silverware back to the county after what has been poor years for their senior hurling teams. This will surely ease that for the champions today.
Irish Examiner
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Joxer's long-term plan comes together for Waterford
Waterford manager James 'Joxer' O'Connor always believed that his minor hurling project would produce results in year three. At the end of 2024, he only had one championship win to show from nine games. 'I'm pig-headed like that to be honest with you! If I think something is going to work, I'll stick with it. I believed that I had the players to win. At no stage did I say to myself 'you know what, I made a bad decision here, I should get out.' Never. If anything, I was more bull-headed after last year.' The position wasn't on his radar whatsoever until county board chairman Sean Michael O'Regan made an enquiry three years ago. 'He was the man that set this ball rolling. He rang me one day and asked me would I be interested. To be honest, it was one thing I never envisaged myself doing. I always saw myself as an adult trainer. I thought I might be too hard on younger lads. "In fairness to Sean he said 'we'll give you everything you need to do this job.' The man stood over it 100%.' The board stayed loyal through thick and thin. 'There were some tough days. It wasn't all plain sailing by any means. The first year, we won no match. The second year, we won a game and this year, we're in an All-Ireland. I'm delighted that they've stuck with me and hopefully, we'll have silverware at the end of it.' An All-Ireland minor title would be the pinnacle of his coaching career. Back in 2011, he helped Carrigtwohill to their first Cork senior hurling title in 93 years. The Lismore man recently led Fr O'Neill's and Shamrocks Ballyhale to All-Ireland club finals but lost both. "Three All-Irelands in six years is not bad going. All I have to do now is win one! I'll be happy then.' The question on everyone's lips after the semi-final win over Kilkenny was: what happened the team bus? 'I'm not really going to go into it. A bit of a logistics problem. We got to the match, we kept our timeframe that we set which was brilliant. If anything, it took away a bit of the pressure.' The backroom team brought the starting 15 up in cars from Carriganore. 'We shoved them into the cars and off we went! The bus was late in coming and they picked up the rest of them. They were 40 minutes behind us. Fellas were amused going up in cars with the management. It was funny for the lads. They enjoyed it; I probably didn't! The main thing is we won. Once we win, I don't care what way we travel.' Will they go by bus or by car this time around? 'We'll plan for the bus but we'll have the cars ready if needs be!' Sean Power was Waterford minor manager the last time the Irish Press Cup crossed Rice Bridge in 2013. Seven days out from the final against Galway, he also had to deal with a stroke of bad luck. 'All of them got new gear. William Hahessy got new boots, new socks, everything. The Sunday before, he went out just to hit a few balls and run around and he twisted his ankle in his garden. William Hahessy was central to everything we did at number two. So, Hahessy's ankle was out like a balloon on the Sunday. Brendan McCann was our team doctor. McCann looked at it and very soon after he said 'No way in a week will he be ok.' "We said we'd do a fitness test on the Thursday. Peter Hogan was the baby of the group, he was just gone 16. We put Peter on Hahessy to run him and twist him and turn him. Brendan McCann said 'I'll eat my hat if he passes this, lads.' Peter went at him and William Hahessy tore into him like William Hahessy does at corner back. I remember Kieran O'Gorman turning and saying 'Doc, I hope you brought red sauce to eat your hat!' Sure enough Hahessy was ready for Sunday.' The homecoming was unforgettable. 'Monday on the Mall in Waterford was incredible. It's something that will stick with me to the day I die. When we went over the bridge into Dungarvan that night, in the dark, it was like the Wild West! It was like a rock concert!' Twelve years on, the Mount Sion man will be on co-commentary duty for WLR alongside Kieran O'Connor. 'I see a lot of similarities. I see a group of forwards that are lethal. A very exciting team, they play with a bit of purity that we like to see. The semi-final was as good a game as you would see at any grade."
Irish Examiner
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Favourites Cork set for rematch with in-form Clare in All-Ireland minor semi-final
The Cork minor hurlers will come out of cold storage on Sunday to meet a Clare side catching fire. Fergal McCormack's troops earned a month of preparation time for this All-Ireland semi-final by dint of their Munster triumph against Waterford. In that time, Clare have skated through the backdoor with victories over Dublin and Galway. They arrive quietly confident for their fourth consecutive semi-final appearance. The Rebels remain favourites for the rematch at FBD Semple Stadium (1pm throw-in), yet much has changed since their 3-24 to 3-17 round-robin success. Callum Coffey bagged a hat-trick that day, only to suffer an injury during the provincial final. Clare centre-back Dara Kennedy was absent in Tulla and may well take on the task of tagging Cormac Deane. Back then, converted goalkeeper Leon Talty was making his second-ever appearance between the sticks. He has been gaining experience all the while and saved a penalty against Galway. Ger O'Connell has revamped his full-back and half-forward lines since then, while Mark Rodgers and Liam Murphy have been building form and fitness. The Banner endured a mixed Munster campaign, but Rodgers has hit double digits on his last four outings. Murphy, meanwhile, has found the net in back-to-back games to bring his total to 10 goals across the past two seasons. Their defence held the Tribesmen to a single point in the closing 29 minutes of their quarter-final. Cork will be harder to stop, though, as they hunt a first Irish Press Cup since 2021. Wing-backs Michael Brosnan and Colm Garde have been outstanding on either side of captain Bobby Carroll. Midfielder Tom A Walsh put in a man-of-the-match display in the Munster final. He will face off against Clare captain Graham Ball. With Coffey sidelined, Sam Ring has raised green flags in successive games. Deane has chipped in with 1-18, while Craig O'Sullivan's 0-47 tally includes 21 points from play. The other semi-final also promises a high-quality affair on Saturday evening at Chadwicks Wexford Park (7.35pm throw-in). Kilkenny call on eight returning starters from last year's All-Ireland final defeat to Tipperary. All six of their forwards featured on that occasion. They have carried that sharp attacking edge into this campaign, belting four goals past Dublin and Galway to secure the Leinster title. Jake Mullen has accumulated 4-35. Cian Byrne has netted four times in two knockout games. Ollie O'Donovan stitched five goals last year and continues to threaten further out the field, picking off 2-15 from centre-forward. Captain Larry Phelan and Oisín Henderson anchor a defence which held Galway to 1-8 in a washout Leinster final. Croke Cup winner with Thurles CBS Darragh Hickey joins that full-back line in place of David McGee. That's Niall Bergin's sole change, while Waterford boss James O'Connor names a new midfield pairing in Éanna McHugh and Gearóid O'Shea. O'Connor has identified the Déise's scoring spread for improvement. Cormac Spain's remarkable 6-58 haul accounts for 60% of their total scores. Jack Power's aerial ability can trouble the Cats, while captain James Comerford will hope to maintain his streak of key saves. They recovered from Munster final disappointment to defeat Limerick by four points. Still, the former Ballyhale boss reckons his side have been playing at just 70% of their capability.
