Who gets your vote?
The biggest day in the GAA club calendar is almost upon us but only two of the four teams in action in Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day will go home with the ultimate prize.
First up on the day is the hurling clash between Na Piarsaigh of Limerick and Antrim’s Cushendall, both of whom will be looking to lift the Tommy Moore Cup for the very first time.
The two sides delivered statements of intent in different circumstances in the semi-finals, but who’s going to prevail on the big day?
We put it to a debate.
Conor Heneghan says… Na Piarsaigh
It’s hard to truly rely on bookies’ odds for games between GAA clubs from different provinces but at the same time it’s hard to look past the consensus for the All-Ireland club hurling final in a fortnight.
Shop around and the best price you’ll find on Na Piarsaigh coming out as winners is around 1/3 and in a two-horse race, that’s a pretty convincing argument on the Limerick side’s behalf.
Why are the odds so heavily-stacked in their favour? Well, experience for a start.
In modern times, a generation of super clubs has emerged to feature prominently in the latter stages of both the All-Ireland and Football Hurling Championships and Na Piarsaigh is one of them.
Since winning their first county and Munster Championships in 2011, they’ve repeated that double in two of the four years since and in both of those years, they were beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by clubs well-used to dining at the top table.
Antrim’s Loughgiel gave them a bit of a trimming in 2012 and Portumna had four points to spare two years later; in both cases their conquerors went on to win the title.
Cushendall are no strangers to the latter stages of the All-Ireland hurling club championships either, of course – their victory over Sarsfields was their first win in nine attempts in the semi-finals – but their Ulster Championship win last year was their first since 2008, so they are relative newcomers compared to their opponents.
So Na Piarsaigh have been there and done that and they couldn’t have asked for a tougher test than what Oulart the Ballagh offered in this year’s semi-final, when they prevailed after extra-time after a gutsy comeback by the Leinster champions.
You could argue that Cushendall’s 12-point victory over Galway champions Sarsfields was more impressive, but in terms of preparation for a final, I’d take Na Piarsaigh’s route every day of the week.
That’s before you examine the strength of the Na Piarsaigh team itself. Eight of them, more than half the team, were on the provisional Limerick panel named by TJ Ryan at the start of the year.
Anywhere you look, it’s hard to spot a weak link. Cushendall might well try and stop Shane Dowling but then Kevin Downes could flourish.
Shane O’Neill had the luxury of bringing Adrian Breen from the bench against Oulart the Ballagh, but his brother David had already done enough damage, plundering a goal and two points from centre-forward.
Alan and David Dempsey, Peter and Michael Casey, Cathal King; as individuals you could go on all day, but Na Piarsaigh have channelled that individual talent into a strong collective and for all Cushendall’s talents, I can’t see them stopping them what is a truly formidable outfit.
Chalk down St. Patrick’s Day 2016 in the history books because it’s going to be the day a Limerick club win the All-Ireland club hurling championships for the very first time.
Conan Doherty says… Cushendall
Bookies’ favourites? Why don’t you talk to the last favourites and see what they make of that rigmarole. Go… see if you can find any of the Sarsfields lads.
Write Cushendall off at your peril.
Beating the Galway champions was hailed as a shock in parts of Ireland but it came as no surprise to the men and women from the north coast. Cushendall aren’t a side that lies down. They don’t roll over and they sure as hell don’t throw in the towel when the going gets tough. They weren’t taught to play hurling like that up in the glens of Antrim. They have too much pride of place for that flakiness.
All season long – the last two seasons, forever – Ruairi Óg have been facing adversity.
They had big plans for 2014 scuppered by Portaferry in the Ulster final. They picked themselves up and you don’t exactly do that too easily in Antrim.
If you had looked at the scoreboard with half an hour remaining in the county final back in September, you would’ve gotten some odds to see them still fighting in March – if anyone would’ve bothered to give you any odds at all. 30 minutes left, nine points down: game over? Season over? Not on your nelly.
What Eoin Gillan’s reflexes, Conor Carson’s ruthlessness were about to produce would set the platform for one of the greatest stories in this proud club’s history. A save at one end, a goal at the other, a 13th county title snatched in injury time and Cushendall embarking on a voyage that would take them further than they’ve ever been.
Extra time with Slaughtneil in the provincial decider wasn’t going to offset them again. Entering a semi-final with a record of nine defeats, with the odds stacked against them, history telling them they couldn’t do it, that wasn’t going to deter them. Not this time.
Don’t say that Cushendall haven’t been tested as much as anyone. Cushendall have been tested all season. They’ve been tested all their lives.
Now, they’re finding the answers. Now, they’re going to Croke Park with the tune of the Green Glens of Antrim ringing in their ears. Now is their time.
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