PREVIEW: Local rivalry adds to stakes as Kilruane and Kiladangan enter final stage

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship Final

Sunday, October 23

Kilruane MacDonaghs vs Kiladangan in FBD Semple Stadium @ 4.30pm

An all north affair awaits us this coming weekend, with near neighbours and familiar foes facing off in the field of legends.

These sides met earlier in the year in the north championship quarter final, in a game that Kiladangan won after extra time in a tight encounter, but a lot of action has come and gone in the interim and these sides always tend to play out teak tough, and tenacious encounters.

Kiladangan have had a really mixed year in the run up until this final, having fallen to Nenagh Éire Óg in emphatic fashion in the north final few months ago, and somewhat stumbled through their county group campaign, not reaching anywhere near their best.

But it just shows the quality they have, and their experience in big games that they managed to find ways to win games that they were second best in at times. However, the question all year which has been floating around the county has been, when, and not if, Kiladangan will hit form and they seemed to have hit their stride at the right time in the semi final win over Drom & Inch.

Big players for them in their recent run of success managed to come to the fore, with Joe Gallagher, Alan Flynn, James Quigley, and Sean Hayes all pulling together their best performances of the year as the seemed to finally bring their game together, while their most consistent hurler all year in Tadgh Gallagher was somewhat subdued which just shows the match winners they have sprinkled all over the pitch.

In opposition, Kilruane MacDonaghs have had an eventful year for many reasons, and when you consider their involvement in the tragedy back in August and what they have done since, it is a credit to the club. It can’t have been easy for them to re-calibrate from that tough period, and even after suffering defeat to Nenagh Éire Óg in the following game, and losing Craig Morgan for the year, they have bounced back impressively with a small pool of players.

The win over Clonoulty Rossmore in the replayed match seemed to get them into a rhythm, and since then they have pulled together good wins, led by the quality of Niall O’Meara, Jerome Cahill, and Cian Darcy who have stepped up in a big way.

They have had big impacts off the bench from Seamus Hennessy in both the quarter final and semi final, but with Jack Peters going off injured against Upperchurch, they are expecting to wait until Sunday morning to make a decision on the full backs fitness. Should he be unavailable, it would likely see Hennessy start which could rob them of an impact later in the game.

This is where Kiladangan undoubtedly have the edge, as they can dip into a strong second team with the likes of Dan O’Meara, who sealed the semi final win with a late goal, along with Ruairi Gleeson, Fergal Hayes, and Jack Loughnane, so it will be to their advantage as the game wears on.

Kilruane were led impressively by Jerome Cahill the last day, who is surely being hounded about a return to intercounty action, as he rattled off 1-4 in a terrific performance, while Mark O'Neill, Willie Cleary, and Cian Darcy played well, but they will really need a perfect performance and a bit of luck to overcome a Kiladangan team who have experience now of winning these big games.

Verdict: Kiladangan