PREM INTERMEDIATE: Upperchurch Drombane and Carrick Swan primed for first Seamus O Riain title

FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Final - Preview

Upperchurch Drombane vs Carrick Swans in FBD Semple Stadium, Sunday, October 26 @ 12:30pm

By James Hayden

This coming Sunday marks a historic day for the famed Upperchurch Drombane and Carrick Swan clubs as they both bid to attain the much sought-after Dan Breen status at the pinnacle of hurling in the Premier County.

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Both sides are peppered with a potent blend of both youth and experience and are under no illusions as to the task in hand in their respective bids to capture the Seamus O’Riain cup for the first time in what is a hotly anticipated county Premier Intermediate hurling final.

Success has been hard to come by over the years for the Upperchurch Drombane club and many will remember those halcyon days in 1998 when they last captured a county Intermediate hurling title defeating Ballybacon-Grange by 1-10 to 1-9 in what was a very tight affair.

In recent times county success has remained an elusive feat for the dual Mid club but making it to two Mid senior hurling finals in 2019 and 2023 and the annexing of a Mid Premier Intermediate hurling title in 2024 has served to keep the bonfires burning in the Slieve Felim hills.

For Carrick Swan this year has seen the sleeping Southern giants once more emerge from the pack as they seek to go one step better following last year’s county Premier Intermediate final defeat to Cashel King Cormacs.

The Swan are deservedly back in the county decider following an impressive group stage campaign which saw Kieran Reade's side defeat Killenaule, St. Mary’s and the recently relegated Clonakenny before overcoming Silvermines and an up and coming Boherlahan Dualla side in the knock-out stages.

Navigating those oft choppy waters has proven difficult but Carrick Swan have managed to stay afloat and plot a course into today’s decider following a comprehensive four-point victory over Silvermines in the quarter-final, 0-21 to 1-14, and a hard fought 2-19 to 0-21 victory over a battling Boherlahan-Dualla side in the county semi-final, with both Swan goals coming from the stick of full-forward, Aaron Dunne.

Upperchurch Drombane have also gathered momentum as the year and the Liam Dunphy managed side have progressed steadily with an opening round draw with Ballina before victories over newly promoted Moneygall and Burgess saw them deservedly finish top of Group 3.

The ‘Church produced arguably the best display of the season to dispatch a fancied Killenaule side by 0-20 to 1-12 in their county quarter-final clash before eking out a solitary point victory over Mid rivals Gortnahoe, 0-20 to 0-19, in a thrilling clash which could have swung either way at the finish and one that was illuminated by the brilliance of Paddy Phelan.

Having succumbed to the reigning Premier Intermediate champions Cashel King Cormacs in what can only be described as a rip-roaring and thrilling 2024 semi-final encounter Upperchurch-Drombane will be hoping to but past defeats well and truly behind them to make the step back up to the senior hurling ranks in the Premier County.

They navigated the challenge of a tricky Gortnahoe-Glengoole side in the semi-final and that hard-earned and hard-fought for victory should stand them in good stead for Sunday's final. In Paddy Phelan, Paul Shanahan, Luke Shanahan, Padraig Greene they have players who can turn a match on a sixpence.

Throw in the defensive capabilities of Gavin Ryan, Keith Ryan, Dean Carew and Diarmuid Grant and you have a side that are fully capable of bringing the Seamus O Riain cup back to the ‘Church for the first time and with it a return to the senior ranks following their 2023 relegation to the Premier Intermediate grade.

However, standing in their path is a Carrick Swan side also gunning for their first county title at this grade, a side which may hopefully be boosted by the return of Eric O’Halloran for the final following a tour of duty overseas, and a side boasting bagfuls of guile, class, nous and experience.

To date, the reigning back-to-back South senior champions have found the necessary wherewithal to dispatch their adversaries with Aaron O’Halloran, Stefan Tobin, Calum Lanigan, Aaron Dunne and Dean Waters all very much to the fore in the scoring stakes while in defence Scott Hogan and Gavin O’Halloran have marshalled their respective defensive lines very well throughout this year’s campaign while Taylor Fleming and Luke O’Dwyer have caused headaches for most opposing sides.

Kieran Lonergan between the sticks has also been a huge influence on his side and notwithstanding his netminding capabilities the Swans shot-stopper continues to hone his puckout skills to a fine art.

Given the nature of the results to date Carrick Swan appear to have the necessary wherewithal to lift the Seamus O’Riain cup. However, there have been subsequent peaks and troughs in the performances of both finalists this year and therefore it is distinctly difficult to predict who will prevail on the hallowed Semple Stadium turf.

One thing is for sure, Sunday's decider is sure to be a cracking teak-tough encounter and one not for the faint-hearted.

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