First Year Hurling
Our First Year hurlers once again competed in the ‘A’ division of the Tipperary championship. Expectations were high after last year’s success in the same competition. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of team captain Liam O’Donoghue, star forward Mark Power and the rest of the panel; this historic victory was not to be replicated. The players can be happy with wins over Kilenaule and Cashel though defeat to a strong Thurles C.B.S. side, who were the eventual winners of the competition, meant that we could not qualify for the final. The panel of players put in a huge effort in training, which took place on Monday evenings after school.
Croke Cup U-15 Tipperary ‘A’ Hurling Championship
The High School’s under fifteen hurlers had a great run in the county championship. The first game in this knockout competition was against Cashel C.S. Lead by Sean Carey, Ciaran Lorigan, Lorcan Ryan and Shane Lawlor the boys in black and red ran out comprehensive winners. Our opponents for the semi-final were The Abbey C.B.S. In this game it was Liam O’Donoghue who provided the early initiative while Sean Carey provided nine points, six from play, in a stunning performance. Once again the High School were convincing winners leaving them with a prospect of a second championship in two years. Thurles C.B.S. were waiting in the final.
Semi-Final
Highschool: 4-13 The Abbey:2-7
The High School under 15 hurlers booked their place in an ‘A’ county final thanks to an impressive win over arch rivals the Abbey C.B.S. on Monday at Ardfinnan. The High School were playing with the aid of a strong wind in the first half. The scores were slow to come but Liam O’Donoghue and Sean Carey showed great leadership in the early stages and the High School were eleven points to the good at half time.
The second half proved to be much more difficult task and two goals by the Abbey put the Clonmel boys under real pressure. Goals from Mark Power, after great work from David McGrath, Richard Fenton and Paul Denn sealed the victory.
The High School go into the final with plenty of room for improvement. The full back line were solid throughout while the half back line played well at times but will need to mark their opponents more tightly in the future. The mid-field pairing worked hard while Sean Carey, who scored nine points, and Liam O’Donoghue were the best of the forwards.
Team and scorers:
1. Greg Carroll, 2. J. P. Fitzgerald, 3. Shane Lawlor, 4. Luke Moore, 5. David McGrath, 6. Keith Landers, 7. Kieran Wall, 8. Ciaran Lorigan, 9. Padraig Hickey, 10. Richard Fenton (1-1), 11. Sean Carey (c.) (0-9, three frees), 12. Liam O’Donoghue (1-2), 13. Mark Power(1-0), 14. Daniel Harvey, 15. Darren Guiry
Subs: David McGrath, Lorcan Ryan, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Paul Denn(1-1), Darragh Ryan, Donnacha Lonergan, Karl Ryan, David Hoyne, Alan Lonergan, Ian Guirey, Naoise O’Cuinneagain, Ross Morrissey, Conor Walshe.
Croke Cup Final
Thurles C.B.S.: 2-9 C.B.S. Highschool : 1-9
The final of this competition proved to be a wonderful game of hurling between two hugely determined sides. It was the High School who opened brightly taking the game to their opponents. Unfortunately the vital scores did not come. The High School boys were desperately unlucky not to score a goal when the Thurles goalkeeper’s leg kept a good shot from going over the line. Added to this a number of shots for points must have just shaved the posts. For all their dominance the Clonmel boys had failed to make an impact on the score. Then followed a bright spell for the Thurles boys who were more economical in their shooting. The half-time score indicated a six-point lead for Thurles: 1-6 to 0-3.
At the start of the second half the High School faced a slight breeze as well as the aforementioned deficit. With Lorcan Ryan now operating at centre-back and Diarmuid O’Sullivan drafted from the subs bench The High School drew from all their resources of courage and determination to mount the fight-back. And what a fight-back it proved to be. They threw everything at their opponents. The boys in red and black were thundering into every tackle. Each player contested every ball as if his life depended on it. Thurles stood up to the onslaught and game of incredible intensity allied with remarkable honesty and fairness ensued. Against all the odds the High School outscored Thurles by three points in the second half. Were it not for the concession of a goal, that had as much to do with a battle fatigued defence as the quality of the score, the result could have gone the other way.
In the end it wasn’t to be for the High School though the players can be proud of their display. In goal Greg Carroll pulled off some great saves while he was ably assisted by his full-back line. J.P. Fitzgerald, one of three First Year students on the team, was solid throughout while Shane Lawlor added to his growing reputation as an outstanding full-back. Luke Moore, one of the stars of last year’s final, showed himself to be a performer who loves the big day. His confident and tigerish defending was one of the highlights of the game. David McGrath always seemed to do the right thing and played with a direct style that suited the game. Keith Landers and Keith Wall both had better days in the championship but each gave their all throughout. Ciaran Lorigan was yet again superb at midfield and was who always endeavoured to lead his teammates on to better things. Padraig Hickey was a constant threat to the Thurles defence and worked tirelessly throughout. Lorcan Ryan always looked dangerous when on the half-forward line and scored a fine point in the first half. He duly shored up the defence when moved to centre-back. Team captain, Sean Carey, must be a contender for player-of-the-tournament. His first touch was incredible while his free taking was impeccable. He ended up with seven points to his credit, two from play. Liam O’Donoghue really sparked into life in the second half. His work-rate was second to none. Time after time we saw him hooking and disposing his opponents. Further to that Liam scored the best point of the match. In the corner, Mark Power was feeding off scraps and was unlucky to hit the post with a great shot in the first half. He’s definitely a player to look out for in the not too distant future. Richard Fenton did his best hurling when moved out to the middle of the field where he hit a lot of ball into the forwards. Paul Denn was the scored of his side’s only goal and was unlucky not to score a point in the first half. Diarmuid O’Sullivan played very well when introduced while James McGrath worked had to get a winning score for the High School.
Panel: Darren Guiry, Daniel Harvey, Darragh Ryan, Donnach Lonergan, David Hoyne, Alan Lonergan, Ian Guiry, Naoise O’Cuinneagain, Ross Morrissey, Conor Walsh, Paddy Burke.
U-18½ Munster ‘B’ Hurling Championship
Our senior hurling panel began training early in September. The determination of the players was reflected in the large attendance at the sessions that took place every Monday and Wednesday after school. All involved believed that we were capable of going one step further than last year’s beaten finalists. Fourteen of last year’s panel were available while a new crop of talented players were pushing hard for places on the team.
The High School got a tough draw for the first round. Our opponents were to be seven-times Harty Cup winners St. Finbar’s, Farrenferris who were competing in the ‘B’ competition for the first time in their history. The High School never really played well in this game and only for the excellent free taking of Brian Carroll would have had an early exit from the championship. In the end it was victory by the narrowest margin possible.
The quarterfinal pitted the High School against Cork opposition again; this time Glanmire C.S. This time the Clonmel boys turned on the style. Captain Aidan Rouse led by example and gave an exceptional performance at wing back. Early goals from Brian Mulvihill and Seamus Shannon set the tone for the rest of the game. Once again Brian Carroll was immense at mid-field while Danny Lyne was hurling with great confidence. Niall Kelly was back at his best in the forwards and Tony Ryan was solid at full back. The High School hurled very well as a unit and while they can expect to meet much tougher opponents can be happy with the thirteen-point victory.
The semi-final will be played in February when Scarriff C.S. will provide the opposition.
Under-17 county championship
The under-17 hurlers earned a quarterfinal spot in this competition after a sensational victory over Carrick C.B.S. It wasn’t looking good for the High School who were nine points down after ten minutes of the second half. Two goals from Danny Lyne and one each from David Lonergan and Danny’s brother John gave the Clonmel boys a four point win.
New Year hurling
As well as the continuation of the Senior championship, the New Year will see the High School compete in the Rice Cup (under-14 hurling) and the under-15 Munster ‘B’ championship. Training will commence after the Christmas break. Thanks to Liam Rice, Colm Keher, Jerry Shanahan and Eamonn Ryan for preparing the teams.
Corn na Phiarsaig – Under-15 Munster ‘B’ Hurling Championship
First Round
Highschool 4-20 Scariff C.S.:3-8
Our Munster hurling campaign got of to a great start with a win over Clare side Scariff yesterday at Ahane. Sean Carey won the toss and elected to play against the wind in the first half. Despite the elements High School had a lot of the possession and were putting the Scariff goal under pressure. Padraig Hickey was playing well, providing his inside forwards with plenty of chances. Scariff were the first to goal however. Daniel Harvey responded with a goal for the High School when his brilliant ground stroke found the back of the net. The highlight of the first half was a point from Liam O’Donoghue from a tight angle. Without playing particularly well the High School were happy to be close to their opposition at half time given the strength of the wind.
The final score would suggest that the second half was easy for the Clonmel boys. This was not the case. Indeed with only fifteen minutes remaining they were only one point to the good. With ten left of the clock the advantage was only three points. It was only in the last ten minutes that the High School really turned on the style: Sean Carey got two great goals from full forward, Padraig Hickey started to put them over from all angles and Lorcan Ryan demonstrated his abilities as a free-taker as well as scoring a the best point of the half from play.
On a day when a team scores 4-20 the stars are going to be in the forwards. The backs too deserve special mention: Ciaran Lorigan had an excellent game at centre-back while Shane Lawlor was always dependable at full-back. They were well served by the men around them.
The following was the team selected for the above game:
1. Greg Carroll
2. J. P. Fitzgerald
3. Shane Lawlor
4. Luke Moore
5. David McGrath
6. Ciaran Lorigan
7. Diarmuid O’Sullivan
8. Keith Landers
9. Lorcan Ryan
10. Padraig Hickey
11. Sean Carey (c.)
12. Liam O’Donoghue
13. Mark Power
14. Richard Fenton
15. Daniel Harvey
Subs: David McGrath, Darren Guiry, Paul Denn, Darragh Ryan, Donnacha Lonergan, David Hoyne, Alan Lonergan, Naoise O’Cuinneagain, Ross Morrissey, Conor Walshe, Paddy Burke, Conor Devaney, Andrew Heffernan, Brian Carroll, Richard Madden.
Scorers:
Sean Carey: 3-6 (4 points frees)
Daniel Harvey: 1-2
Padraig Hickey: 0-4
Lorcan Ryan: 0-3 (2 frees)
Liam O’Donoghue: 0-3
Richard Fenton: 0-2
Man of the match: Padraig Hickey
Blue shorts award: J.P. Fitzgerald
Senior Hurling
It was reported in the Christmas edition that our senior hurlers had qualified for the Munster semi-final having defeated Glanmire C.S. and St. Finbarr’s in the championship. The large panel of players were determined to reach a second Munster final in two years and put in a great effort in training. Their first game of 2004 took place on the 4 th of January when they travelled to New Ross to take on ‘A’ side Good Counsel. The High School side found their Leinster opponents too strong on the day and suffered a heavy defeat despite the best efforts of Martin Dunne who was the only player make an impression. With the resumption of school things began to pick up and, despite losing, the High School played a competitive challenge against Borrisokane C.S. Heading off for the big game, hopes were high that the High School could overcome Scariff. It was not to be. High School got off to a poor start in the game conceding an early goal. However Michael O’Gorman was utilised as a third midfielder and the High School seemed to be getting to grips with their opponents when disaster struck when their captain was sent to the line. The High School never recovered and despite playing some excellent hurling could never bridge the gap. For the sixth years on the team it was to be their last outing for the High School. Among them were Aidan Rouse, Niall Kelly and Michael McHugh who had played for the High School for six successive seasons. They and all the others on the team can be proud of their contribution to hurling in the school.
Under 17 County Championship
With a number of senior hurlers on the team, most notably Danny Lyne and Tony Ryan, our under seventeen hurlers recorded a dramatic win over Carrick C.B.S. in the first round of the county championship. A disappointing performance against Killenaule put an end to the campaign.
Under 15½ Munster Hurling
In the Christmas edition of the newsletter we reported that our 15½ hurlers had an excellent run in the county ‘A’ championship having been narrowly defeated by Thurles C.B.S. in the final. We were understandably optimistic about our prospects in the Munster ‘B’ championship. Our first round opponents were Scariff C.S., our rivals in the senior competition. This proved to be an excellent win for the High School who put up a big score and ran out easy winners in the end. St. Caimin’s Shannon were a different prospect in the next round. After a tough game in difficult conditions our Munster ambitions were thwarted by a strong side. In the end the difference was six points and the High School were left to ponder what might have been.
Under 14
With a number of eligible second years added to the panel of first years who had competed in the county championship the High School entered a team into the Rice Cup (U-14 C.B.S. competition). In the group stage the High School recorded wins over Ennis and Limerick but this was not enough to qualify for the Rice Cup. A big win over Doon meant we had qualified for the Westcourt Cup final against old rivals Carrick. At the time of going to print this final was yet to be played.
Hurlers of the year
Senior hurler of the year
Martin Dunne has been selected as Senior hurler of the year. Martin had an excellent year and was the most consistent player on the senior team. He showed excellent commitment to training during the year. He played in last year’s Munster senior final but this year developed into the most important player on the team.
Junior hurler of the year
Ciaran Lorigan was the outstanding junior player this year. He had a busy season playing both county and Munster 15½ as well as captaining the u-14s. He played in two finals and was the inspirational centre-back on both teams. Ciaran was also centre-back on the First Year team that won the county ‘A’ final last year.
Official Jersey
The official High School Jersey, which was launched before Christmas, proved to be a tremendous success. Due to this success some extra jerseys have been ordered and can be purchased for €45 by contacting Mr. Keher, Mr. Rice or Mr. O’Shea. The jerseys are proving to be popular among past pupils of the school and are certainly an excellent souvenir of ones time in the High School.
Long Puck
Well done to the 2a3 C.S.P.E. class who, under the guidance of Ms. Byrne, organised an excellent Poc Fada competition in aid of charity. The junior competition was won by Steven Browne with Jonathon O’Mahoney a close second. The senior competition was dramatic to say the least with Martin Dunne stealing victory from Niall Kelly with his last puck while Shane Kearney was within two feet of the winner.
Eamon Ryan
Once again we would like to thank Eamon Ryan who made a great contribution to preparing teams at all levels. Eamon has a huge array of hurling drills that develop the players’ skills while at the same time maintain an appropriate level of fitness. We would also like to thank Mr. Shananhan, Mr. Rice, Mr. Keher and Mr. Power for their continued involvement in the management and training of teams.
Tipp versus Waterford
The prospect of this year’s Championship clash between neighbours Tipp and Waterford has generated tremendous interest amongst the hurling followers in the school. The Ballymac lads (or are they Fourmilewater) are on a high after Waterford ‘s demolition of Clare in the first round. Our senior centreback of last year, Liam Lawlor, is on the Waterford panel and will hopefully get a run. Likewise, Michael Phelan who is a past pupil of a few years is on the Tipp panel. Both players are wished the best of luck.
Sean Twomey and Shane Gleeson
It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of two great men who were closely associated with hurling in the High School. Sean was well known as a brilliant and caring teacher of Maths who brought his marvellous sense of humour into everything he did. He was a proud Cork man who played for his county at under-21 and minor level as well as representing U.C.C. in the Fitzgibbon Cup. He was especially proud of his club na Piarsaig of which his father is a founding member. Sean was also involved in training High School teams for many years.
Shane Gleeson’s tragic death was a huge shock to all of us who knew him. Those who saw him represent his school will remember his skill as well as his endless courage on the hurling field. Shane was one of the best players on the first year team that beat Roscrea C.C. in the county ‘B’ final. It is worth quoting the match report of that game: ‘Shane Gleeson turned in another great performance on the wing. He seemed to be everywhere: making timely interceptions and great clearances.’ As a first year he was small in stature but he never backed out of any tackle. We can now only speculate as to how far his talent would have taken him but it is easy to picture him wearing the blue and white of his beloved Waterford . Those of us who saw him play hurling will never forget him.