Pres Athenry 0-15

Thurles CBS 0-14

John McIntyre in Birr

IT’S a Galway hurling anomaly. Since the county claimed its first All-Ireland minor title in 1983, 13 more have followed, leaving one to expect a bountiful haul of championships at post primary schools senior level over the same period.

The reality, however, is painfully different. Only one Galway team – St Raphael’s, Loughrea in 1995 – have cracked the code at All-Ireland schools level ever since the competition was inaugurated way back in 1944. It’s a real head scratcher.

Pres Athenry are the latest Connacht champions to have a go at claiming All-Ireland glory and the Cathal Moore-managed outfit are still standing after a nerve-wracking one-point win over Harty Cup finalists Thurles CBS in Birr on Saturday.

In the second match of the All-Ireland semi-finals double bill, the Athenry boys were marginally the better equipped team and betrayed no signs of panic when Thurles CBS took the lead for the first, and only, time in the 36th minute.

Having established an 0-7 to 0-4 advantage in the second quarter, this was a test of Athenry’s character, and they weren’t found wanting in a semi-final which didn’t produce a semblance of a goal chance for either team.

With team captain Tiarnan Leen a towering figure around midfield, Pres Athenry were undaunted by the occasion in front of a decent crowd at St Brendan’s Park which is set to host its first Offaly senior hurling final later this year since the redevelopment of Tullamore.

Though he was off-target with a couple, Aaron Niland’s free-taking was also invaluable to Pres Athenry on a day goalkeeper Darragh Walsh, Seán Murphy, Michael Fallon, Aaron McDonagh all caught the eye along with Leen and Niland, who didn’t have quite the anticipated impact in open play.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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