Yes I heard heâs back with Holycross and has been with all these successful underage crops in recent times. Also with Thurles CBS which is now backboned by Holycross.
Holycross probably Tippâs best chance of Provincial/All Ireland Club success in the next decade if they keep it all together. Michael Lowryâs fingerprints all over the recent upturn in fortunes between the all the planning permission for houses in the last 20-30 years and the Music Festival which has been a cash bonanza.
Borrisoleigh brought them into the trenches capped by one of the greatest club performances in Brendan Maher that year. Its one, like you said, that looks better and better with each passing year.
Take out Ballygunner and it would be pretty even. Loughmore of a few years ago would have been better opponents and it would have been a lot tighter but they look to have run out of puff now. Their vintage crop are on the wane. They have hallmarks of a group that just want to enjoy the high stool for a while and few would begrudge them. I thought even in the football final against Commercials they looked very leggy in the 2nd half but were helped by fact they were playing a soft townie team who couldnt finish.
You stop the three McGrath brothers and you stop Loughmore. They more or less carried them to the County Final in Tipperary, Noel and Brian McGrath must have been laughing looking at Toome launch it up the middle on top of them. John McGrath was either winning frees, scoring or laying off scores for others.
Ballygunnar saw that and more or less took the three of them out of the game completely by shooting over from out the field, forcing Brian McGrath out of his comfort zone sitting in front of the full back line which left the space for the Ballygunnar full forward line. Noel McGrath was also forced out the field rather than sit deep along the half back line. The rest of the team are pretty ordinary and it showed yesterday.
While it looked good at the time seeing Ed Meagher and John Ryan bomb up the field and fire over first half points Ballygunner were happy enough to let them do it as Loughmore werenât going to win the match doing that. They needed the McGrathâs to the fore and BG werenât going to let that happen.
Just realised Ross O Carroll was playing at 6 for Coolera Strandhill who beat Ballina yesterday. I knew he was settled and teaching up there in Summerhill but never knew he was still playing. A serious family.
John McGrath dropped? Heâs only 30.
If you take Ballygunner out itâs actually a cracking championship this year. Itâs so open in Leinster.
Is it 12 (twelve) in a row that theyâve won in Waterford? And no end in sight. I know Crossmaglen had a similar dynasty in Armagh but itâs extremely hard to warm to Ballygunner. Will Mount Sion eventually prevent a 20 in a row or will this go on and on in a Rosenborg/Dublin in Leinster fashion?
Its 11 in a row in Waterford for now. Crossmaglen won 19 out of 20.
I actually think that by betting the family farm on winning this years All Ireland Club, they are leaving themselves open to a lost generation coming through and becoming very beatable in Waterford in the next 5 or 6 years.
If they win this years AI Club I think you could see three or four of that team walking away and possibly the management too which will leave a gaping hole.
Thereâs a lot of potential on the bench, but nobody gets better sitting on the bench and the fact they dont use their subs unless they are 10 points up tells you all you need to know really.
When they lose they tend to take their beatings fairly well. A lot of clubs would have been apoplectic about being rode sideways like they were in last years All Ireland Semi Final, but theyâve kept their heads down and got on with it. Even when they lost to Borrisileigh, they took it on the chin.
Ballygunner used to lose a lot more than they won in Munster until recently.
Until they won it in 2018 they had appeared in 9 finals and only won 1 of them.
Now itâs 5 wins 14 finals, with this years final still to play.
It was similar in Waterford for a long time. From about 92 to 2013 they appeared in most finals but had a 50:50 record or there abouts (maybe a little better).
Itâs this current crop who have bucked the trend. And that wonât last forever. Certain Waterford teams feel they are closer to them.
Itâs all well and good having a huge pick but you have to make use of it. Dungarvan and Tramore have huge catchment areas too and do next to nothing with it.
While a lot of the team are aging, the reason theyâve started winning more in Munster (for me, anyway) is that theyâve added real quality at the top end of the pitch, mainly in the form of Dessie. He is a top intercounty inside forward and is near unmarkable at club level (and if teams do go out of their way to nullify him, that opens up the space elsewhere).
Now you add in Patrick Fitzgerald on top of that who is already a very decent county-standard player with the potential to go even higher.
So while they can possibly be got at defensively as the likes of Mahony & Coughlan slow down; they have more attacking quality than they had at the start of their most recent dominant spell.
Second championship heâs won with them since moving there I think
Edit
There is that stat that Munster clubs have only won 5 of the last 35 Hurling Club All Irelands since 1988. Club success in Munster hasnât translated very well to success on the national stage.
It is very difficult though to see how Ballygunner are not going to win it out this time. The rate of attrition so far is off the scale.
Heâs a top fella. Driving hurling over there too.
Ballygunner, Newtown, Na Piarsaigh, St Finbarrs and?
Dessie has been exceptional for Ballygunner last few campaigns. I think heâs tailed off a lot at inter-county level though after a terrific first few seasons. Davyball and getting deployed around the half back line and midfield wouldnât have helped. He doesnât go for goal anywhere near as much as he should.
SMB
Doora B
Dunno Where you pulled the Barrs from
1996 Sixmilebridge
1999 Doora-Barefield
2004 Newtownshandrum
2016 Na Piarsaigh
2022 Ballygunner
Apologies upon further research the Barrs were well before 88. Thought they won it after that for some reason.
I was looking at the roll of honour there, Munster clubs won 8 of the first 9 between 1971-79, with the Cork Big 3 accounting for 7 of the 8. After amassing 8 out of first 9, Munster clubs have won the same number 8 out of the last 44.
I had Kilruane in the mix but they were conveniently just outside the sample choice