Kilkenny IFC Final- Intermediate glory for Conahy Shamrocks

Conahy Shamrocks are the 2024 JJ Kavanagh and Sons Kilkenny Intermediate Football champions following a deserved four-point victory over Glenmore in Thomastown on Saturday.

After a disappointing league campaign, the winners came good in the championship, winning their two opening rounds game in extra-time.

They then had a narrow victory over Barrow Rangers in the semi-final, but kept their best form for Saturday’s county final against Glenmore with the side’s ability to score goals key to victory.

The winners enjoyed wind advantage in the opening half and scored twice in the opening four minutes through James Bergin and Darragh Dooley.

Ian Byrne got the Southerners off the mark on nine minutes, but in those opening stages Conahy Shamrocks were grateful to goalie Karl Downey for making three big saves.

Richie Hennessy tied the game on 11 minutes with a Glenmore point with Conahy coming back strongly over the next seven minutes with a brace of points from Bill Murphy and a Rob Ring goal to leave them 1-4 to 0-2 ahead on 18 minutes.

That would prove to be a crucial period of the game.

Glenmore were on top during the closing 10 minutes of the first half.

Oisín Griffin (Glenmore) and Bill Murphy (Conahy Shamrocks) from a free swapped points but the Southerners finished the half well with two pointed frees from Alan Murphy and another from play from Dean Croke to leave the interval score at Conahy Shamrocks 1-5 Glenmore 0-6, with Glenmore having wind advantage in the second half.

A number of astute substitutions, plus an improved workrate in the second half, was key to Conahy Shamrocks winning the title.

The sides shared four points in the opening 10 minutes – Conahy’s brace from James Bergin (two frees) and Glenmore’s brace from Ian Byrne, the first after a mark and the second a brilliant effort which was wind-assisted.

The game would turn strongly in the winner’s favour in a two minute spell around the 40th minute.

Darragh Dooley scored his second point, with Bill Murphy getting his side’s second goal to see Conahy Shamrocks lead 2-8 to Glenmore’s 0-8.

Just as in the first half, Glenmore got a grip on the game in the fourth quarter.

Alan Murphy pointed a free and Conahy Shamrocks had a big let-off when a Ger Aylward effort came back into play off the crossbar.

The growing momentum and effort from the Southerners was rewarded with an Oisín Griffin goal on 50 minutes which was followed by a Dean Croke point two minutes later.

That score left the minimum margin between the sides with the outcome of this county final still very much in the balance.

Solid defence from the winners kept Glenmore at bay and as the clock ebbed into injury time, Bill Murphy finished a late Conahy Shamrocks attack to the net for the match-winning score.

A county final win seemed a long-shot for Conahy Shamrocks not so long ago, but a couple of weeks of hard work by the panel paid dividends in Thomastown.

Glenmore had goal-scoring chances and failed to convert them while Conahy took their three chances with aplomb.

Teams and Scorers

Conahy Shamrocks - Bill Murphy (2-3, 0-1 free), James Bergin (0-3, 0-2 frees), Rob Ring (1-0), Darragh Dooley (0-2).

Glenmore - Oisín Griffin (1-1), Alan Murphy (0-4, 0-3 frees), Ian Byrne (0-3, 0-1 mark), Dean Croke (0-2).

Conahy Shamrocks - Karl Downey; John Paul Gamble, Thomas Nolan, Padraig Gunner; Ciaran Rice, Darragh Hennessy, Eoin Carroll; Eoin Cahill, James Bergin; Rob Ring, Brian Rossiter, Thomas Rice; Bill Murphy, Darragh Dooley, Billy Mulhall.

Subs: Kieran Mooney; Liam Cass; Geoffrey O’Shea; Stevie McNamee.

Glenmore - PJ Roche; Ciaran Vereker; Eoin Aylward; Shane Duhig; Darragh Vereker; Darragh Hartley (Captain); Richie Hennessy; Niall (Stove) Dunne; Thomas Mullally; Oisín Griffin; Billy Reid; Dean Croke; Alan Murphy; Ian Byrne; Ethan Phelan.

Subs: Ger Aylward.

Referee – Eoin Hayes (Thomastown).