‘There’s no better feeling to be honest’- Peter McDonald reflects on senior success

The midfield battle was always going to have a huge bearing in where the Tom Walsh Cup ended up last Sunday evening and it’s an area Thomastown certainly came out on top in.

Peter McDonald was one half of a dynamic duo alongside Jonjo Farrell and the Kilkenny panelist outlined his joy at the final whistle.

“I don’t think there’s any better feeling to be honest, it’s even better then winning the All-Ireland at intermediate last year.

“It’s such a great day and everybody is absolutely delighted.”

Hard work is the cornerstone of any good Kilkenny side and Thomastown are true to those same core values and it was that effort in the opening half that saw them secure a sizeable advantage on the scoreboard.

“Every day we go out, we are just told to work as hard as we can and that’s what we did there in the first half to a man.

“We didn’t give O’Loughlins an inch and it stood to us come half-time and in the second half we continued on again so we were delighted with it,” McDonald said.

The calmness and composure of Thomastown belied the fact it was their first final at this level of hurling but McDonald and co knew they had to bring their best game.

“This was our first year in a senior final and we were playing the reigning champions so we knew how good they were and the quality they have all over the field so we knew we had to keep them out and thankfully we did.

“Credit to O’Loughlins for showing what great champions they are as they wouldn’t lie down easily and we’d a couple of goal chances to pull away but they just wouldn’t let us.”

After a few tough years, Thomastown are now seizing their opportunity.

“At the time some of those intermediate final defeats felt like the worst thing ever but with hindsight, we’d a really good team coming and we still have a lot of lads that are only under 21 so we’ve a good thing coming for us.”