A final of few regrets for Nenagh

Whatever natural regrets Nenagh Eire Og might have about losing a County Final, the sense of leaving it behind is not one of them.

Clonoulty/Rossmore’s win was as convincing as they could have hoped for in the end. While Nenagh held their own for a long time and took an unlikely lead with the second goal on the home straight, in hindsight their half-time position was as just perilous as the greatest pessimist could have surmised. Goals do not always win games but they kept Nenagh afloat and it took a powerful finish from Clonoulty to shake off a game challenge.

It was a championship up for grabs – a thought that will not be lost on the residents of Kilruane - and it will always be argued that maybe Nenagh did the heavy lifting for the new champions by defeating Thurles Sarsfields in the semi-final. Still, with the struggles Sarsfields had in a few games the Dan Breen Cup might have been wintering in the same spot no matter what the final pairing. Certainly the manner of winning in the end leaves little room for scepticism.

It is a victory which should not be taken for granted across the county. A Senior title going west is always seismic in its own way. Since that division came into being only four clubs have brought the Dan Breen Cup to where might be considered home given the man’s own geographical origins. Eire Og Annacarty, Cashel and Cappawhite have all been single-title winners while Clonoulty now have four titles – more than the rest of the division combined.

 

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