PROFILE - Kiladangan Senior Hurling team - NENAGH GUARDIAN SPORTS AWARD WINNER 2020
It was certainly worth the wait for Kiladangan senior hurlers as they were crowned Tipperary senior hurling championship winners for the first time in their history in dramatic fashion with an extra time final victory over Loughmore/Castleiney at Semple Stadium in September.
Bryan McLoughney proved to be the hero as his goal with virtually the lack puck of the game, snatched victory after it looked as if the Mid Tipp side had claimed victory themselves when John McGrath converted a 65 with time almost up.
However, there was one final twist as McLoughney ran onto a Joe Gallagher pass and with nothing only goal on his mind, went for the win and wrote his name in Kiladangan GAA folklore.
It was a victory at the third time of asking for the majority of the Kiladangan panel who had tasted defeat in county finals in 2016 and 2019 but 2020 proved to be third time lucky, emerging through the campaign unbeaten with victories over Roscrea, Drom & Inch (x2) and Toomevara on route to the final with JK Brackens the only side to avoid defeat with the sides having drawn in round 1.
“We are just very proud,” admitted manager Brian Lawlor of what they achieved six months on.
“We worked hard but we got a bit better luck in 2020 and timed our season a lot better. We played our best hurling at the end of the year which is what we always looked to do.
“There is just great pride in what was achieved and delighted that the hard work the lads put in, not just since I have been manager, but with previous managers, over a decade and that is what it takes because the championship is so competitive and there are so many teams out to win it.”
Paul Flynn was the man who got the honour of lifting the Dan Breen Cup and he hopes the victory will prove to be just the start for Kiladangan.
“It is a bit of a monkey off the back,” he said.
“You are never really fully satisfied until you are finished because now six months on you would be very proud and it would cross the mind every day of what you are after doing but still it is going to be the case when we do go back you are never really fully satisfied, you always want to win another one.”