Nenagh CBS finally join the Harty elite
February 3rd, 2024, will be a date that won’t be forgotten by all in St Joseph’s CBS in Nenagh after they finally got their hands on the Dr. Harty Cup.
By Shane Brophy
The blue-ribboned competition of senior schools ‘A’ hurling had eluded Nenagh for so long and more heartbreak looked set to come their way when they fell two points behind with injury time running out in Saturday’s final against Ardscoil Ris from Limerick at Cusack Park in Ennis.
But as they showed in the semi-final against Charleville, this Nenagh team don’t know when they are beaten and in the seconds that remained, conjured up the history-making goal with wingback Andy Hoolan writing his name into school folklore, getting the final shot in a goalmouth scramble to finally write Nenagh’s name on the role of honour.
It completes an amazing first time double in the same school year for St Joseph’s CBS who also won the Dean Ryan Cup (Munster Under 17 ‘A’ hurling) for the first time in their history last November, with players such as Eoghan Doughan and Austin Duff playing key roles in both.
Because of mock exams taking place in the school this week, and formal welcome home for the team won’t take place until later this week, before they have to dust themselves down and refocus for the All-Ireland quarter finals in which the annual rota hasn’t been kind for the new Munster champions.
With no Ulster representation at this level, the finalists in Munster, Leinster, and Connacht all progress to the All-Ireland series. The byes to the semi-finals are done on annual rotational basis and this year it is the Leinster and Connacht champions who go straight to the semi-finals on the weekend of March 2nd, which means Nenagh CBS are the provincial champion that has to play a quarter final, and they will face the losers of the Leinster final between Kilkenny’s St Kieran’s College or Kilkenny CBS which is played today (Wednesday) on the weekend of February 17th. Should they win that, they would play an All-Ireland semi-final against the Connacht champions, Presentation Athenry or St Raphael’s College, Loughrea.
While Nenagh CBS have achieved their holy grail in winning a first Harty Cup, the prize of getting to an All-Ireland Final is significant as it will be played in Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day and considering Nenagh CBS won the competition the last time they played in it in 2012, they have the pedigree not to just settle for what they have.