First all-Tipp Harty Cup final set to be a massive occasion

By Michael Dundon

The managers of Thurles CBS (Eamonn Buckley) and Cashel Community School (Brendan Ryan) are agreed on one thing ahead of Sunday’s Munster Post Primary Schools Senior Hurling (Dr Harty Cup) final clash at Semple Stadium, Thurles – it’s going to be a massive occasion.

The Cashel boys are in the final for the first time while Thurles are chasing their nineth title and first since 2015 but, most significantly, it is the first time that two Tipperary schools have clashed in the final. Add to that the fact that the contest is pitting club mates against each other, with both teams having players from Boherlahan-Dualla and Knockavilla Kickhams in their squads.

On top of all that, Cashel manager Brendan Ryan, who has made an enormous contribution to the rise of the West Tipp school in the college’s scene in recent years, has a nephew, Robbie Ryan playing for Thurles CBS, Brendan himself having worn the CBS jersey while studying there at second level.

“As a school and a community we are delighted to be in the final,” Ryan began.

“It is our first Harty final in our thirty-year history and it is the dream of every young lad in school to play in a Harty final. For the last number of years, we have had players who have work so hard to get us to being in a Harty final.

Five years back Cashel lost the Munster ‘B’ final to Mitchelstown CBS and three years ago they won it again, earning their passage to the elite grade. In the Harty Cup last year, Cashel were beaten by Thurles in the quarter final and in a sense this is their chance of redemption.

“These lads want to perform on the biggest stage,” Ryan added.

“They showed serious character in the semi-final against Ard Scoil Rís (an injury time point from county minor Adam Daly, Knockavilla Kickhams, edging them through). “Lesser teams would have struggled to win so full credit to these boys.”

Reflecting on the all-Tipperary aspect to the final, Ryan added: “It’s great.

“Even if we do not win, there will be Tipperary winners. We will have to perform to the best of our ability. It does not matter what Thurles do in a sense – we have to look after our own game.”

Thurles CBS’ Eamonn Buckley sees his side being in the final as being “brilliant and fantastic for all associated with the school,” he said.

“We are delighted to be in the final again and we just hope that we perform to our ability. It is going to take a huge performance to get us the result.”

The Drom & Inch clubman has been involved with this group of players since they began their second level education and so far has used 29 players in the competition.

“Semple Stadium on Sunday will be a great day out for these boys, something they will remember for the rest of their lives,” he added.

“We will try to focus on raising our performance another notch. Cashel are a more experienced team than ours and have players on the county minor and under 20 panels. They have a very tight defence that gives very little away and it is going to be a massive battle.”

So, the scene is set for this unique final. The teams had very different semi-final experiences. Thurles CBS were in devastating form as they destroyed a fancied Midleton CBS 3-20 to 2-7, Holycross duo Robbie Ryan (1-5) and Jimmy Lahart (2-2) causing huge problems for the Cork contingent. County minor goalkeeper Eoin Horgan of Knockavilla Kickhams anchors a defence in which Jim Ryan has been outstanding at centre halfback while Tommy Maher and Daniel Rossiter of Thurles Sarsfields have also been very influential on the road to the final.

Cashel, who last figured in the final in 1973 (as Cashel CBS), showed remarkable resilience in the manner in which they saw off the All-Ireland champions Ard Scoil Rís of Limerick in their semi-final and they will be hoping for more of the same on Sunday. They have lots of talent at their disposal. Ronan Connolly, Ben Currivan, Adam Daly, Ger O’Dwyer, and David McGrath would more than hold their own in any company at this level and are key men in the Cashel bid for a first success.

Despite some minor niggles which they expect to have cleared, both managers’ report a clean bill of health for the final and neither has given any thought to the fact that, irrespective of the outcome on Sunday, both teams will be taking part in the All-Ireland Championship. “One game at a time” is the mantra of both.

On the strength of their showing against Midleton CBS and given that they are unbeaten in the competition through the round-robin and knock-out stages, Thurles will be the slightest of favourites, but Cashel have thrived on upsetting the odds, and the scalp of Ard Scoil Rís was an enormous boost for morale, so it’s anybody’s guess how it will go.

What is certain though, is that this will be a great day for under-age and post primary schools hurling in Tipperary.