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Our Lady’s Templemore defeated Kilkenny CBS by 0-24 to 2-15 in the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup (Under 18.5 A Hurling) Semi-Final on Wednesday March 15th at O’Moore Park Portlaoise.

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Tom Byrnes: Templemore ready for final test

Report by Jackie Cahill for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore (Tipperary) 0-24 Kilkenny CBS 2-15: Our Lady鈥檚 Templemore manager Tom Byrnes is relishing a crack at competition kingpins St Kieran鈥檚 in the Croke Cup final on Saturday week. St Kieran鈥檚, the famed Kilkenny academy, are going for four in a row as Our Lady鈥檚 gear up for their first final since 1978.

Having won the Harty Cup for the first time in 39 years, Our Lady鈥檚 went a step further by seeing off the dogged challenge of Kilkenny CBS in yesterday鈥檚 Masita Post-Primary Schools All-Ireland Senior A Hurling semi-final.

However, standing in the path of ultimate glory are St Kieran鈥檚, conquerors of Kilkenny CBS in the Leinster final and boasting a full-back line that Byrnes holds in the highest esteem. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a savage outfit,鈥� said Byrnes. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e big as well, strong and probably have the best full-back line I鈥檝e ever seen at colleges hurling. You have Adrian Ronan鈥檚 son [Tommy] and DJ Carey鈥檚 son [Michael] is full-back. They鈥檙e formidable and they鈥檙e going to be a huge test.鈥�

After walloping St Colman鈥檚 in the Harty final, Our Lady鈥檚 got the tight game they needed after a few weeks off. It should prime them for the St Kieran鈥檚 challenge and, while Our Lady鈥檚 won by three points, goals in stoppage time at the end of each half added some gloss to the final score, from a Kilkenny CBS perspective.

In truth, Templemore were the superior side, but CBS brought buckets of heart to O鈥橫oore Park in Portlaoise. Crucially, Our Lady鈥檚 kept Sean Bolger quiet and, while Niall Brassil scored nine points, eight of those scores came from placed balls. In total, CBS hit 1-7 from play, but Templemore managed 0-16, including five in the first half from Andrew Ormonde.

Brian McGrath, Tipp鈥檚 2016 All-Ireland minor winning captain, matched Brassil鈥檚 tally and his late point, after CBS goalkeeper Ben Maher had goaled from a 20m free, was a sumptuous effort from the right touchline. At key moments, particularly in the second half, McGrath showed real leadership, but he wasn鈥檛 alone, with full-back Padraig Campion executing a couple of heroic late blocks. Maher was blinded by the sun late on in the Leinster final, but any lingering fears about his mentality on the big day were banished by a series of fine saves. The O鈥橪oughlin Gaels net-minder looks like a player destined for a big future and, in years to come, it鈥檚 likely that Our Lady鈥檚 and CBS players will renew acquaintances in the county colours of Tipperary and Kilkenny.

At half-time, Our Lady鈥檚 led by 0-14 to 1-8, as Joe Sheehan鈥檚 goal brought CBS back into contention. However, they couldn鈥檛 get closer to the winners than two points in the second half, as Templemore鈥檚 dream of a Harty/Croke Cup double, to emulate the feats of 1978, remain alive.

Scorers for Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore: B McGrath 0-9 (5f, 2 65s) A Ormonde 0-5, D O鈥橲hea 0-3, J Kelly & L Fairbrother (1f) 0-2 each, 脡 McBride, J Ryan & R McCormack 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny CBS: N Brassil 0-9 (7f, 1 65), J Sheehan 1-3, B Maher 1-0f, S Boyd 0-2, S Bolger 0-1.

Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore: E Collins; N Quinlan, P Campion, E Ryan; 脡 McBride, P Cadell, A O鈥橫eara; D Ryan, J Ryan; J Kelly, B McGrath, R McCormack; A Ormonde, D O鈥橲hea, L Fairbrother.
Subs: S Doyle for D Ryan (59), F Purcell for J Ryan (59), G O鈥機onnor for Ormonde (60+3)

Kilkenny CBS: B Maher; M Butler, J Minogue, J Molloy; P Collins, C Flynn, L Stynes; C Heary, N Brassil; R Buckley, S Boyd, S Bolger; S Staunton, D Dunne, J Sheehan.
Subs: C Drennan for Staunton (45), M Doyle for Dunne (53)

Referee: J Keane (Galway)

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McGrath hits 0-9 as Our Lady's Templemore celebrate All-Ireland semi-final win

— The42.ie GAA (@The42GAA)

0-9 for McGrath as Our Lady’s Templemore end 39-year wait for All-Ireland senior hurling final

Tipperary鈥檚 2016 All-Ireland minor hurling winning captain was outstanding today.

Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore (Tipperary) 0-24 Kilkenny CBS 2-15

Report by Jackie Cahill for the42.ie

FRESH FROM WINNING the Harty Cup for the first time in 39 years, Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore, have booked their place in the Masita All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools All-Ireland senior A hurling decider.

Brian McGrath produced some big moments, particularly in the second half, as Templemore advanced to face holders and four-in-a-row chasers St Kieran鈥檚 from Kilkenny on Saturday week, 25 March.
Our Lady鈥檚 saw off Kilkenny CBS in today鈥檚 semi-final at O鈥橫oore Park in Portlaoise and while they led by seven points approaching half-time 鈥� 0-14 to 0-17 鈥� the winners were made to work for it.

Andrew Ormonde hit five points from play in the first half alone for Templemore but they the concession of goals in stoppage time at the end of both halves made life nervy for them. Templemore also needed a couple of huge blocks from full-back P谩draig Campion down the home straight but at the other end, Kilkenny CBS had goalkeeper Ben Maher making some big saves. At half-time, Templemore were 0-14 to 1-8 clear but they were hit with a sucker-punch goal in the third minute of stoppage time.

Templemore failed to deal with Niall Brassil鈥檚 free into their full-back line and Joe Sheehan was alive to the loose ball, sending a deflected ground-stroke to the net. That goal undid some of Templemore鈥檚 good work in the opening half because when they got on a run, they looked really good, with their three inside forwards 鈥� Ormonde, David O鈥橲hea and Lyndon Fairbrother 鈥� collecting eight points from play between them before the interval.

Templemore opened with the first three points of the game but Kilkenny CBS, playing with the breeze in the opening half, settled and were level at 0-4 each by the 13th minute. The sides were deadlocked twice more but Templemore, who didn鈥檛 register a wide in the first half, were finding a steady groove and a devastating scoring run gave them clear daylight. Having fallen 0-5 to 0-6 behind, Templemore unloaded with seven unanswered points in a nine-minute spell.

They could have a goal, too, but CBS goalkeeper Ben Maher did well with a double-save to keep out first Ormonde and then Brian McGrath. Sheehan鈥檚 25th minute point was the first time Kilkenny CBS had scored in ten minutes but Templemore responded with further efforts from Lyndon Fairbrother and David O鈥橲hea. Niall Brassil clipped over his third free of the half before his delivery led to Sheehan鈥檚 goal.

The second half ebbed and flowed but the closest that Kilkenny CBS could get was two points. Goalkeeper Maher blasted home a 20m free in stoppage time to narrow the gap to 2-15 to 0-23.
But McGrath, 2016 All-Ireland winning captain for Tipperary, landed an absolute peach from the right touchline to settle frayed Templemore nerves. Templemore now have the chance to emulate their 1978 feats 鈥� when they added the Croke Cup to their earlier Harty Cup success.

Scorers for Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore: Brian McGrath 0-9 (0-5f, 0-2 鈥�65) Andrew Ormonde 0-5, David O鈥橲hea 0-3, Jerry Kelly & Lyndon Fairbrother (1f) 0-2 each, 脡anna McBride, Jack Ryan & Ray McCormack 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny CBS: Niall Brassil 0-9 (7f, 1 65), Joe Sheehan 1-3, Ben Maher 1-0f, Sean Boyd 0-2, Sean Bolger 0-1.

Our Lady鈥檚, Templemore

1. Eoin Collins (Drom & Inch)
20. Neil Quinlan (JK Brackens)
3. Padraig Campion (Drom & Inch)
4. Eoghan Ryan (Loughmore-Castleiney)
5. 脡anna McBride (JK Brackens)
6. Paddy Cadell (JK Brackens)
7. Aidan O鈥橫eara (Drom & Inch)
8. Diarmuid Ryan (Clonakenny)
9. Jack Ryan (Toomevara)
12. Jerry Kelly (Borris-Ileigh)
11. Brian McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
10. Ray McCormack (Borris-Ileigh)
13. Andrew Ormonde (JK Brackens)
14. David O鈥橲hea (JK Brackens)
15. Lyndon Fairbrother (JK Brackens)
Subs
19. Shane Doyle (JK Brackens) for D Ryan (59)
17. Fintan Purcell (Drom & Inch) for J Ryan (59)
18. Gearoid O鈥機onnor (Moyne-Templetuohy) for Ormonde (60+3)

Kilkenny CBS

1. Ben Maher (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
5. Mickey Butler (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
3. Johnny Minogue (Dicksboro)
6. Jordan Molloy (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
9. Peter Collins (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
4. Conor Flynn (Graigue-Ballycallan)
2. Liam Stynes (Dicksboro)
12. Conor Heary (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
10. Niall Brassil (James Stephens)
7. Ronan Buckley (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
14. Sean Boyd (Dicksboro)
13. Sean Bolger (O鈥橪oughlin Gaels)
15. Shane Staunton (Clara)
8. Des Dunne (Danesfort)
21. Joe Sheehan (Dicksboro)
Subs
19. Conor Drennan (Galmoy) for Staunton (45)
17. Mick Doyle (Barrow Rangers) for Dunne (53)

Referee: John Keane (Galway)

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BUSINESS END OF THE CROKE CUP

The main event of this week in the Masita GAA All Ireland Post Primary Schools series is the staging of the Croke Cup (Senior ‘A’ Hurling) semi-finals between the famed St. Kieran’s College and St Brigids Loughrea, managed by Galway captain David Burke, at O’Connor Park, Tullamore.

And there is also the equally tasty clash of Kilkenny CBS and Our Lady’s Templemore at Portlaoise.

Both games takes place on Wednesday, March 15 at 2pm.

The renowned hurling stronghold of St Kieran’s recently claimed an incredible 55th Leinster colleges senior championship win and boast 21 All-Ireland titles on top of that. Their latest Leinster success arrived after a 1-14 to 0-13 victory over chief rivals, Kilkenny CBS.

That was Kieran’s third Leinster title on the spin, but the most impressive thing? It was delivered courtesy of a new-look team with the majority of the team from previous successes having moved on.

The key players in the current set-up are lethal forward Adrian Mullen from Ballyhale Shamrocks and classy centre-back, Martin Keoghan from Tullaroan. Indeed, those two are the only survivors from the 2016 team that landed the Leinster and All-Ireland titles.

Meanwhile Harty Cup winners Our Lady’s Secondary School Templemore will play Kilkenny CBS in the All Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior ‘A’ Hurling semi-final at O’Moore Park.

On Wednesday, Sean Bolger bagged a brace at Abbotstown as CBS booked their place in the semi-final. Evan Niland’s freetaking skills had helped Athenry to a three-point lead at the midway point, but a strong second-half showing secured CBS’s progression.

Niland won an All-Ireland minor winner with Galway in 2015 and was in deadly form throughout but outstanding long-range points from the likes of Bolger ultimately sealed a hard-earned win for CBS.

“We will be up against it,” says Our Lady’s mentor Noel Fogarty ahead of the semi-final. “But we are in a good place after winning the Harty Cup for the first time in 39 years.

“We were known as Templemore CBS back in 1978 when Martin Bourke captained the team to glory, but it was good to end the long wait.”

Almost 5,000 turned up to watch them hammer nine-time Harty champions St Colman鈥檚 by 19 points a few weeks ago and the outpouring of joy was tangible.

“We had been so close,” Fogarty says. We lost finals in 2000, 2002, 2013 and last year. We had serious players like Noel McGrath and Tommy Dunne over the years but we could never get over the line.”

Our Lady鈥檚 have the experience of having eight players from the 2016 campaign and Brian McGrath, captain of the all-conquering 2016 Tipperary minor team, is their Talisman, scoring 1-7 from centre-forward last time out.

In the other quarter-final St Brigid鈥檚 Loughrea beat St Colman’s Fermoy 0-19 – 1-13 to set up a mouth watering date with St Kieran’s.

As expected, Conor Molloy was in fine form for Loughrea, scoring eight points as they overturned a five-point deficit to book their place in the last four.

St Brigid鈥檚, co-managed by Galway captain and current All-Star David Burke, finished very strongly, with Molloy, brother of Galway senior star and 2016 Under 21 skipper Brian, deadly from frees all day.