Mary Immaculate College 3-24
IT Carlow 1-19
By Kieran Murphy
THE dream of a first ever Fitzgibbon Cup victory died in the picturesque Galway Bay setting of Pearse Stadium as IT Carlow came up short against holders Mary Immaculate College, Limerick on Saturday.
The IT Carlow team ahead of Saturday’s Fitzgibbon Cup final against Mary Immaculate College, Limerick at Pearse Stadium, Galway Photo: Inpho/Tom Beary
While intense disappointment was their lot, the entire panel can look back with enormous satisfaction which has yielded three national college league titles and an All-Ireland final appearance.
Many of these young men will complete their studies this year. What they have left behind is a rich hurling tradition in the Institute of Technology, Carlow.
Having survived a gruelling test the day before in their win over UCC, there were doubts over a number of players right up to throw-in time.
Colin Dunford and Stephen Maher carried injuries. While these two did start, Kilkenny senior player Kevin Kelly took his place in the stand. In hindsight, even he would hardly have made a difference as the Limerick college produced a performance while Carlow didn’t play to their capabilities.
The wind blew diagonally down the field towards the Galway City end. It was a huge factor as Tipp All-Ireland senior star Ronan Maher landed three long-range points and another from play in the opening half.
Carlow were hanging on. Surely if they didn’t concede a goal in the half they were in with a chance after the break. Dunford, Charles Dwyer, Chris Bolger and Maher divided eight points between them in the half but Mary Immaculate still went to the break 0-16 to 0-8 ahead.
Two points from Carlow’s Stephen Maher within three minutes suggested the fight-back was on. Why not? This is the kind of thing Carlow have been doing over the last three years. They did the same against the same opposition when they met in Carlow during the round-robin series of games.
It wasn’t to happen this time. Perhaps if Jack Fagan’s attempt at goal had been successful instead of flying just wide of the right hand post, it might have planted seeds of doubt.
Minutes after that Darragh O’Donovan managed to collect between two Carlow defenders and after showing them a clean pair of heels he fired home.
That was the key stroke. Aaron Gillane added a second with 11 minutes to go before Carlow scored their only goal when Maher prodded home after Charles Dwyer passed to him.
With time ticking away Pa Ryan netted a third Mary Immaculate goal. That was only rubbing salt into wounds. An 11-point defeat in an All-Ireland final doesn’t tell the true story of what has been a wonderful journey.
Mary Immaculate: Ciaran Barrett (Tipperary); David Sweeney (Tipperary), Richard English (Limerick), Eoin Quirke (Clare); Conor Twomey (0-3, Cork), Ronan Maher (0-4 3frees, Tipperary), Alan Flynn (Tipperary); Colm Galvin (0-1, Clare), Stephen Cahill (0-1, Tipperary); Darragh O’Donovan (1-3, 0-2 sideline, Limerick), Michael O’Neill (0-3, Clare), Aaron Gillane (1-5, 1-0 pen 0-4 frees, Limerick); Tadgh Gallagher (Tipperary), Cian Lynch (0-3, Limerick), Luke Meade (0-1, Cork). Subs: Pa Ryan (1-0, Tipperary) for O’Neill (56 mins), Sean Burke (Cork) for Gillane (63 mins).
IT Carlow: Enda Rowland (Laois); Dwane Palmer (Laois), Kevin Hannafin (Kerry), Ross Brown (Waterford); Robert Moran (Kilkenny), Damien Healy (Meath), Dale O’Hanlon (Tipperary); James Doyle (Carlow), Colin Dunford (0-2,Waterford); Charles Dwyer (0-2, Laois), Mark Russell (Tipperary), Martin Kavanagh (0-1, Carlow); Jack Fagan (Waterford), Stephen Maher (1-13, 0-12 frees, Laois), Chris Bolger (0-1, Kilkenny). Subs: Tommy Nolan (Tipperary) for Russell (49 mins).
Referee: Brian Galvin (Westmeath).
