St Mullins can retain their SHC crown
Bodies will need to be put on the line for one of St Mullins or Mount Leinster Rangers to come out on top in Sunday's Senior County Final Photo: Pat Ahern
When you consider that their senior hurling championship comprises of only five teams, it is no small wonder that Carlow senior hurlers do as well as they do when they venture outside the county.
In this year’s National Hurling League Division 1B it is no harm to remember they beat Waterford by five points while they also shared the league points with Offaly. They also drew with Antrim and went over and beat Laois in their own back yard.
By the time Westmeath came to Carlow, the home side had already ensured they would be playing division one hurling next season. While there would be an agonising draw against Laois in the Joe McDonagh Cup which saw the O’Moore side go through some of those results are only extraordinary.
It is not unfair to say that the two club teams who are driving Carlow intercounty success come face to face on Sunday. The last time a team outside the big two to win a Carlow title was back as far as 2008 when Naomh Bríd scored a late goal to deny Rangers the three-in-a-row. On a dreadfully wet day Naomh Eoin came close in 2014 when losing to St Mullins (0-9 to 0-7).
Mount Leinster Rangers railroaded Ballinkillen (3-21 to 0-12) in 2020 and two years later it was the turn of Bagenalstown Gaels to take a 2-22 to 0-11 hammering.
Finals between St Mullins and Rangers are not always close. Rangers beat their rivals by 3-19 to 1-17 in 2023. There was eight points between the sides two years previously when Rangers again prevailed. In 2016 St Mullins won by 2-16 to 0-13. The closest between the two in recent years was in 2019 when St Mullins won by 2-17 to 1-19.
So what can one expect on Sunday? St Mullins are the holders. The club have introduced a cache of young players this year including Colm Kavanagh and James Doyle (Drummond) who have fitted in seamlessly into their set-up. Cathal Connolly and Ciaran Harris have also blended in nicely with James Doyle (Dranagh), Marty Kavanagh, Paudie Kehoe, Paul Doyle and Ger Coady who could well be described as the old dogs for the hard road.
On the other side, Ruairi Murphy and Tim Brennan are two rookies in the Rangers set up. They don’t look out of place alongside Eddie Byrne, Chris Nolan, Frank Foley and Jon Nolan. Such is the history between the two sides there is no logical reason for picking one side over another.
Are Rangers hurting enough since last year where they were caught late in the first game by a Marty Kavanagh goal and then lost the replay when the reigning champions looked jaded and lacked sharpness.
St Mullins are in such a position now. Their demolition of Naomh Eoin in the semi-final was more down to the paucity of the efforts of the opposition rather than anything else.
The questions about either side will only be answered on Sunday and in fact may not be revealed until they play again. If both St Mullins and Rangers bring their A game to the table then maybe the reigning champions have enough in their side and will retain their title.
St Mullins
