Years of hurt forgotten as Burren finally land Junior Hurling title
Burren Rangers celebrate their first ever adult Championship title Photo: Pat Ahern
Burren Rangers are the Carlow junior hurling champions. After years of disappointment and some close calls they finally got across the line at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
While the eventual first time winners dominated the early stages, they still found themselves in arrears when John Coady flighted over two points. It wasn’t as if Burren hadn’t created chances. They had but registered five wides and before they finally got on the scoreboard, they had added another wide to their total.
Daniel Bolger’s point from out on the right at the tunnel end of the ground was a real tonic for Burren Rangers and from there they grew into the game. Daniel Bolger equalised and with Dylan Townsend finding the range his first half total of five points pushed his side 0-10 to 0-5 at the interval.
Seconds into the second half, Cathal Healy rifled the sliotar over the Mount Leinster black-spot and any doubts about what Burren were capable of was dashed.
With a degree of panache they stretched the lead and with his first touch of the ball after being introduced Billy Nolan took the scoring pass from Billy Molloy for the first goal of the game. From there Jim Nolan added two more points while Townsend was also on target.
Mount Leinster Rangers came back with Colm Malone finding the Burren net from close range while John Coady converted a penalty. There were surely palpitations from the champions elect in that period. Yet they tightened their grip on the game. A Townsend point from play divided the two three-pointers to ensure history was made.
D Townsend 0-9 (sl 7fs), B Nolan 1-1, B Shanahan, J Nolan 0-2 each, C Bolger, D Bolger, B Molloy, C Healy 0-1 each
E Fenlon 0-6 (fs), J Coady 1-2 (1-0 pen), C Malone 1-0, R Joyce, L Lawlor (f) 0-1each.
Ciarán Caffrey; Jimmie Carroll, Cormac McElligott, Podge Roche; Cathal Healy, Lorcan Doyle, Joe Holden; Tom Donald, Seamus English-Hayden; Dylan Townsend, Joe Waters, Conor Bolger; Jim Nolan, Billy Shanahan (Captain), Daniel Bolger. Subs: Billy Molloy for English Hayden (h/t), Billy Nolan for D Bolger (37), Darragh Byrne for Donald (54), Lochlann McGath for Waters (59), Evan Corr for C Bolger (62).
Connor Coleman; Tomás Joyce, Willie Hickey, Liam Lawlor (Captain); Daithí Coleman, Edward Coady, James O’Neill; Colm Malone, Niall Canning; Mike Joyce , Rory Joyce, Donald Coady; Ciarán Kavanagh, John Coady, Eoin Fenlon. Subs: Joey Dalton for M Joyce (34), Jack Cummins for C Kavanagh (34), MJ Doran for D Coleman (48), G Bolger for D Coady (50), Luke Joyce for Fenlon (54).
Brian Deering (Rathvilly)
