Hurling: Meet The 2024 Carlow Senior Champions St Mullins

2024 Carlow Senior Hurling Championship Final Replay

MEET THE CHAMPIONS

By Leo McGough

– ST MULLINS –

KEVIN KEHOE: Given that they eventually reduced a 16 point deficit to 5 by the final whistle it is probably fair to suggest that if the Rangers had mined a goal or two earlier in the second half they might have completed the greatest comeback of all-time. That they didn’t mine a goal or two shortly after the restart was down to two Kevin Kehoe interventions, coming out to get his stick to a Donagh Murphy hand-pass intended for the lurking Ted Joyce, then getting down low to get save a Donagh Murphy close range shot, not only blocking it but picking up and clearing too. And wait until you read the goalkeeper’s assist statistics … 1-7! Yes, peruse the ‘scores by the clock’ and you will find that 1-7 of the champions tally began with his cleverly placed puck-outs, long, short and mid-distance. 7th medal on the field of play, 11th final including replays.

PAUL DOYLE: 6th medal, 11th final: Began in the right corner, shifted in full-back after the early sending off to allow Paudie Kehoe freedom further out the field, Paul was his usual solid self, particularly in the second half when the Rangers needed the oxygen of goals and Doyle stood tall under a few dangerously dropping ball, cleverly diverting a few away from the hand of a would-be raider. Played a major role too in St Mullins’ early dominance, a long clearance of his and a long line-ball of his yielding two valuable points. 6th medal on the field of play, 11th final including replays.

PAUDIE KEHOE: Sited at full-back for the throw-in, ready to resume marking duties on Eddie Byrne, Paudie was released from the edge of the square after the early sending off and proceeded to hurl a fine game sweeping across the half-back line, particularly prominent on the change-over when the St Mullins defence got a lot more to do and Paudie got on a lot of ball and in that cultured style of his used it well. 

6th medal, 12th final

PAUDI O’SHEA: Powered into the game in the second half when the Rangers rallied, not only did he look after his defensive duties very well with hooks, blocks and crafty covering but Paudi cleared his fair share of ball too, three of those inspirationally long clearances ‘assists’ to 0-3. 2nd medal, 5th final

MICHAEL WALSH: An unsung hero in many respects, rarely features in the headlines but goes about his defensive business in an unflustered yet very effective manner, setting up road blocks on side-roads that makes opponents path to goal a difficult one. Well able to clear too, his slightly unorthodox strike yielded an invaluable second half point down the other end. 6th medal, 9th final 

GER COADY (Capt): “That led in the yellow helmet is very good” remarked a neighbour in the stand, a visitor to his first Carlow county final. “No 5, the captain” noted his friend. The remarks came during the first half when Ger and his yellow helmet appeared to be under every dropping ball, appeared to be at the scene of every ‘break’. Not just under the dropping ball, winning it. Not just at the scene of every ‘break’, gaining possession. Not just gaining possession, using it well, very well. Peruse the ‘scores by the clock’, the name Ger Coady appears in the build up to 1-5, but crucially, 1-4 of that in the first 23 minutes when he served as the champions ‘quarter-back’ setting up title-clinching scores

6th medal, 10th final

CIARAN HARRIS: To the manor born, his first senior year, his first medal and one he played a notable part in winning, his all-action style and quick release of possession won fitting in nicely to his team’s game plan, keeping the ball moving be he operating at wing back or mid-field. Didn’t shirk the physical either, it was interference with his helmet that caused the sending off, made way for John Doran near the finish, a tired, injured but happy man. 1st medal, 2nd final

CONOR KEHOE: His two inspirational first half points after thrilling solo-runs had the St Mullins supporters in full voice, Conor’s running game yielded a couple of more first half points from frees after he was fouled. He also played his part in the second half, an assist to an early point as well as bringing play into Rangers territory as often as possible. 2nd medal, 5th final

EAMONN O’SHEA: Tasted the sweet sensation of a first SHC medal and played a huge part in its acquisition. Wearing No 4 but playing mid-field Eamonn was busy, busy, busy throughout, got on his fair share of ball too, a clever stick pass and a great catch the skillset involved in providing the assists to two first half points while an exciting well-timed run yielded another point for a forward colleague down the home straight. 1st medal, 3rd final

JACK KAVANAGH: No need for goal-scoring heroics on this occasion but the ever reliable, hard working, deeply involved and always scheming Jack matched the six-point tally (2-0) from the drawn game five point assists and a point of his own. Significantly four of those assists were in the first half when wind-assisted and numerically advantaged St Mullins needed to build a big lead. The ‘fifth’ was early in the second half while the point came at a time keeping the scoreboard ticking over was important. 6th medal, 12th final

JAMES DOYLE: Class, pure class. Six superb points from play the last day made him a stand-out figure but on this occasions, while he again troubled the scoreboard attendant (0-3, two beauties from play, one free), it was James’ enormous work ethic that captured the attention on this occasion, he got in an early block that set the tone as he went man-on-man with Kevin McDonald. That block led to a point, another kick out of a cluster led to a point, his sweet delivery down the stand wing helped set-up the first goal. An assist in the second half best illustrates his willingness to work, his skillset. He wins a ball in his own half, gets off a stick pass to Ger Coady who clears. The clearance leads to a ruck underneath the stand, a long ruck, a ruck eventually joined by the lurking James Doyle who emerges with the ball and wins a free that’s pointed. The nitty-gritty and the classy all rolled into one. 6th medal, 11th final

PADDY BOLAND: Noted for his goal scoring prowess with the county team, renowned for a catching hand that this year bore a broken finger injury brunt, Paddy was coming good at the end of the drawn game and exploded in the replay. Playing wing forward rather than closer to the posts, he swapped the pursuit of green flags for that of raising the white flag which he did on six sensational occasions, a fistful in a glorious first half when he also had a hard-working part to play in the construction of the first goal. Almost set up another goal too with a catch-run-and-pass, fouled for the last free which yielded a point, his was a memorable county final performance. 3rd medal, 6th final

MARTY KAVANAGH: You’d often hear old supporters reckon of one of their heroes “that that man would be better on one leg than anyone else on two!” We kind of got to see that in action on Sunday when the Mouse suffered a dead leg around the 25 minute mark. Prior to that he had scored 1-2 from play, the goal after wizardry in the right corner, deeply involved in the assists to 1-2. He’d also piloted over a pair of frees and a ’65’.  That’s 2-8 with two good legs. Now, late in the first half, limping, he points a ’65’ after having a close range free blocked, maybe suggesting he couldn’t get proper purchase with the damaged limb. That thought didn’t last long. Deep in injury time, supposedly stationed close to the posts maybe making his way to the dressing room Mouse finds himself over on the terrace sideline when St Mullins win a line-ball. He takes it quickly, knocking it off an opponent, manufacturing a free that he points. Early second half, Mouse points a ’65’ he limped out to take, then points from play after side-stepping the referee. Later on he points a pressure free close to the stand sideline in front of the irate Rangers mentors, then is involved in the build up to another point. That’s 0-6 on one leg! 2-14 in all, 1-10 himself, 1-3 from play 0-4 frees, 0-3 ’65’, 1-4 in assists. 6th medal, 11th final

JOHN DOYLE: If ever a forward not having a score to his name gives a very wrong impression this play-making performance par excellence by John Doyle is the perfect example. His assist figures are impressive, very impressive … 2-6. Yes, 2-6. But it was the quality of the assists which will live long in the memory, the sleight of hand in the lead up to the first goal, the dovetailing of strength and skill that helped create the second green flag, the catching and hand-passing and flicking that created opportunities for colleagues who knew his intelligence and field craft would find them. 2nd medal, 4th final

JASON O’NEILL: Dropped for the drawn game, came on did his bit. Picked to start the replay, did a lot more than his bit, 1-2 from play, the goal skilfully taken without handling, the points brilliantly taken, a superb point from a line-ball too. Throw in a couple of assists for good measure, 3rd medal, 7th final

JOHN DORAN: Came on late in proceedings, picked up a head injury almost straight away but picked himself up to be coming out with the ball when the sweet final whistle sounded. 7th medal, 14th final

OISIN RYAN: Came on late in proceedings too, provided fresh legs, had played a notable role en route tithe final, particularly in the semi-final replay win over Bagenalstown Gaels.  2nd medal, 6th final