Brilliant Brickeys rise to the senior ranks
Brickey Rangers Captain Oran Keevers hold the Cup High much to the delight of Team Mates and Young Supporters following thev presentation by Sean Michael O’Regan, Chairman Co.GAABoard. Photo Sean Byrne
Fraher Field turned into a sea of black and amber on a sunny Saturday evening as Brickey Rangers fans spilled onto the pitch to celebrate their third county final success in four years. The Bushy Park club will play senior hurling in 2025. They were junior as recently as 2021.
It took a while before captain Oran Keevers collected the Pat Hunt Cup. Keevers told the crowd that the management team of Robert Shortall, Tommy Lynch and Micheál Gee stepped away after last year’s intermediate win. The three wisemen returned however. “We knew this was here for us if we knuckled down and ye sniffed it as well.”
In the middle of the field, proud Brickeys clubman Eddie O’Grady recalled how he trained them to the Junior B championship back in 2000. They have come a long way since then.
These sides drew 2-20 apiece in the first round of the championship and this final turned into another shootout. Ten players scored for the Brickeys while nine scored for Clashmore/Kinsalebeg.
Clashmore led 0-19 to 1-11 after 40 minutes. They hit five points without reply at the start of the second half against the breeze. Brian O’Halloran returned from injury and rolled back the years at full forward. The 2010 Munster medallist struck five from play off left and right. Surprisingly, he was called ashore after 43 minutes. The number ten looked as stunned as everyone else.
With O’Halloran in the stand, the Brickeys defence settled down and Tom O’Connell caught fire up front. Nine white flags on the trot turned the game on its head. O’Connell raised five of them into the country goal and created one for Conor Whelan. The Waterford footballer totalled eight points and collected the man of the match award. Sean Ronayne also stepped up with three second half efforts and four all told as the Brickeys outscored their opponents 12-3 in the last 23 minutes. Full forward Cormac Deevy delivered 1-2 in the first half. Mark Cummins shadowed Clashmore goal machine Josh Fitzgerald throughout and kept him scoreless.
Brian O’Halloran was Clashmore’s top performer. Tadhg De Burca slotted five long range frees while Sam Fitzgerald drove forward from number five all evening.
The sides were level nine times during an end to end first half as they went in all square (0-14 to 1-11). Brickeys goal getter Cormac Deevy beat three defenders as he cut in along the end line and rattled the roof of the net after just 90 seconds. His seventh green flag of the championship.
With wind assistance, Clashmore/Kinsalebeg responded with four unanswered points. Tadhg De Burca belted over two monster frees while cousins Ed and Brian O'Halloran scored from play. Brian ended the opening half on four points while Sam Fitzgerald surged forward to shoot two. Clashmore cursed nine wides however. Deevy delivered 1-2 at the other end. Amazingly, 17 players got on the scoresheet.
The first five points of the second period belonged to Clashmore. De Burca and Paul O'Connor put over two frees each while O'Halloran hit his fifth from play (0-19 to 1-11).
A Tom O’Connell point in front of the stand brought the Brickeys back to life. A black and amber purple patch turned a five point deficit into a four point advantage. O’Connell accounted for five and assisted one for Conor Whelan with a pinpoint crossfield pass. Sean Ronayne struck two and rolled up his sleeves to win a free which O’Connell converted. Peter Cummins also worked the umpires as they went 1-20 to 0-19 ahead.
O'Connor and Ronan Fitzgerald narrowed the gap to two before the hard working Ronayne scored again. O'Connell punched the air when he split the posts in front of the bank. His sixth second half point. Cillian Ryan, Oran Keevers and Mark Cummins kept Clashmore at bay in the closing minutes as substitute Dan Kelly sealed another famous win in injury time.
Tom O’Connell 0-8 (4fs), Cormac Deevy 1-2, Sean Ronayne 0-4, Conor Whelan, Peter Cummins 0-2 each, Cillian Ryan, Cormac O’Grady, Sean Lennon, Brendan Cullinane, Dan Kelly 0-1 each.
Brian O’Halloran, Tadhg De Burca (5fs) 0-5 each, Paul O’Connor 0-4 (4fs), Sam Fitzgerald, Ed O’Halloran 0-2 each, Declan Allen, Aidan Trihy, Ronan Fitzgerald, Brian Lynch 0-1 each.
Jamie Kiely; Cillian Ryan, Oran Keevers, Conor Browne; Mark Cummins, Philly Walsh, Niall Browne; Cormac O’Grady, Sean Lennon; Conor Whelan, Brendan Cullinane, Sean Ronayne; Tom O’Connell, Cormac Deevy, Peter Cummins.
Conor Phelan for Conor Browne (8), Dan Kelly for Cullinane (58).
Ed Donovan; Danny O’Mahony, Ciaran Bourke, Darragh O’Neill; Sam Fitzgerald, Tadhg De Burca, Cian Ryan; Declan Allen, Aidan Trihy; Brian Lynch, Ronan Fitzgerald, Josh Fitzgerald; Paul O’Connor, Brian O’Halloran, Ed O’Halloran.
Shane Coughlan for Brian O’Halloran (43), Cillian O’Keeffe for Allen (46), Jim Scanlon for Ronan Fitzgerald (61).
Seaghan Walsh
Tom O’Connell takes it just ahead of Sean Ronayne.
Those nine unanswered points from the Brickeys.
Why did Clashmore take off Brian O’Halloran?
Both clubs will be in senior football action this weekend.
