Enjoying the club scene more than I thought
Fourmilewater's Jamie Barron was a constant threat throughout the game to the Lismore defence.
The sun is splitting the rocks, I’ve been to a ton of matches and seen some quality hurling - and amidst it all, I managed to not even get sunburnt. I call that a rare weekend, and one of the good ones.
Burning the midnight oil into the early hours of Monday morning having filed various reports, I certainly don’t feel as if it was a weekend that could’ve been better spent doing anything else - given some of the quality performances I was lucky enough to see.
Quality and Ballygunner go hand in hand. Their second half performance against De La Salle was reminiscent of their brilliant best. Ruthless, rhythmic and unerringly clinical all in a poetic motion. They play the game on their own terms and you best not dare try and challenge - or you will fast be reminded as to why they are considered kings of this land.
We’ve grown accustomed down the years to seeing Pauric Mahony and Dessie Hutchinson captivate alongside Peter Hogan, Conor Sheahan and company - but watching the youngsters like Kevin Mahony, Conor Tobin and Patrick Fitzgerald starting to lead the charge is a wonderful sight. I also got to watch the next class coming through the conveyor belt a night prior, as Ballygunner ‘B’ took on Dungarvan in Carrickbeg.
Being a Dungarvan man, it was a frustrating watch - but Ballygunner B were deserving of a draw having fought back valiantly from eight behind, and in truth, at the end - they probably should’ve even won it. Gavin Corbett, Jake Foley and Cathal O’Sullivan don’t look one bit out of place at senior level - and it is exemplifying of Ballygunner’s embarrassment of riches that they can afford to field them on a ‘B’ panel.
Things might not be looking too good for Dungarvan at the minute, but seeing the likes of Ryan McGovern, Eddie Burke, Billy Hickey and Pierce Quann in action - even if this year goes wrong, you are comforted by the sense that there is a promising spine to build around in years to come.
Some of what we have seen has almost been lost on the terraces to talk of what we haven’t seen. We haven’t yet seen many of the household names in Waterford hurling line out for their clubs in 2026.
No Pauric Mahony as of yet, Austin Gleeson was absent for Mount Sion on Sunday, no Patrick Curran for Dungarvan, Ballysaggart are without Stephen Bennett at the grade below and Tallow have no Tommy Ryan. While I’m sure we will see many of the aforementioned in time to come, this weekend was about new kids on the block.
Aaron Ryan hit 2-11 for Fourmilewater and Sean Walsh struck 2-2. They were outstanding against Lismore. Charlie Treen hit Ferrybank for 1-7 from play for Abbeyside Ballinacourty. He looks sharper than ever and is only getting better. Caolán MacCraith was infallible for An Rinn against Portlaw, hitting 2-10. There was nothing he couldn’t do, and very little he did wrong.
Mark Fitzgerald knocked over 0-6 from play in a man-of-the-match display for Passage. Roanmore handed out a couple of debuts in their success against Mount Sion. Many of the All-Ireland winning minors’ names will adorn these pages as part of the weekend scoresheets. There is good talent coming through and long may it continue.
While it looks like there’ll be no beating Ballygunner again, there are plenty of teams who have caught the eye amongst the chasing pack. Roanmore look as good as ever, Fourmilewater are establishing a ruthless streak and Abbeyside Ballinacourty are showing glimpses of their best.
The Premier Intermediate Championship is also a great source of entertainment. Portlaw have laid down markers as have the Brickey Rangers, while An Rinn made a statement of intent and Tallow, a team we’ve become so accustomed to as a regular senior quantity, look devoid of ideas at the minute.
There are six games a weekend at senior level and ten of real quality to take in when premier intermediate runs concurrently - and there have been some real quality games in the opening exchanges of championship cut and thrust. That’s before you even get to intermediate or junior games, and they have also given a fair share of entertainment to patrons.
Last year I took aim at the county board on player welfare grounds for not having a break weekend and the amount of injuries that reared their head resultantly. It’s good that they listened to the concerns raised by players and management and implemented a break weekend to come after this weekend’s action. Common sense prevails.
Whether or not an announcement will be made in days ahead concerning a new senior hurling manager remains to be seen. By my sources, who have not always been spot on - it’ll certainly be a West Waterford man who takes the reins. Whoever he is, he’ll have been given plenty of food for thought for what July has had to offer at local level so far.
I’d much rather be here writing previews in advance of an All-Ireland Final akin to what my media colleagues in Limerick and Galway are doing right about now - but I’m not and that’s life. It should be a real quality final between the Treaty and the Tribesmen. As much as I enjoy watching Galway, this Limerick team are deserving of another All-Ireland crown to round out their era as arguably the greatest hurling team we’ve had the pleasure to witness.
I witnessed the best club team I’ve ever seen dismantle another supposed challenger on Sunday, and I’m expecting the same on an inter-county scale this Sunday coming.
People who say hurling is dying love to point out that no one’s hurling in the height of summer. They obviously don’t go to club matches. Without club, the GAA is nothing - and I love it most because it reminds me of the game in its purest form, the sense of community pouring through and stripping things right back to the original ethos. You cannot beat it.
The World Games will have begun by the time you read this piece. The sun is here to stay another while yet and there’s more quality games to look forward to this weekend. People love to give out, none more so than here in Waterford - but I haven’t had much to malign this week, so there’s no point in giving out for the sake of it.
This time next week England could be world champions though. On that note, I could have some bones to pick next Tuesday.
