“People said we were done as a team” - Pauric Mahony
Ballygunner's Tadhg Foley and Aaron O’Neill celebrate winning the AIB All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling Championship Final at Croke Park. Photo: INPHO/Dan Clohessy
The Munster final defeat to Sarsfields back in December 2024 lit a fire under Ballygunner, according to an emotional Pauric Mahony, straight after Sunday’s All-Ireland final triumph.
“2022 was the first year we said we were going after an All-Ireland. We’ve gone after it for the last three years, too, and we fell short. It was devastating last December. People said we were done as a team. New men came in again this year, younger lads that drove things on again. This is even sweeter because we were dead and buried, or we were supposed to be dead and buried anyway.”
Thirteen straight wins followed that shock Sars loss. A second Tommy Moore Cup cements their status as a great club side. “So much goes into this, mentally as much as physically. We were broken last year, we were broken, but we came back, and that’s what good teams do. We proved to everyone that we’re a good, proper team.”
Despite being plagued by injury, Pauric has left his mark on this campaign. Only for his introduction against De La Salle in the county semi-final, it could have been a much shorter voyage for Jason Ryan’s men.
The Mahony brothers combined for 1-13 of Ballygunner’s 1-20 on Sunday. Pauric led the way with eight points. Remarkably, this was the first championship game he completed all season. Kevin was a strong contender for Man of the Match with four points from play.
Pauric was delighted to see Mikey step up as well and ripple the cobwebs early in the second half. “Unbelievable. This year, he and Peter took on the captaincy, and they’ve backed it up on the pitch with how they train. That man is in the best condition he has ever been in. He got his rewards again there today.”
