"You are a credit to the people of Ballygunner" 

Ballygunner chairman Dave Sheahan has paid tribute to the players and management that delivered a second AIB All-Ireland Club Senior hurling title for the village after a tremendous 1-20 to 1-14 win over Loughrea at Croke Park on Sunday last.

The team came home to a heroes' welcome on Rice Bridge, where joint-captains Peter Hogan and Mikey Mahony led their teammates across with the Tommy Moore Cup to chants of “Up the Gunners”.

From there, the 37-man panel and management made their way to the Village, where St. Mary’s Church provided the backdrop as the victorious team was called in groups and introduced to the large crowd.

Into the night skies, the famed cup, which the club also won back in 2022, was lifted aloft by Hogan and Mahony to jubilant celebrations, before chairman Sheahan spoke with immense pride about this fantastic achievement.

“It’s a great honour for me to be the chairman of this club, but more importantly, it’s a great honour for me to be part of this entire team,” said Sheahan.

“They’ve done me proud, they’ve done you proud, they’ve done the county proud, they’ve done their parents proud, but most of all, they’ve done the people of Ballygunner proud in what they’ve achieved over the last number of years.

“Nobody could have foreseen 12 years ago where we’ve gotten to today. We can honestly say today that we’ve really reached the golden grail. To win our second Club All-Ireland is something that many clubs would give their right arm for, let alone Ballygunner.

“I want to say a big thanks to each and every one of you for turning out here this evening. I know that a lot of you would have been in Croke Park. I know that there is an expense out upon, but look, that’s what you have to do when you follow a team like Ballygunner.

“I would like to really thank our sponsors. They’ve put their hands in their pockets a lot over the last couple of weeks, and for that, we, as a club, are most grateful. Success comes at a price, and I thank them most sincerely for their support of the players behind me.

Dave Sheahan added: “I would like to thank Jason Ryan. This time last year, we were down in the dumps, and we asked Jason to come on board, which he duly did. The energy that he and Darragh Mulcahy have brought to the club has been phenomenal. Sean O’Neill as well for his work behind the scenes.

“To the backroom team, Fergal, Aidan, and Pakie, you came on board with a target on your back, but ye knew what ye had in front of ye, and ye stood up to it. To the 37 hurlers behind me here, you’ve given me great pride.

“Everybody here knows one of the players personally. Be it brother, son, mother, father, or whatever the case may be. I got beat in an All-Ireland final in 1986, but I never had a bunch of fellas behind me like this bunch of fellas. They are committed to one another, and they are like brothers.

“What they’ve done for this club and this county is second to none. They’ll bring the cup to the schools in the next couple of days. My heart goes out to them for the commitment that they’ve put into it, and they’ve put into it on the biggest stage of all today. You are a credit to the whole of Ballygunner.”