Kilkenny heroes Richie Hogan and Paul Murphy. James Crombie/INPHO

Hogan's 1-1 helps former Kilkenny teammate Murphy lift Leinster club trophy named after father

The pair achieved Leinster intermediate hurling glory with Danesfort.

Danesfort (Kilkenny) 2-15
Ratoath (Meath) 0-12

Paul Keane reports from Navan

RICHIE HOGAN SAID playing a part in helping Paul Murphy lift the cup named after his late father was a special moment and ‘something I’ll never experience again’.

Former Hurler of the Year Hogan came off the bench in Navan and fired 1-1 as Danesfort came from six points down to claim the Leinster club IHC title.

The 37-year-old Hogan hadn’t played all year and only returned to training three weeks ago but had a huge impact as the team reeled off 2-9 without response.

But even Hogan’s cameo was put in the shade by the emotional story around his former Kilkenny colleague Murphy who jointly lifted the Tommy Murphy Cup, a piece of silverware named after his Dad.

Danesfort clubman Tommy passed away in 2004 having served as a Kilkenny county board chairman and with the Leinster Council. Asked where he’d rank the achievement of winning a Leinster title with his club, Hogan said it was a ‘fantastic’ and memorable afternoon.

“How many times in our lifetime are you going to see a fella lift his father’s cup?” said Hogan. “That’s just magnificent stuff. I don’t know if it’s happened before. We’ve tried to do it before and we were always very quiet about that aspect of it because we didn’t want to jinx anything.

“It wasn’t looking too good with 25 minutes to go. But that’s something I’ll never experience again, whatever about winning a Leinster championship with the club. That alone, seeing Paul lifting that cup, was amazing.”

Hosts and Meath senior champions Ratoath were 0-12 to 0-6 ahead with just over 15 minutes to go when Hogan was sprung from the Danesfort bench. He had an immediate impact, scoring 1-1, winning a free that was converted and taking two other shots at goal.

“This was my first game, I’m back three weeks,” said the seven-time All-Ireland medallist. “I wasn’t involved at all in the county final or the county championship. They’ve done magnificently well. I’m not trying to jump in and take all the glory, it’s definitely not what I want to do. I just wanted to play some part in it and put the shoulder to the wheel if I could.”

Four-time All-Star Hogan battled a back injury throughout his inter-county career. He called it quits with the Cats in 2023 and will be expected to feature again in Danesfort’s pre-Christmas All-Ireland club semi-final against Tipperary’s Upperchurch-Drombane.

“I’m not too bad at the minute,” he said of his fitness. “A year of a break has done me well. I train a couple of days a week, do a bit of gym work. Just to be involved is magnificent. I wouldn’t be playing 60 or 70 minutes at this stage but just to be down training is great. I’ve said this and people don’t believe me – just being there training is magic.”

Danesfort scorers: Anthony Ireland Wall 0-5 (0-3f), Sam Hayes 1-1, R Hogan 1-1, Paddy Hogan 0-2 (0-2f), R Walsh 0-2, Cathal Kearney 0-1 (0-1f), Daire O’Neill 0-1, Cathal O’Neill 0-1, Fionn Mahony 0-1.

Ratoath scorers: Padraig O’Hanrahan 0-10 (0-8f), Daithi McGowan 0-1, Darragh Kelly 0-1.

Danesfort: Paddy Hogan; Adam Byrne, Diarmuid Phelan, Darragh Coverdale; Des Dunne, Paul Murphy, Daire O’Neill; Cathal Kearney, Cathal O’Neill; Robbie Walsh, Dan Dowling, Sam Hayes; Anthony Ireland Wall, Colm Phelan, Fionn Mahony.

Subs: Richie Hogan for Phelan 44, Aiden Cowley for Dowling 57.

Ratoath: Colm O’Riordan; Liam Corbett, Ben McGowan, Conor McGill; Niall McLarnon, Darragh Kelly, Domhnall Rogers; Ciaran O’Hanrahan, Jack McGowan; Rob Hayes, Daithi McGowan, Padraig O’Hanrahan; Bryan McMahon, Cian Rogers, Gavin McGowan.

Subs: Tomas Corbett for Hayes 55.

Referee: Conor Daly (Kildare).

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