Results
Offaly senior hurling final
- Shinrone 0-26 Kilcormac-Killoughey 2-13
Laois senior hurling final
- Clough-Ballacolla 1-24 Camross 0-16
Kilkenny senior hurling championship
- James Stephens 2-18 Dicksboro 1-18 (semi-final)
- Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-27 Clara 0-15 (quarter-final)
Westmeath senior hurling final
- Castletown Geoghegan 0-22 Clonkill 1-14
*****
COUNTY TITLE GLORY arrived for the senior hurling clubs of Shinrone in Offaly, Clough-Ballacolla in Laois and Castletown Geoghegan in Westmeath, while James Stephens and Ballyhale Shamrocks progressed in the Kilkenny senior hurling championship.
The story of the day belonged to Shinrone in Offaly as they made a superb breakthrough to win their first county senior hurling title.
They did in style with a seven-point success as they posted 0-26 on the board in the final in Tullamore. It was more impressive when considering this was the club’s first final appearance since 1960, while Kilcormac-Killoughey have been recent standard-bearers as they chased their fifth Offaly title since 2012.
The winners were in front 0-10 to 0-8 at the interval and pushed on impressively in the second half. Derek Morkan was their top scorer with 0-7, with others like Ciaran Cleary (0-5), Killian and Jason Sampson (0-4 apiece) impressed for Shinrone.
Ger Healion and Cillian Kiely netted for Kilcormac-Killoughey but they had no answer to the new Offaly kingpins, who will face Kildare winner Naas in the Leinster club championship in November.
In Laois it was a familiar winning story as Clough-Ballacolla completed senior three-in-a-row in the final at the expense of Camross.
Last year’s Leinster club finalists, managed by new Tipperary selector Declan Laffan, had 11 points to spare. Stephen Maher fired 0-10 with Willie Dunphy scoring 1-5 for the winners, while Zane Keenan scored 0-8 for Camross.
Clough-Ballacollia will now play the Dublin champions in the Leinster quarter-final.
In Kilkenny the first senior hurling place was nailed down by James Stephens today as they defeated Dicksboro in an all-city clash by 2-18 to 1-18.
County senior Conor Browne pounced for his team’s crucial second goal in the 50th minute that helped them prevail. Eoin Guilfoyle had netted to put them ahead 1-11 to 0-10 at the interval. Niall Brassil was their top scorer with 0-9 while Andy Gaffney scored 1-8 for Dicksboro.
James Stephens will compete in the final for the first time since 2019 and will be chasing their first title since 2011. In both those deciders they took on Ballyhale Shamrocks, who advanced to the semi-final today with their success in the quarter-final against Clara.
Adrian Mullen scored the only goal of the game as Ballyhale ran out victors by 15 points and will now meet Tullaroan at the last four stage.
And finally today in Westmeath, there was joy at last for Castletown Geoghegan, winners by five points over Clonkill.
Champions in 2017, Castletown Geoghegan had lost the last three county finals in Westmeath, but atoned today with sharpshooters Niall O’Reilly (0-8), David O’Reilly (0-4) and Mick Heeney (0-3) all pointing the way.
