Ging and son help Tinahely end 40 years of hurt in Wicklow final

Tinahely 0-16 Baltinglass 2-09

Tinahely ended a 40-year famine when they clinched the Wicklow senior football crown thanks to a 0-16 to 2-09 victory over Baltinglass in a thrilling decider in Echelon Park.

Trailing by six points at half-time, Martin Ging's men produced a superb second-half display as they employed savage energy and remarkable dynamism in a cauldron-like atmosphere, against such a formidable opponent as Baltinglass.

The sublime kicking of Matthew Ging and his overall display earned the inside forward the man of the match award, the victory and his performance made all the sweeter for the fact that his father is the team manager.

Ging’s scoring heroics helped to pull Tinahely back level with Barry Hayes’ side as the clock headed for 60 minutes but, in the end, the winning of the match fell to Wicklow star Eoin D’Arcy who converted a free from 40 out into the town end with the breeze at his back.

When that ball dropped in over the crossbar the entire village of Tinahely erupted in the stand and terraces and when referee Darragh Byrne sounded the final whistle, a wave of joy and relief swept over the crowd, who flooded on to the pitch to celebrate with their heroes who had finally banished the talk of 1984.

In his captain’s speech, the outstanding Michael Byrne said that they had heard about Vinnie Harvey and the win of 1984 for 40 years but that from now on it was Martin Ging and the victory of 2024.

Goals from John McGrath and Chris Heaslip in the opening half helped the Slaneysiders to that 2-07 to 0-07 half-time lead, but while things had been looking bleak for Tinahely, they finished the half strongly with points from Eoin D’Arcy and Matthew Ging to leave just six between the sides with the wind at their