Kilruane MacDonaghs Tipperary champions again after stirring comeback

Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-20 Kiladangan 1-16

Arise, sleeping giants. Kilruane MacDonaghs are Tipperary SHC kingpins for the first time in 37 years after Cian Darcy's two goals fired them to a thrilling comeback victory over neighbours Kiladangan on a 2-20 to 1-16 scoreline.

Behind by five at half-time in this replay, Kilruane hit 2-13 in the second half to Kiladangan’s 0-07, Darcy’s second goal in the 62nd minute pushing the gap out to an unassailable six points. A point would’ve probably been enough but Darcy bulleted the ball to the net from an acute angle to send MacDonaghs’ fans into ecstasy.

Darcy’s first, in the 48th minute, had made it 1-15 to 1-11 after a fine move involving Conor Austin, Kian O’Kelly, and captain Jerome Cahill. Cahill, wearing no.30 instead of 11 as a mark of respect to Dillon Quirke, lifted the Dan Breen Cup and remembered Quirke in his speech.

The Ballygunner scouts among the crowd will be happy to have watched these two go blow-for-blow for another hour; Kilruane now left with a week to celebrate and recover ahead of their Munster SHC quarter-final with the All-Ireland champions at Walsh Park.

It capped a week when two of Tipperary’s All-Ireland club champions of yesteryear, MacDonaghs and Roscrea, lifted silverware. MacDonaghs senior champions again, Roscrea senior again after winning the premier intermediate title.

Kiladangan, meanwhile, will wonder how this got away from them. The club’s golden generation, champions in 2020, suffering a third final loss in seven seasons after a match they dominated for the opening half-half. But Kilruane, already without the injured Craig Morgan, and with man of the match Niall O’Meara hobbling due to a knee injury and Jack Peters also battling through a hamstring