Walter Walsh helps drive Tullogher Rosbercon to All-Ireland glory

Tullogher Rosbercon (Kilkenny) 2-21 St Catherine's (Cork) 1-13

A terrific first-half performance lit up by the brilliance of Kilkenny star Walter Walsh propelled Tullogher Rosbercon to AIB All-Ireland club junior hurling championship glory.

Walsh was just 17 in 2009 when his club came up short of Dripsey in that season's junior decider, but they made amends with a comprehensive win over another Cork side 15 years on.

And Kilkenny star Walsh played a key role with a terrific first-half solo goal which helped put the Leinster champions 11 points up after just 20 minutes and he finished with 1-03 to his name.

They led by that same 11-point margin at half-time and full-time, and ultimately had far too much craft and ability for their outgunned opponents.

Marty Murphy struck the other Tullogher Rosbercon goal while Cian O’Donoghue helped himself to 10 points and Pat Hartley was player of the match from centre half-back.

Having blasted 18 goals since capturing the Kilkenny title, it was another impressive show of their scoring ability from Michael Doyle’s side who are the 11th Kilkenny team to claim the national junior crown.

St Catherine’s dared to dream after bouncing back from their county final defeat – victors Erin’s Own couldn’t compete in Munster because it was their second team – with a strong provincial campaign that included a win over former All-Ireland junior winners Ardmore of Waterford.

But they struggled to put Sligo champions Easkey away at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, winning by 0-12 to 0-11, and were under real pressure straight away here.

It didn’t help that they were shorn of key figures like Daniel Mangan and Darragh Morrison through injuries picked up earlier in the campaign, though both were named as