Last eight clashes deliver plenty of drama on Noreside
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship 2026
After another rip-roaring weekend of action at headquarters, we now know the four clubs that will challenge for a place in the 2026 St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship final. Bennettsbridge will take on Tullaroan, while Thomastown and current champions, Shamrocks Ballyhale will lock horns for the second time this season, having clashed in the recent league final. These promise to be two exciting encounters as the battle of the Tom Walsh Cup reaches the penultimate stage.
Saturday saw the first of the double headers at UPMC Nowlan Park, first up was the meeting of Graigue Ballycallan and Bennettsbridge. Going into this last eight game, the men from Tom Ryall Park had reason to feel confident, having had their best season in a while, the same could not be said of their opponents Bennettsbridge, who found themselves in a relegation semifinal with Danesfort recently. Both sides appeared a little nervous in the opening exchanges, passes going astray, uncharacteristic wide. Aaron McEvoy struck the games first score, but the ‘Bridge hit back with a trio of scores courtesy of Eoin Walpole, veteran Nicky Cleere and Hugh O’Neill. GBC deadlocked matters within ten minutes, thanks to points from Ryan Corcoran and a second placed ball effort of the afternoon from McEvoy.
The bustling Liam Blanchfield registered the first of his two points, just ahead of a yellow card being shown by referee John Dooley to Enda Morrissey for a clear pull of a sky-blue jersey. Nicky Cleere popped over a second free, but a trio of frees from the deadly McEvoy saw GBC move into a 2-point lead. This lead was reduced to the bare minimum when Sean Morrissey split the posts with 20 minutes played. Then came a big moment in the first of the quarter final encounters. A heavy challenge by Enda Morrissey gave referee Dooley no option, but to issue a second yellow, then the colour red. Sean Ryan struck a fine point, but it was Brian Lannon’s charges that hit the remaining three scores of the opening period, a pair of frees from Nicky Cleere and a second of the game from the more attacking minded Blanchfield to leave the hooped side ahead by one at the interval.
When play resumed, Sean Ryan fired over a nice score, but the next score was to be a major one. A probing ball into Liam Blanchfield saw the towering full forward claim possession before he popped a pass to Eoin Walpole and the minor player showed great maturity to fire beyond Sean McGrath in the Ballycallan goal. 14-man Bennettsbridge now three clear, a big moment in the last eight clash. Richie O’Neill’s side responded with a point from Aaron McEvoy, but with a spring in their step, the Bridge fired over the next two points, Hugh O’Neill and intercounty star, David Blanchfield the white flag raisers. The Tom Ryall Park side dug in and tagged on scores from centre back Billy O’Neill and Tommy Ronan, the arrears down to two points. With 40 minutes on the clock, Nicky Cleere popped over another free, but two of the same from Aaron McEvoy a nice point from Jesse Roberts saw the sides level with about twelve minutes remaining.
A lovely sideline cut from Jamie Harkin and a free from Alex O’Farrell saw the Bridge move two clear again, but GBC responded with two fine points from main man McEvoy and the lively Ryan Corcoran to deadlock matters once more, but those would be the last scores registered by the sky blues in the contest. Bennettsbridge pushed on, striking three further scores, including a fine effort from Charlie Fitzgerald to run out 3-point winners and secure the first of the semifinal berths.
Next up was the meeting of Thomastown and Clara; the bookies heavily favoring Noel Doherty’s charges. The Grennan based side came out of the blocks quickly, establishing a 5-point lead inside six minutes, Clan Donnelly responsible for all scores, a trio of placed balls from Robbie added to be nice efforts from Stephen and John. Clara had to make an early change, Matt Kenny being replaced by Joe Power and it would be the substitute that registered the maroon-clad sides first score of the afternoon. This set the relegation survivors on their way and they notched the next three scores, a brace from speedster Rory Glynn and a free from skipper, Chris Bolger. The Town responded with scores from Midfielder Ben Nevin and Luke Connellan. Rory Glynn notched his third of the day and in doing so reduce the arrears to two points, but Donnelly’s Robbie and Stephen split the Clara posts along with a second of the game from Luke Connellan. Once again, the Thomastown lead was sitting at 5 points.
A free from Conor O’Shea was wiped out immediately by another quickfire trio of scores from Doherty’s men to give the 2024 champions a commanding 7-point lead. The last thing Fintan Deegan’s side needed was to concede a major score, and that’s exactly what happened, Daithi Barron firing beyond the experienced Kevin Nolan. This clearly rattled Clara, as Thomastown hit the next four points in a three-minute spell to push the lead to fourteen. The men in maroon fired over two points before the interval, but the Clara net was about to bulge once more. John Donnelly showed great power and strength before passing to Daithi Barron, who for the second time gave Kevin Nolan no chance. The Town leading by 15 points at the short whistle, the bookies proved right again. To their credit, Clara showed great character in the second period. They registered four points on the resumption of play before the boys in blue scored, but the Town hit another three without reply. Dara Glynn goaled and this left twelve between the sides, but you felt that Noel Doherty’s outfit were playing within themselves and capable of going through the gears if required. Clara kept plugging away, but white flags were not going to cut it, given the deficit. Both sides traded scores, and those in maroon won the scoring battle in the second half, but the damage had been done. Thomastown advance to the last four with ease, tougher tests ahead.
Sunday’s action at Kilkenny HQ didn’t disappoint either, and if anything provided even more drama and excitement then the previous day’s fare. First onto the hallowed turf were the O’Loughlin Gaels and Tullaroan players, and this clash had a little bit of everything. The city side started quickly and held a 3-point lead early on, thanks to a brace of points from rising star Ruarc Sweeney. Under the guidance of Dave Mulcahy, this Sash team has been a serious attacking threat and this proved to be the case when in the 9th minute Padraig Walsh played a play into the forward line. Mossy Keoghan got out in front of his marker collected possession before racing clear of Eoin O’Shea and striking a fierce shot beyond Loughs netminder, Stephen Murphy.
Tullaroan keeper Niall Holland struck over another long-range free, while Shane Walsh registered two of his own, but Brian Hogan’s outfit replied via a brace from Sweeney. The speedy Cian Byrne popped over a lovely score, but again the Sweeney vs Shane Walsh battle continued, the placed ball men sharing four points with a nice Jamie Ryan effort in the mix also. The last two scores of an intriguing game of hurling came from The Sash, Mossy Keoghan and Dylan Simpson raising white flags to leave Mulcahy’s men four to the good at the short whistle.
When John Kennedy got play back underway, Shane Walsh tagged on another placed ball, while his captain, Bill Gaffney and the hard-working Gearoid Dunne got on the scoresheet with only one free from O’Loughlin’s in reply. Robbie Buckley notched a tidy score on 48 minutes, but again Shane Walsh fired over a brace of points to leave the Tullaroan lead at seven. Ruarc Sweeney collected another duo of scores, while Buckley registered his second of the afternoon. Dunne hit another quality score, while Peter Walsh rifled over a cracking point; the Sash lead sitting at four points. As the game entered additional time, there was drama at both ends of UPMC Nowlan Park. Gearoid Dunne was guilty of squandering a great opportunity, but quickly showed his defensive nous, diving to prevent the rampaging Loughs captain, Paddy Deegan striking for goal. Hogan’s men were pushing, knowing a major score was required, but this left space and that void was filled by sub; Ciallin Brennan who struck his sides second goal, which appeared to be the insurance score for Mulchay’s team. In a game of high excitement, there was another goal, one from Ruarc Sweeney, but time was not on the St Johns Park side, game set and match Tullaroan.
The last of the quarter finals saw two teams from the South of the county go head-to-head. Reigning champions Shamrocks Ballyhale would have been expecting a real battle from the Pairc na Ratha men, and that’s exactly what developed at UPMC Nowlan Park. It would be one of their intercounty stars, Adrian Mullen, that reminded everyone of his class and quality, as the flame-haired stickman notching 0-6 from play as his side won out by five points at the long whistle. The emergence of Niall Shortall as an influential ‘starter’ in the Shamrocks side has been a real bonus for Mark Aylward and the former St Kieran’s student struck another goal, benefiting from some nice play by Jake Mullen and the inform Brian Cody to leave the Tom Walsh holders with a five-point lead after eighteen minutes of action. Seamie Dollard’s side, like they always do, hit back with scores from captain Ian Byrne, Billy Reid and Darragh Hartley to help deadlock matters. Further points followed for Shamrocks, another sumptuous sideline cut from TJ, and scores from Bian Cody and young Cathal Coogan as the Holden Plant Rentals sponsored side headed to the changing rooms with a 3-point lead.
When play resumed, Glenmore manufactured a couple of decent goal-scoring chances, but the experienced Ger Aylward and Cathal Beirne couldn’t raise the green flags necessary to really hurt their opponent, Dean Mason called into action to deny the first opportunity. TJ converted his opening free in the 45th minute, midway through a run of Shamrocks scores, six unanswered points which gave them some breathing space in a tightly contested last eight clash. TJ struck again from play, and Cody’s Eoin and Brian and another three points for the holders as they led by 7 points with about 3 minutes of normal time remaining. Seamie Dollard’s charges kept plugging away and registered two further points, courtesy of their captain, Ian Byrne and Ger Aylward, but when Owen Beehan sounded the long whistle, the margin was five.
