Doherty’s charges Mullingar bound
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship 2024
Thomastown vs Castletown Geoghegan
Sunday, TEG Cusack Park,
(1:30pm throw-in)
Thomastown will take to the provincial stage on Sunday when they face-off against Castletown Geoghegan at TEG Cusack Park (Throw-in 1:30pm) in an AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final. Having secured a first Kilkenny senior title since 1946, they will head to Mullingar full of confidence, and no doubt draw on their successful Leinster intermediate campaign last season, when they triumphed at that grade.
First up for Noel Doherty’s charges are Westmeath champions, Castletown Geoghegan, who are no strangers to provincial matters, having being crowned senior champions in the Lake County no fewer than fifteen times. Reading up on Thomastown’s opponents, there is a serious link to Noreside. It was a Kilkenny man that helped ignite the hurling passion in Castletown – Mick Byrne who was employed in the local train station, began organising training games and a team was then entered into the junior hurling championship wearing black and amber stripped jersey’s, something that would remain as a permanent reminder to the team’s Marble City links.
Alan Mangan is still at the helm, having led his team into battle against Shamrocks Ballyhale a couple of seasons ago, when they were comprehensively dismantled by Pat Hoban’s outfit by a whopping 25 points. Having secured the Westmeath Examiner Perpetual Trophy at the second time of asking with a 7-point victory over Lough Lene Gaels, Thomastown’s opponents enter the Leinster clash as underdogs, but that won’t deter this side.
As usual, the Castletown Geoghegan charge was led by the vastly experienced Niall O’Brien, who contributed an impressive tally of 0-10 to his sides total of 1-27. Thomastown will know that any ill-discipline is likely to be punished by the Westmeath intercounty star. So much of what Alan Mangan’s side does revolves round the influence of O’Brien who has notched 2-46 in his six championship games to date and the talented stickman will look to propel his club to the last four of this season’s provincial campaign. Indeed, it was the talismanic O’Brien’s probing delivery that corner forward David O’Reilly collected struck to the net, that gave their side a huge boost in the opening minutes of their county final.
UL Student O’Reilly hit an eye catching 1-5 in the win over Lough Lene Gaels, and is coming into the Leinster competition in very good nick. Other members of the attacking division, Liam Varley, Conor Murphy and Jack Gallagher have also been weighing-in with telling contributions this season, and Noel Doherty’s defensive unit will need to curb the Westmeath men’s enthusiasm on Sunday.
Castletown Geoghegan’s rearguard has come in for praise this season, with manager Mangan claiming his full-back line would be a match for most attackers. One of their top performing markers, Naoise McKenna is due to travel to Oz, and it remains to be seen if these plans change, to allow the defensive star to line out against Thomastown. The likes of Johnnie Bermingham, Aaron Glennon and Jack Murphy will look to snuff out the threat of Donnelly’s Stephen, Robbie and county star John along with Colm Treacy. The Westmeath sides netminder, Ciaran O’Brien should expect a busy afternoon in Mullingar, but he was in good form in the county final, pulling off a great stop to deny a certain goal for Tommy Doyle.
Having been laid up for the guts of six weeks, Castletown had plenty of time to ponder and prepare ahead of their county decider and Mangan’s men will be all the better for their win over Lough Lene Gaels. Securing a second title in three years is testament to the work that former county star Alan Managan has done with this panel, and the jovial boss made reference to the fact that it’s a really competitive squad of players that are giving their absolute all to push on and crack the provincial puzzle.
Just like two seasons ago, its Noreside opposition that will tackle Castletown in a last eight clash. Thomastown have certainly not surprised themselves this year, they have simply carried on their stunning intermediate form into the senior ranks. Noel Doherty has been the man that has masterminded the ‘Town’s return to the top table of hurling in Kilkenny. The biggest compliment you could pay this team, is that they didn’t look raw when coming up against seasoned senior clubs like, Shamrocks Ballyhale, James Stephens and Bennettsbridge.
Over the past 12 months, this Thomastown side has been maturing like a fine wine. Clearly, intercounty star John Donnelly, rightfully, gets many of the plaudits as he has been a serious operator for both club and county for a period of time, and is arguably one of the finest hurlers on the Island currently, something that Castletown’s manager as stated in the buildup to Sunday’s clash. But as all on Noreside know, there’s more to this ‘Town team than JD. The Donnelly name runs right through Noel Doherty’s side, each with their own stamp on the team.
At centre back, Eddie is a highly intelligent hurler, that can sweep or mark, but can always be guaranteed to get on lots of ball, indeed for many he was one of the top performers in both their semi and final clashes. Robbie is the placed ball specialist and can be counted on to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and should he outscore Niall O’Brien, the route to victory over Castletown could be a little smoother. Making a nuisance of himself in and around the full-forward line is Stephen, who has come back from injury with a bang and will be a goal threat in Mullingar.
Thomastown’s mix of youth and experience has served them well in recent times, the Connellan’s, Peter, Luke and Rory, former captain Peter McDonald along with the all-action and dynamic Zac Bay Hammond knit together well with Jay Bourke, the Donnelly’s and the evergreen Jon Joe Farrell who rolled back the years with his impressive showing in the county final win over O’Loughlin Gaels. Brian Staunton was handed the job of shackling Kerry man Fionan Mackessy in UPMC Nowlan Park and he did some job on the kingdom star.
The impact off the bench is always crucial, but more so at this time of the year, with pitch condition not always the best. This could be the area that really swings things in favour of the Kilkenny champions. The vastly experienced Thomas ‘Tucker’ O’Hanrahan is a great weapon to unload in the latter stages of games, while young Jack Holden is a very lively option in attack too. Thomastown will hope that first choice goalkeeper Diarmuid Galway is fit to resume between the sticks, but they know that in Paul Barron, they have a more than capable deputy.
Mullingar awaits for both Castletown Geoghegan and Thomastown on Sunday and those in attendance will hope for a game of great quality, but for both quarter finalists, its all about the result, and we hope that the ‘Town will be semifinal bound come late Sunday afternoon.
