The Nire celebrate 21st Anniversary of first senior county final win with a seventh county final win

In Ireland certain mile-stones are marked. Not many of us get to celebrate our 100^th Birthday and when ones come’s around, it is only right to celebrate the occasion. For many of us, down the years our 21^st Birthday was a big occasion. That in more recent years transferred to out 18th.

It’s not only Birthday’s that we celebrate. Other Anniversary’s such as marriage ones and other significant occasions are also marked.

The 21^st is something that many of us celebrate and this past weekend one team within the county celebrate a significant 21^st.

A teacher I had at Saint Anne’s Post Primary School in Cappoquin (one I can’t remember the name of at this moment) often said to me, often sarcastically when I might have been bored out my mind or paying little attention (which often happened) in a class used to say that time flies when you are enjoying yourself.

Shortly before the start of this year’s JJ Kavanagh & Sons County Senior Football Championship final between The Nire and Stradbally, for some reason something came into my mind. It was 21 years since The Nire won their first ever Senior Football Championship when they beat Dungarvan 2-7 to 1-9 on a very wet day at Cappoquin, the last venue outside of Fraher Field or Walsh Park used to stage such a final, and in winning they denied the Old Boro what would have been a four in a row of finals.

That was a day that I remember well. The rain that fell that day was terrible but it did not stop a big crowd gathering to see the game. I was one of the lucky one’s that day, I was able to get into the sideline and sit in the dug out along side a man that would in later years become a friend of mine Irish Examiner journalist – John A Murphy. Johnnie as he was known to so many was not a native Dungarvan man, but he was it like the Normans back along the years who became more Irish than the Irish themselves, Johnnie became more of a Dungarvan Man in his 60 plus years in the Old Boro than many a person born and who lived in Dungarvan all their lives. During the game, not for the first time and not for the last when Dungarvan were playing, Johnnie got very excited on the day and more over when Dungarvan were behind and making mistakes. After the match, heading back to the car parked near Lincons shop there was at least one Dungarvan man that was not too down in the dumps about the win as well known Dungarvan singer Joey Sullivan had many people standing listening to him sing despite the rain that was falling.

In previewing the game before the final, I said I would love to see the club next door my own club (Sliabh gCua/St Mary’s) pull off a win in a county final just as another club on the other side of the parish – Modeligo had done a week earlier at the same venue, but said I felt that Stradbally would come out on top.

After it clicking that The Nire was looking to win a seventh county senior football final twenty-one years after they won their first senior county final, I was wondering could they mark that win with a win. After all would there be a better way of celebrating that first win. Stradbally went into the game as favourites, but favourites do not always win, even in a two horse race.

On the day, there could be no disputing the fact that the better team won on the day. All over the field they won every battle.

Teenager Conor Gleeson was the press member’s choice as Man of the Match on the day, scoring five points in his first senior final, which is no mean achievement. But in truth the award could have gone to a number of other players as Brian Wall one of two 35 year olds starting the game was also magnificent, as was younger brother Diarmuid while Michael O’Gorman also had an outstanding game, not allowing the fact he had his head bandaged for 48 minutes plus the added time affect him.

Great credit was given to Stradbally for their semi final win over 2013 champions Ballinacourty in the semi finals a week earlier, while many people talked down the chances of The Nire for their narrow win over An Rinn, but not many praised the Gaeltacht Club for the part in the semi final game, and did not recognise the fact that a number of clubs, An Rinn being one of them are fast closing in on the big three within the county when it comes to challenging for honours.

From the off The Nire were always the better side of the two in this game.

They were unlucky not to have hit a goal inside the opening two minutes of the game, when Michael O’Gorman was put through by Conor Gleeson but the 28 year old Farmer somehow had his shot stopped from reaching the goals to test Eoin Cunningham in the Stradbally goal.

Shane Ryan opened the scoring for The Nire on three minutes. The 21 year old is one of the most under-rated footballers in the county and is as good and maybe sometimes better than some of those that we often say are the best footballers within the county.

Over the past few years he has become the side’s regular free taker and using a stance identical to older sister Michelle who is one of the leading ladies footballers in the county he kicked a free.

Eight further minutes passed before another score was registered, going in the direction of Stradbally courtesy of Michael Sweeney who was the youngest player involved in this years final, whose effort went over the crossbar but for a moment just before going between the uprights it looked as though it could rattle the Nire net.

On thirteen minutes Stradbally went in front when Shane Ahearne put over a free, however it was not to be his day kicking frees as just over a minute later, his side won another free and playing against a very strong wind, for what to him normally would be an easy kick at goal went wide of the near post as he looked at the target.

Liam Lawlor levelled matters for The Nire on fifteen minutes which was followed with a brace of scores from Conor Gleeson on sixteen and seventeen minutes.

Michael O’Gorman put The Nire three points up a minute later and two further minutes later, The Nire kicked the last score of the half through Shane Ryan from a free.

Playing towards the road goal and with the wind at their backs for the second half, many felt that Stradbally would come right back into the game, but they fell further behind on thirty three minutes when man of the match Conor Gleeson hit his third of the game.

David Grey pulled a point back for Stradbally from a free on thirty five minutes but the score failed to ignite Stradbally as many of the Cove Men’s supporters would have liked to see happen.

Shane Ryan and Shane Ahearne swapped scores, both from frees in a two minute spell before David Grey and the brilliant Conor Gleeson swapped points to give The Nire a 0-9 to 0-5 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Down the last number of years since Stradbally began to dominate the football scene in Waterford many of the games they won were won in the last few minutes of the game.

They hit a point through Andy Doyle on fifty two minutes which had those supporting the reds hoping that the score would start a late surge.

But this score would prove to be Stradbally’s last of the game.

In the eight minutes plus the stoppage time that remained, as was the case for the majority of the game, The Nire proved to be the stronger of the two sides.

Conor Gleeson kicked his fifth and final score of the game six minutes from the hour mark and in added time Shane Ryan hit his fourth score of the game, all from frees to extend his sides lead to five.

The Nire now march on to the Munster Club Championship. Down the years they have come very close to recording a first Munster Championship win for Waterford. They will head into this years competition confident of putting a good run together. They begin their quest to do so in two weeks time when they play Limerick champions Ballylanders which would be an interesting game for at least one household in the Ballymacarbry area between now and then.

Should The Nire come through that game they will face the Clare champions Cratloe in Dungarvan which could well prove to be an interesting game if the East Clare side were to beat Ballygunner in this weeks hurling quarter final game at Walsh Park as it would mean that they would have only a seven day turn over from their semi final against the Tipperary champions and have to turn attention from hurling to football.

The Nire: Tom Wall; Justin Walsh, Thomas O’Gorman, Tommy Cooney; Seamus Lawlor, Brian Wall, Diarmuid Wall; Shane Walsh, Craig Guiry; Michael O’Gorman, Maurice O’Gorman, Jamie Barron; Conor Gleeson, Shane Ryan, Liam Lawlor. Subs: Michael Moore for Michael O’Gorman (BS 8-12 mins), Michael Moore for Craig Guiry (41 mins), Jack Guiry for Justin Walsh, Keith Guiry for Maurice O’Gorman (both 56 mins), Dermot Ryan for Conor Gleeson (BS 59-61 mins), Alan Lawlor for Liam Lawlor (62 mins). .

Scorers: Conor Gleeson 0-5, Shane Ryan 0-4 (4f), Liam Lawlor, Michael O’Gorman 0-1 each.  

Stradbally: Eoin Cunningham; Paddy Doyle, Shane Lannon, Kevin Coffey; Jack Mullaney, Michael Walsh, Luke Casey; Paddy Kiely, Robert Ahearne; Shane Ahearne, John Coffey, Ger Power; Michael Sweeney, Shane Ahearne, David Grey. Subs: Andy Doyle for Luke Casey (30+1 mins), Kevin Lawlor for Paddy Doyle (36 mins).  

Scorers: Shane Ahearne, David Grey 0-2 each (2f each), Michael Sweeney, Andy Doyle 0-1 each.  

Referee: Dessie O’Leary (Erin’s Own)