Ballygunner and Borris-Ileigh Ready for Battle in Munster Final Clash on Leeside

All going to plan we should know by team time on Sunday if Ballygunner retain their Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship and in doing so capture a third Munster Crown or if it is Tipperary side Borris-Ileigh will capture a second Munster Crown in the 55 year history of the club championship.  

If we are to believe the bookies and who I for one to dispute what they are telling us there is only going to be one outcome to this game, as the reigning Waterford and Munster Champions go into this game as the warmest of favourites.

When it comes to club hurling over the past number of years is there a more consistent side that Ballygunner. Not only have they won the last six titles in Waterford they have done so without losing a game in a league style championship, an incredible achievement.

There Munster Championship form in recent in the past six years could also be described as very good, reaching four of the last six finals and in the other two years they bowed out of the competition at the first hurdle loosing at the quarter final stages to Thurles Sarsfields in 2016 and to Clare champions Cratloe two years earlier. In the three previous finals which they have contested in the last six years, they twice lost out to Limerick side Na Piarsaigh in 2015 and 2017 before getting the better of the same Limerick time twelve months ago, maybe proving it really is a case of third time lucky.

As can be expected over the past six years this present Ballygunner side have amassed considerable experience, something you have to feel will stand to them on the day.

While Ballygunner have some players that will generate plenty of interest when it comes to column inches in previewing this year’s final, it would be very fair to suggest that this present Ballygunner side is a very balanced one.

They would be expected to field along the lines in which they have all year meaning that Stephen O’Keeffe will be in goal, Ian Kenny at full back, Philip O’Mahony at centre back with newcomers Paddy Leavy and Conor Sheahan in the middle of the park and Pauric Mahony leading the attack.

But there is more to this team than just these players. Eddie Hayden, Billy O’Keeffe, Shane O’Sullivan and Barry Coughlan would be expected to fill the remaining positions in defence while in attack players like Barry O’Sullivan, Michael Mahony, Tim O’Sullivan, Peter Hogan and Dessie Hutchinson who many are calling the find of the year after playing soccer cross channel and with Waterford FC in the last number of years before committing to the small ball game this year and he has proven to be a revelation, hitting some very important scores for the Gunner’s and also contributing by bringing others into play.

But no final is all about just the one team. Borris-Ileigh at the start of the year might not be the side on the names of most to be in this year’s Munster Final. It’s fair to say that they may well not be the side that most would have expected to win a first Tipperary Championship since last winning it back in 1986 when in the following spring they went on to win the All-Ireland Club Championship.

But Borris-Ileigh who are one of the most southern clubs in the North Tipperary Division are where they are very much on merit and should not be underestimated by anyone.

They are a club that have produced some top quality hurlers down the years. Many will remember players like Bobby and Aidan Ryan and Richard Stakelum and Philip Maher from different Tipperary sides down the years and this present side also has its stars.

Brendan Maher and Dan McCormack two members of Liam Sheedy Tipperary side are possibly the best known, but there is more to this present Borris side than just these two players.

The Tipperary Club side have Johnny Kelly in charge of them. He previously worked with the great Portumna side from Galway from a few years back and such a figure will not get involved in just any side. He would be looking for a side with drive and ambition and he has found that in the North Tipperary Club where the whole parish are on an absolute high right now and will be expected to travel to Pairc Ui Rinn in huge numbers.

In addition to Brendan Maher and Dan McCormack, Kelly has been getting the best out of the likes of Paddy Stapleton another club member that has worn the blue and gold of Tipperary in the past, James McCormack in goal, Kevin Maher, Jerry Kelly and James ‘JD’ Devaney to name but a few.

Maybe it is easy to see why Ballygunner are favourites to win this game. They put it up to Ballyhale Shamrocks in last year’s All-Ireland Semi Final and will be looking to go that step or two this year and become the first Waterford Club to win a Senior Club All-Ireland Final at Croke Park. But first they have to get over this hurdle first and I have a feeling that it might not be as straight forward as some are suggesting.

After winning the Tipperary County Final recently the area is on a high. There is a huge amount of interest in the area and the feel good feeling is being felt by all ages. I was recently at an underage blitz at their club grounds on the day which they played their County Semi Final and to see the amount of children both boys and girls around the grounds with a hurley and ball of one sort or another was a joy to see. I have no doubt that since then the interest in the sport has grown further.

Ballygunner are good enough to win here, and I suspect they will and in going so advance to an All-Ireland Semi Final against Galway side Saint Thomas’, but don’t anybody think that this Borris-Ileigh side are not up for it just because maybe they have not enjoyed the same success as Ballygunner in recent years.