The rivalry between these two schools has being growing over the past number of years and while St. Colmcille’s could argue to being more successful in the football recently, the hurling accolade is without doubt in the hands of the boys from Thurles. These two great sporting schools have contested the hurling county final twice in the past three years with Scoil Ailbhe coming out on top on both occasions. However, if this most recent encounter is anything to go by, perhaps the ‘tide is a turning’.
Scoil Ailbhe travelled to Templemore on Friday last in the knowledge that both schools had already done enough to qualify for the county semi-final stage. There was still much to fight for however. Top spot in the group guaranteed an easier passage to the county final and bragging rights were also up for grabs.
With freshly cut grass, little wind and the sun shining, this was a perfect day for hurling. Scoil Ailbhe would score the first point of the game through their star player Eoin Purcell who was busy throughout the game. St. Colmcille’s replied with two points, one from Lorcan Roche and a second from a tigerish Conor Cadell who would end the day with five points in total. Templemore then took the game by the scruff of the neck as Marco Quinlan, playing arguably his best ever game in the green and white jersey, scored a goal and a point leaving the score 1-3 to 2 points at half time. Templemore had a contentious second goal disallowed just before the half time whistle which, if allowed, would surely have killed off this game.
Scoil Ailbhe were not going down without a fight and spurred on by a fine performances by Conor Stakelum and Kieran Costello, they picked off two well taken points. The danger of a comeback ignited the back six from Templemore and James Corcoran, Jack Nevin, Darragh Doyle, Stephen Cahill and Niall Moloney closed up shop at the back, restricting Scoil Ailbhe to only one more point for the remaining fifteen minutes. At this stage Martin Bergin had Eoin Purcell well under his control and this proved pivotal on the day.
St. Colmcille’s pushed on with two well worked points from play. The manner of these two points will be of great encouragement to the Templemore coaches. Eoin Quinn and Diarmuid Delaney worked clever passes to create space for Roche and Quinlan to fire over in style. Gavin Coleman, Ewan Scott and Ali Aissou battled throughout, winning broken ball and forcing mistakes from the Thurles defenders. Four second half frees from Cadell ensured that this game would end with Templemore recording their first ever Roinn A Hurling victory over Scoil Ailbhe on a final score of 1-9 to 5 points.
There was no trophy presented however and while St. Colmcille’s will cherish this victory, they know that there is still much work to do and Scoil Ailbhe have, by no means, gone away. Thurles now go on to play St. Mary’s, Clonmel in the first semi-final while St. Colmcille’s play Cashel in the other semi-final. Perhaps a rematch will be on the cards and who wouldn’t enjoy the chance to see these two fine teams meet again in the county final in Semple Stadium.