Watergrasshill Notes (14th Jan)
- Jan 14,2025
All-Ireland Champions
Whilst we’ll detail the match report later, first and foremost we’ll try to capture the magnitude of the events which unfolded in Croke Park on Sunday 12thJanuary 2025.
For every child who picks up a hurley, playing in Croke Park and climbing the step of the Hogan Stand lifting the All-Ireland is the stuff of dreams, on Sunday Seán Desmond got to live those dreams.
On Saturday 6th November 2021, Watergrasshill overcame Aghada in the Premier Intermediate relegation play-off in Dungourney. Having lost all 3 group games and conceded 9-49 in the process, things were not looking good for Watergrasshill’s future at Premier Intermediate level. When Jason Foley and Pat Heffernan took over the reigns in 2022, their first objective was consolidation. And that started with not losing games. Sure enough, two seasons of draws followed in 2022 and 2023, and to many it was Watergrasshill scraping by, but to those inside the club, it was the first signs of progress.
High potential underage players such as Mick O’Driscoll, Liam foley, Ciarán O’Leary and Brendan Lehane were brought through, established young talent like Dáire O’Leary and Seán Desmond were growing in confidence and a steel was growing in the panel, where before there was defeat, there was now a never say die attitude which resulted in winning opportunity – now all they needed was to turn those draw into wins, easily said but not easily done.
A conversation between club chairman Niall O’Riordan and Tipperary native Eddie Enright in Winter 2023, changed everything. Eddie has lived in Watergrasshill since 2002 and continued to play for his native Thurles Sarsfields until 2008. He briefly played for the hill and managed the Intermediates for a period but this time, things were different. The talent was coming through and given how tight the Premier Intermediate grade is, a break of a ball could turn a draw to a win and progression from the group.
Niall’s commitment to Eddie was he would want for nothing; the club would back him 110% and Senior Hurling was the goal. Eddie assembled his backroom team and the first players meeting in December 2023 set the tone. Everyone was bought in, there was a mountain of work to be done but the rewards were huge.
Their Red FM D5 league campaign showed that whatever Enright had done, it was working. Fluid up front, solid at the back and moving the ball at pace – this hill team were different. They topped the group, winning 6 from 9 and comprehensively overcame Tracton 4-23 to 1-19 in the final. There was silverware for the first time in 20 years at this level and a fire had been lit, roll on the championship.
After 42 minutes of the opening championship game against Carrigaline, the hill trailed 1-14 to 0-7 and it was looking like de-ja vu, but goals from Lehane and Desmond matched to the accuracy of Adam Murphy from placed balls and a 10-point deficit was turned into a two-point win. A two-point win over Castlemartyr followed by a 4-point win over Valley Rovers, hill topped the group, the monkey was off the back and the lads were motoring. A semi-final win over Mallow, set up a final with Carrigaline, who came through the group stage with one win. A historic day in Páirc Uí Chaoimh saw the hill lift the Premier Intermediate crown and it was mission accomplished for Eddie Enright, or was it…..?
The village was euphoric on Sunday 10th November and the lads sure did celebrate, but there was a Munster semi-final to play on Saturday against Wolf-Tones from Shannon. Hard at it until Tuesday and back at it with recovery on Wednesday is the best way to put it, but these boys are different, they knew they could celebrate, but they wanted more – so getting them back on Wednesday evening was tough, but they were ready.
A 3-point win over Wolf-Tones (having conceded a goal with 30 seconds) illustrated that steel and speed which was now characteristic of this team and would once again be needed if Cashel King-Cormac’s were to be overcome to claim a first Munster title. In TúS Limerick Gaelic grounds, the rain bucketed down, but the Hill were in overdrive, 9 points to spare and Munster Champions and it was mission accomplished for Eddie Enright, or was it…..?
Celebrations were somewhat muted in comparison to the Intermediate win but nevertheless, bonus territory or not – there was hunger in this group and Croke Park was well and truly on the radar. Carey-Faugh’s were comprehensively beaten in the semi-final and a band of friends and brothers from Watergrasshill had secured a chance to fulfil their childhood dreams, an All-Ireland final in Croke Park.
The magnitude of what has been achieved probably won’t resonate with these lads until a few months or years time, but this is once in a lifetime stuff. To see club stalwarts like John O’Neill and Lizzie O’Leary, crying in the Hogan stand. To see hundreds of kids shouting at Seánie and Dáire, to hear Eamonn Ryan’s name on the steps of Croke Park once again, it’s magical stuff. As I wrote before the match on Saturday evening - If you’ve ever brought an excited 6-year-old to training or served a cup of tea in the club shop, cut the grass in the pitch or sold tickets in the rain - tomorrow is for you - be proud of you club, your parish and your contribution. And that’s what the GAA is about, the volunteerism, the community, the parish, the family and the friends.
When everyone packed into Watergrasshill Community Center on Sunday night the entire parish and beyond were there to welcome the lads home and celebrate with them. 4 trophies were lined up, League, Cork, Munster and All-Ireland Champions, it was mission accomplished for Eddie Enright, or is it…..?
On behalf of the club, we would like to thank everyone who has wished us well and congratulated us over the past few days. We’ve gotten well wishes from clubs all over the county and we are truly humbled and honoured by your support and delighted to have represented you in Croke Park. The amount of support from all across the county has been amazing and we really appreciate every good wish.
Naturally, there’s so much more to write about this story, so stay tuned for part 2 next week.
A game for the ages
AIB GAA Hurling All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Final
Watergrasshill 2-15 v 0-18 Tynagh-Abbey Duniry
Last Sunday afternoon, Seán Desmond lifted the All-Ireland Intermediate trophy in the Hogan Stand, Croke Park. Just 10 minutes before, Seánie had scored a goal, in injury time to win it for the hill. This titanic battle against the men from Galway was never going to be any other way. TAD opened the scoring straight from the throw in and were 2 points up within a minute. Anthony Cronin registered the hill’s first score on 2 minutes, but TAD added two more and it was 0-1 to 0-4 after just 6 minutes. Stick to the process, trust your team-mates and so it began. In the spell between the 6thand 14th minutes, Watergrasshill added 1-04 without reply and now led 1-05 to 0-4. Adam Murphy’s goal was followed but points from Seán Desmond and Brendan Lehane and two points of his own, but the lads had finally settled. Truth be told, we could have had another three first half goals, but for a superb save, a heroic last-minute block and a missed Adam Murphy, pick-up – but the lads were motoring now. In the run up to the break, TAD re-set and the sides traded scores over a 10-minute period, at the break it was 1-08 to 0-7 in our favour and things were looking good.
When it mattered most, we have come out and pushed on in the opening period of the second half, so we had hoped this would be the case again today. But Tynagh-Abbey Duniry had other ideas. Within 12 second half minutes the Galway men had drawn level and when they added a further score on 13 minutes, they now led the game for the first time since the opening period. The steel and heart which we had shown on 6th November 2021 against Aghada in the PIHC relegation play-off and on August 3rd against Carrigaline in the opening game of the 2024 Championship was now once again needed. Adam Murphy levelled from a free on 16 minutes and the lead changed hands numerous times throughout the second half. TAD went ahead, Murphy levelled. Padraig O’Leary put us one up, TAD levelled, TAD went one up, Murphy levelled, TAD went one up and with 60:49 on the clock, Dylan Roche levelled. 5 minutes were to be added but with 4 minutes left, the tension was unbelievable and something special was about to unfold.
Seán Desmond put the hill one point up on 31 minutes, however Niall Moloney levelled for Tynagh and no one could breath. On 64 minutes, Shane Field picked up a breaking ball just outside his own 21, a hand pass to Anthony Cronin was launched up the field where two Tynagh defenders challenged for the same ball, Seán Desmond drifted in behind to take a chance on the breaking ball and it dropped right into his path. A two-handed pick up and he was one on one with the keeper. As cool as you like, Seánie went for the jugular and the ball hit the net with 64:11 on the clock. Soon after, Colm McDonald sounded his whistle and it was ecstasy for the men in red.
Watergrasshill: Aiden Foley, Shane Field, Dylan McCarthy, Ian O’Callaghan, Aaron Spriggs (Patrick Cronin 49), Daire O’Leary, Kevin O’Neill, Anthony Cronin, Shane O’Regan, Ciarán O’Leary, Seán Desmond, Liam Foley (Dylan Roche 45), Brendan Lehane, Adam Murphy and Padraig O’Leary (James McCarthy 60).
Scorers for Watergrasshill: A Murphy 1-8, S Desmond 1-3, , B. Lehane 0-2, A. Cronin & D Roche 0-1 each.
Both Images - Credit Denis O’Flynn
