This Sunday, the St. Canice’s Credit Union Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship Final will see O’Loughlin Gaels take on Thomastown.
Thomastown, riding high after their meteoric rise back to senior ranks, will be chasing a piece of history. Their last senior title came in 1946, and this will be their first time competing for the crown since 1988. It’s a momentous occasion for the club, which has only reached the final four times in its storied history. Now, after stepping up from the intermediate ranks just last year, Thomastown is aiming to defy the odds once more.
John Brennan, Thomastown selector, spoke with KCLR about the massive challenge his team faces but expressed confidence in their ability to rise to the occasion.
“Huge job on our hands next. O’Loughlin Gaels are one of the hardest working teams, and it will be a serious obstacle,” Brennan admitted. “But look, we’re there. There’s two teams left and we’re one of them. They’re definitely more experienced than us, but our guys are learning as they go along.”
Brennan highlighted the progress his team has made since being promoted from intermediate, praising their ability to rise to new heights. “We came out of intermediate last year, and we asked them to up it this year. I said to them personally, ‘There’s a level or two higher in you, and you might not even know that yourself.’ They’ve taken another step, whether it’s enough, it’s a fair step. But they’re capable of more.”
O’Loughlin Gaels, meanwhile, come into the final with all the experience and momentum of a team that has regularly found themselves in the hunt for the title. As defending champions, they are the favorites, but Thomastown’s hunger and underdog spirit could make all the difference on the day.
With everything on the line and the weight of history in play, this clash promises to be a true spectacle of Kilkenny hurling. You can hear the final live on KCLR, with coverage sponsored by Eugene Foley Construction.
Will O’Loughlin Gaels defend their crown, or can Thomastown complete their fairy-tale rise and claim their first senior title in nearly 80 years? One thing is certain—this Sunday’s final will be one for the ages.