Subs: Damien Bergin (Ballacolla) (for Murphy) Kevin Lanigan (Tipperary) (for Nolan) James O’Farrell (Carrickshock) (for Butler) Shane Prendergast (Clara) (for Power) Jamie Quane (James Stephens) (for Bergin)

Match Report:

Saint Kieran’s exorcised the ghosts from the All Ireland of 2002 with an awesome performance over Coleman’s in Clonmel.  Kieran’s  rang the changes before the game, switching John Tennyson to full back to cancel out the threat of Limerick senior hurler Andrew O’Shughnessy.

Cancelling each other out was something both sides did very well in the opening ten minutes.   The scoreboard ws only altered once to register Eammon O’Gorman’s point for the saints.  As the first half went  on, the balance of power was slowly sliding the way of the Kilkenny school.  Each attack mustered by the Fermoy side ended with either a booming charge or clearance by Tennyson, or a deft catch and swift ball out of danger zone by Walsh.

While the coleman’s forwards were finding it hard to make the break through, the same could not be said for their opposite numbers.  Darren O’Neil put over a great point from inside his own half, before the returning Richie Power pointed a free form O’Shaughnessy found enough space to race through and slot over a point, but by that stage it looked like they were already chasing a lost cause.  Whatever hopes that Coleman’s had were soon gone when blood substitution Mark Cleary was sent off for a wreck less pull across Eammon O’Gorman.

The match was over at the start of the second.  John Murphy made a great solo run through the defence before laying off a nice pass to Eoin Reid who got past keeper Dennis Fitzgerald and neatly picked his spot in the net.  The gulf between the Maurice Nolan and Eoin Reid with the rebound.  By now the only thing left undecided was by how much Kieran’s would win by.  In the dying minutes, there were points for O’Shaughnessy and Paul Kearney, but a great point from the wing by Michael Bergin put the gloss on an incredible day for Kieran’s.

Back Row: Neil Prendergast, Shane Prendergast, Kevin Lanigan, Richie Power, David Prendergast, James Connolly, Eamon O’Gorman, Eoin Reid, Niall McEvoy, John Tennyson, Aidan Ryan, Mr. Tom Hogan (Trainer).

Middle Row: Mr. John Quane (Trainer), Patrick O’Flynn (Assistant), James O’Farrell, Philip Walsh, John Walsh, Patrick Butler, George Hickey, Patrick Hogan, Padraig Treacy, Michael Bergin, Mr. Art Anglin (Mentor), Mr. Ken Archbold (Trainer).

Front Row: Mark Alyward, Donnacha Cody, Jamie Quane, Damien Bergin, Darren O’Neill, James Fitzpatrick (Capt.), John Murphy, Maurice Nolan, Niall Fennelly, Willie Norton.

Absent From Photo: Richie Hogan.