Thomastown are in the Kilkenny senior final in their first year at the top grade.
FROM EARLY DOORS, Thomastown could sense the doubt around their place in the Kilkenny senior hurling championship.
Even now that they are preparing for a first senior county final since 1988 tomorrow, it seems that Thomastown are still fighting for position. The general belief is that defending champions — and All-Ireland finalists — O’Loughlin Gaels will prevail. Advertisement Meanwhile, just a mile down the road, Ballyhale were becoming a stronghold again in the Kilkenny senior championship. And beyond. They won four county titles in-a-row between 2006 and 2009. Thomastown and Ballyhale were living contrasting lives. And it is so often the case in sport that the closer the proximity to a superior power, the deeper the resentment. But there was no such envy among the Thomastown folks towards their neighbours.
“I hurled at senior level a long time ago but we were in the doldrums for two decades. We’re back now where we think we should be.” Those defeats were avenged last year as Thomastown ripped through the intermediate competition, crushing Fenians by 4-22 to 2-10 in the quarter-final. They were 20-point winners against Dunnamaggin in the semi-final and had 15 points to spare in the final with Mooncoin.
“We changed the way we hurled from then on. It’s a crisper, freer, smarter type of hurling and the guys were given license to express yourself and play the ball out of the backs and not just hoof it. They’re playing with their heads up for the last 18 months and it’s paying off for us.”
Ger Walsh Hurling Thomastown GAA Up-And-Comers
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