By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Semi Final
Ballinamere: 4-18
Belmont: 3-19
Ballinamere who were exceptionally good for forty odd minutes, but they lived on their wits for the remainder of the game as they hauled themselves over the line to book their place in the 2026 County Final decider following a battle with Belmont on Sunday afternoon last.
Played in Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr, it certainly was the case of the fancied Ballinamere holding on for dear life and got out of jail as Belmont missed a flurry of chances that should have seen them through to their first ever final.
Ballinamere laid a lot of the ground work for the win in what was a very polished opening half and by with ten minutes played in the second half they were six clear and it was almost impossible to see a comeback for Belmont.
Ballinamere played some lovely hurling in that spell. They controlled the whole direction of the game. Their movement and vision to pick out key passes was second to none and they looked very much like a side who had one foot in the county final.
But as we all know games can swing and that it did and for the remainder of the second half it was all Belmont. They had chance after chance particularly from frees and with three different players missing what would normally be very score able chances they left the game behind them.
At the end as both sides fell to their knees, Ballinamere with pure relief and Belmont with utter heartbreak, it was Ballinamere who find themselves back in the final decider against their arch nemesis Kilcormac/Killoughey.
Sunday’s meeting of Ballinamere and Belmont was one of the most eagerly awaited clashes of the senior hurling championship in what promised to be a humdinger of a battle from start to finish.
Having been treated to a wonderful spectacle between the reigning champions KK and St Rynagh’s in the other semi final, the expectations was there for the same in this game, but it certainly was a different type of a game that failed to come to any real life.
There were spells and flashes of some very good moves and scores and with some players looking sharper than others, while the game especially in the first half wasn’t what we had hoped for, the performances of some certain players certainly came to the fore.
For Ballinamere Brian Duignan and Dan Bourke caused all sorts of havoc up front for Belmont and with some lovely ball in from the back they went to town. At the back they had a lot of the control with Ciaran Burke in particular lorded in the full back line.
When Belmont got on the ball they did look dangerous, but their indecisions at times in the opening half left them trailing by five at the break despite playing with the wind.
We all know the old saying that goals win games and with three in the first half, Ballinamere looked like real goal poachers upfront and every time they got in they looked like scoring.
With both sides craving senior hurling success this game was certainly going to come down to the wire. On Sunday, we had some of the best hurling talent in the county on display and with both sides playing a very impressive group campaign, it was lining up to be a cracking affair, with Kilcormac/Killoughey lying in wait.
A lot of weight and pressure lay on the shoulders of both of these teams. They have been knocking on the door for a long time now and the desire to get over the line and bring home a senior hurling title for the first time ever in both of their histories.
Ballinamere who last featured in the county final decider in 2024 were just pipped at the post by the aforementioned Kilcormac/Killoughey, while Belmont were on the hunt of getting to the final decider for the first time ever.
Belmont started extremely well, but the more the half went on the stronger Ballinamere became as they grew into the game.
The game was thirty seconds old when Oisin Kelly landed the game’s opening score. The lead wasn’t on the card for too long with Mike O’Brien drawing the sides level two minutes in.
David Nally was on target twice in a row to hit Belmont 0-3 to 0-1 clear on the third minute, but with a free from Brian Duignan and a follow up score from the ever dangerous Dan Bourke the sides were level 0-3 each with seven on the clock.
Then we had the first moment of magic. Darragh Flynn cleared a lovely ball down to Oisin Kelly who took off on his trademark solo run. Normally Oisin would head for the twines but he unselfishly let the sliothar off to his brother David who planted it to the net. Belmont in front 1-3 to 0-3 with eight played.
Joe Maher responded well for Ballinamere but with Ronan Flynn hot on his heels, Belmont were that goal clear, and by the 15th minute there was still the goal between the sides 1-5 to 0-5 after Brian Duignan and David Nally traded scores.
The same two players traded the next two scores, before Brian Duignan and a fine score from Pat Taaffe left Belmont 1-7 to 0-7 with twenty played.
Chris McDonald brought it back to two and then with twenty two on the clock a long ball in from Dan Ravenhill saw Damien Egan come off his line and making no mistake Brian Duignan hit the net and Ballinamere were in front 1-8 to 1-7.
To be fair to Belmont, they responded well again and with two quick scores from Pat Taaffe and Oisin Kelly, they led again and they certainly would have loved the half to finish at that.
But that is when Ballinamere really came into their own. Aaron Maher hit the net from a precision Brian Duignan pass and with a follow up score from the exceptional Dan Bourke, it was now Ballinamere who led, 2-9 to 1-9 with twenty six played.
There was more however still to come and this time it was Mike O’Brien who found the net and in the blink of an eye Belmont had conceded 2-1 in the space of two minutes.
David Nally did reduce the gap and left five between the sides 3-9 to 1-10 and it was Ballinamere who were in a very strong position.
Dan Bourke extended that lead within seconds of the restart, but with Paddy Clancy finding the net, we were suddenly back to three, 3-10 to 2-10.
Brian Duignan and Pat Taaffe pointed, but it was the next score that was truly spectacular. With unbelievable control of the sliothar on the hurl and amazing wrist work Dan Bourke hit home the goal of the game and with a follow up point moments later from the same player Ballinamere were coasting, 4-12 to 2-11.
David Nally was on target twice for Belmont, but with two scores from Brian Duignan and John Murphy the gap was seven 4-14 to 2-13 with forty three played.
But this game had more to come and from there on it was Ballinamere who had to scrape to stay alive. A wonderfully worked move between Ronan Flynn and Brian Carroll set Oisin Kelly on his way and what he does best he rattled the net and we had a game on our hands.
Paddy Clancy hit over another score and now it was Belmont on the front foot, but that is when their shooting started to let them down.
Dan Bourke broke their momentum with a good score, but with two on the trot from David Nally, the gap was back to two 4-14 to 3-16.
It was all Belmont and really they should have pushed on from there. Brian Duignan hit over a much needed ’65, but once again Belmont got back and with two more scores from Oisin Kelly and David Nally there was one in it 4-16 to 3-18.
Paddy Clancy had a goal chance it was saved brilliantly by Mark Troy and with Sam Bourke hitting over a massive score, the gap was two a minute into injury time.
Oisin Kelly took off on another run on the 62nd minute. He shot had with the goal on his mind he was denied on the line by Ciaran Bourke.
It was frantic to say the least. Adam Egan dropped a shot in from a free, but it had too much legs and did go over, but it was the one they needed short and in the end it was a late free from Brian Duignan that sealed it. The final scores reading 4-18 to 3-19.
The Scorers
Ballinamere: Brian Duignan 1-8 (0-4 Frees, 0-2 ‘65’s), Dan Bourke 1-4, Mike O’Brien 1-1, Aaron Maher 1-0, Sam Bourke 0-2, Joe Maher 0-1, Chris McDonald 0-1, John Murphy 0-1.
Belmont: David Nally 0-10 (0-6 Frees), Oisin Kelly 1-3, Paddy Clancy 1-1, Pat Taaffe 0-3, David Kelly 1-0, Ronan Flynn 0-1, Adam Egan 0-1 (Free).
The Teams
Ballinamere: Mark Troy; Eoin Boland, Ciaran Burke, Cian Kinnarney; Chris McDonald, Ross Ravenhill, Jack Fogarty; Dan Bourke, Aaron Maher; Dan Ravenhill, Joe Maher, Mike O’Brien; John Murphy, Dan Bourke, Brian Duignan.
Sub: Luke Wyer for Joe Maher (60 mins).
Belmont: Damien Egan; Aron McCabe, Ciaran Cahill, Darragh Flynn; Pat Taaffe, Leon Fox (Capt.), Jack Clancy; Ronan McEvoy, Ronan Flynn; Paddy Clancy, David Nally, David Kelly; Colin Egan, Oisin Kelly, Brian Carroll.
Subs: Mark Egan for Ronan McEvoy (48 mins), Adam Nugent for Brian Carroll (55 mins), Adam Egan for David Kelly (55 mins).
Referee: Matthew Farrell (Tullamore).
By Offaly Secretary Sun 4th Oct
