HISTORY-MAKERS

THIS was the dream end to a fairy-tale season as Kilbrittain hurlers etched their names into West Cork sports folklore – they are the first-ever Carbery hurling team to win an All-Ireland club title. The stuff of dreams. Joe Ryan’s trailblazers have put Kilbrittain on the map in a season like none other. Nine championship games, nine wins. Cork champions. Kings of Munster. Now the best junior hurling team in the country. Carbery is home to All-Ireland football champions in both the men’s and women’s codes, but Kilbrittain hurlers have achieved a magnificent feat no hurling team from this neck of the woods ever has.

COMETH THE HOUR

AND there a hero comes along – take a bow, Ronan Crowley. The Kilbrittain half-forward was named man of the match in this All-Ireland final, a fitting accolade after his sparkling display in GAA HQ. In an attack that has seen Mark Hickey, Luke Griffin, Conor Hogan and Bertie Butler all take the headlines at certain stages, Crowley picked the perfect stage to show his skills. He scored 0-4, all from play, including three in the second half, which were key scores at the time, including an equaliser and a lead point. On a day when Kilbrittain struggled at times, Crowley was a constant threat, shining under the Croke Park lights.

REMEMBERING OISÍN

HOW Kilbrittain ensured their late team-mate Oisín Gillain – who tragically passed away from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome in March last year – has remained part of their team is a touch of class. Right through this campaign, Oisín’s memory has been honoured – he is named at No. 8 on every match programme. In captain Philip Wall’s acceptance speech on the steps of the Hogan Stand, he made sure to include Oisín in Kilbrittain’s greatest day. ‘We think of Oisín in every training, match and celebration. Oisín’s jersey hangs in our dressing room as a constant source of inspiration for the group as well as a reminder of our great friend and team-mate. Oisín’s memory stays alive in this club and this team always.’ Allez les Ambers.

EASKEY SEE RED

EASKEY boss Padraig Mannion didn’t hold back after the game when quizzed on Andrew Kilcullen’s red card after 39 minutes. ‘We got robbed,’ he fumed, labelling Kilcullen’s dismissal as ‘a shocking decision’. You can understand Mannion’s frustration – Kilcullen is their main man and top scorer, who had racked up 15-77 heading into the final. He had already scored 0-6 in this final before his head-high collision with Kilbrittain’s Mark Hickey by the Hogan Stand sideline. The referee deemed it dangerous enough for a red card – losing their talisman was a damaging blow for Easkey, who finished with 13 when Fionn Connolly received a second yellow card in injury time.

BENCH IMPACT

SUPER-SUB Conor Ustianowski had already proved his worth off the bench in this championship run – remember his match-winning late goal against Ballygarvan in the county semi-final? Ustianowski made his presence felt in Croke Park on Saturday too, winning the match-winning free in the 62nd minute that Mark Hickey converted. The experienced Tomás Harrington also showed his worth, brought on after 48 minutes at a time Kilbrittain were struggling to make their extra man count. Within minutes, he fed Mark Hickey for an equalising point. ‘I knew he’d shore it up,’ Kilbrittain boss Joe Ryan explained. Sideline smarts that had the desired effect.