M Donnelly Inter-Pro Hurling Final – Munster 1-22 Connacht 0-15

Munster defeated Connacht by 1-22 to 0-15 in the M Donnelly Inter-Provincial Hurling Final on Sunday in Cusack Park Ennis.

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Munster 1-22 Connacht 0-15

Report from the RTE web site

Munster proved too strong for Anthony Cunningham’s all-Galway Connacht side in Ennis, winning the M Donnelly Interprovincial Hurling title with a 1-22 to 0-15 win. Following a first half goal from Paudie O’Sullivan, fellow Corkman Patrick Horgan tallied up 0-09 for Liam Sheedy’s men with Michael Walsh and Lar Corbett also shining. Joe Canning and company were kept quiet and Munster ran riot in the second period, scoring eight points in-a-row to banish any chance of the cup heading west.

Connacht created a gilt-edged goal chance seconds into the game, as Niall Burke was released by Cyril Donnnellan but his shot was well saved by Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash. The westerners then got off the mark thanks to a Joe Canning free, before Munster took control for a spell and hit four unanswered points thanks to Shane Dowling, two frees from Patrick Horgan and Nash also pelting over a free from his own 65-metre line. Connacht, who were forced to do without skipper Fergal Moore and Tony Og Regan due to a slight groin strain and flu respectively, began to find rhythm midway through the half. The visitors hit four points of their own without reply to take the lead, with Tadhg Haran slotting over following a neat ball from Niall Healy before Donnellan, a Canning free and Healy put them 0-05 to 0-04 in front.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Munster hit back again with Tipperary’s Lar Corbett beginning to cause all sorts of problems at centre-forward. Dowling’s double and another free from Horgan gave Sheedy’s side the incentive. At this stage Munster were rampant and. as Connacht were struggling to keep them at bay. Graeme Mulcahy played a fine diagonal ball to Paudie O’Sullivan, who made the angle tight for himself at the far post but still managed to find the top corner of the net. Seconds later O’Sullivan then picked out Mulcahy, who obliged with a fine point to make it 1-08 to 0-05 to the Munstermen.

Connacht kept up their fight by scoring three points in-a-row themselves, with Canning dispatching two frees and Niall Healy tapped over after Haran was denied by Nash’s block when he shot goalwards. But, as the half drew to a close, Munster reaffirmed their six-point cushion as Pa Cronin’s point was followed by two more Horgan frees. David Collins ensured Connacht had the final say of the half but they trailed 1-11 to 0-09 at the interval. In the second period, Connacht fell further behind as Horgan, Mulcahy and Cronin pointed and the western province immediately replied with quick-fire scores from Canning and Healy.

However, the visitors would wait a whopping 22 minutes for their next point, with Munster taking full advantage. They scored 0-08 without reply as Cronin, O’Sullivan and Mulcahy all raised white flags, adding to three more Horgan frees and the game was over. Although their defence was without the aforementioned Regan and Moore, manager Anthony Cunningham will be concerned at their second-half demise ahead of Galway’s Allianz Hurling League clash with Clare at the same venue next weekend.

MUNSTER: A Nash (0-01, 0-01f); S O’Neill, T Condon, S Daniels; B Bugler, M Walsh, W McNamara; P Cronin (0-03), B Maher; S Dowling (0-03), L Corbett, P O’Sullivan (1-02); G Mulcahy (0-03), S O’Sullivan (0-01), P Horgan (0-09, 0-07f).

Subs used: E Kelly for Cronin (59 mins), T Kenny for S O’Sullivan, Patrick Maher for Dowling (both 63), C Ryan for Corbett, G O’Mahony for McNamara (both 66).

CONNACHT: C Callanan; J Coen, K Hynes, P Killeen; B Flaherty, D Collins (0-01), N Donoghue; I Tannian (0-01), A Smith; P Brehony, N Burke, C Donnellan (0-01); N Healy (0-03), J Canning (0-06, 0-05f), T Haran (0-01).

Subs used: D Glennon (0-01) for Brehony (27 mins), J Glynn for Burke (29), J Cooney (0-01) for Killeen (41), D Hayes for Haran (46), A Harte for Smith (55).

M.Donnelly Interprovincial Hurling Championship Final: Munster 1-22 Connacht 0-15

Report from the GAA.ie web site

Liam Sheedy’s Munster side won the M.Donnelly Interprovincial Hurling Championship on Sunday, comfortably defeating an all-Galway Connacht selection at Cusack Park, Ennis. Patrick Horgan (Cork) struck 0-9 for Munster in an impressive display, while his fellow Rebels Paudie O’Sullivan and Pa Cronin, and Limerick pair Shane Dowling and Graeme Mulcahy were also in superb scoring form for the southern province as they won their 45th Interprovincial hurling title.

Munster led 1-11 to 0-9 at half-time, and they were equally dominant in the second half, outscoring their western opponents by 0-11 to 0-6 after the break. Munster were generally always in control, and led 0-4 to 0-2 after 15 minutes, with Dowling and Horgan among their early scorers. The only goal of the game came ten minutes later, and it turned out to be decisive as Paudie O’Sullivan’s strike gave Munster a five-point lead, which they maintained and added to for the remainder of the game.

O’Sullivan took his goal well, firing into the top corner from a tight angle after an assist from Graeme Mulcahy. After the break, points from Horgan, Mulcahy and Cronin pushed Munster further clear, but Connacht stayed in touch, just, after scores from Joe Canning and Niall Healy. With time ticking on, Munster hit eight points without reply as Connacht’s resistance finally crumbled. The quintet of O’Sullivan, Cronin, Horgan, Mulcahy and Dowling, as they had done throughout, inflicted the major damage, and Munster were fully deserving of their big win in the end.

Panel News

The Munster Hurling panel to play Connacht shows 3 changes from the semi-final panel which defeated Ulster. Brendan Cummins (Tipperary), Noel Connors and Paraic Mahony (both Waterford) are unavailable and are replaced in the panel by Patrick Kelly (Clare), Padraic Maher and Lar Corbett (both Tipperary).

The full 26 man panel for Munster is as follows –

Clare – Patrick Kelly, Brendan Bugler and Colin Ryan

Cork – Anthony Nash, Shane O’Neill, Tom Kenny, Pa Cronin, Paudie O’Sullivan and Patrick Horgan

Limerick – Tom Condon, Donal O’Grady, Gavin O’Mahony, Wayne McNamara, Shane Dowling and Graeme Mulcahy,

Tipperary – Paul Curran, Brendan Maher, Padraic Maher, Shane McGrath, Patrick Maher, Lar Corbett, Brian O’Meara and Eoin Kelly

Waterford – Michael Walsh, Shane Sullivan and Stephen Daniels

Management – Liam Sheedy (Tipperary, Manager), Jamesie O’Connor (Clare), Stephen Frampton (Waterford)

Contact Munster GAA PRO Ed Donnelly at pro.munster@gaa.ie for more information

For the Record

2013 M Donnelly Inter Provincial Hurling Fixtures

Semi-Finals

Sunday February 17^th

@ Morgan Athletic Grounds Armagh       Munster 3-20 Ulster 1-14

@ O’Connor Park Tullamore                     Connacht 3-13 Leinster 1-16

Final (Extra time)

Sunday March 3^rd

@ Cusack Park Ennis                                                Munster v Connacht                           @ 2:00pm

Inter Provincial Hurling – A look back

Munster and Connacht have met on 52 occasions in the Inter-Provincial Hurling competition. Munster have 33 wins, Connacht have 16 wins while there have been 3 draws.

Munster and Connacht have met in 18 Inter-Provincial Hurling Finals. Munster have won on 9 occasions, Connacht on 8 occasions while the 1969 final was drawn (Munster won the replay).

From 1927 to 1978, Munster had won 28 and drawn 3 of their 33 meetings with Connacht in the Railway Cup. Since 1979, the trend has swung in favour of Connacht who have won 14 of their 19 meetings with Munster in the last 33 years.

Connacht have won 4 of the last 5 meetings with Munster in the Inter-Provincial competition since 2003.

Munster have 44 Inter-Provincial Hurling titles. The breakdown by county of winning Munster Hurling captains is as follows – Cork (17), Tipperary (15), Waterford (5), Limerick (5) and Clare (2).

Sean Og Murphy (Cork), Christy Ring (Cork), Pat Stakelum (Tipperary), Tony Wall (Tipperary) and Jimmy Doyle (Tipperary) all captained Munster to win the Inter-Provincial Hurling title on 2 occasions.

On 2 separate occasions, Munster failed to win the Inter-Provincial competition for 5 consecutive campaigns (1971 to 1975 and 1986 to 1991).

3 of the last 8 Inter-Provincial Hurling Finals were played outside of Ireland – 2003 (Rome), 2005 (Boston) and 2009 (Abu Dhabi).

Since the competition began in 1927, only three Inter-Provincial Hurling Finals failed to produce a goal (1954, 1968 and 1997).

The competition was not played in 1990, 2010 and 2011.

Cork legend Christy Ring played for Munster for 23 consecutive seasons from 1941 to 1963, winning a total of 18 medals. John Doyle (Tipperary) won 8 Inter-Provincial medals

Last Munster Appearance in the Competition

2012 Semi-Final – Leinster 3-14 Munster 1-16 – Nowlan Park Kilkenny – February 19^th

Munster Hurling Team: Donal Óg Cusack (Cork); Michael Cahill (Tipperary), Paul Curran (Tipperary), Tom Condon (Limerick); John Gardiner (Cork, 0-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 65), Padraic Maher (Tipperary), Pat Donnellan (Clare, 0-1); Shane O’Sullivan (Waterford), Shane McGrath (Tipperary, 0-1); Pa Cronin (Cork, 0-1) Michael Walsh (Waterford, 0-1), Brendan Maher (Tipperary); John Conlon (Clare, 1-3), Eoin Kelly (Tipperary, Captain, 0-1 free), Pat Horgan (Cork, 0-3).

Subs: Donal O’Grady (Limerick) for Shane McGrath (39); Stephen Molumphy (Waterford) for Cronin (44), Gearoid Ryan (Tipperary), for Kelly (58), Kevin Moran (Waterford) for Donnellan (67), Pauric Mahony (Waterford, 0-2 frees)

Most Recent meeting – Munster v Connacht

February 21^st 2009 at Pearse Stadium Galway – Connacht 2-20 Munster 2-18 (Semi-Final)

Connacht (Galway unless stated): E Ward; M Ryan (0-1), D McClearn, F Moore; A Coen (0-2, 0-1 free), B Costello, B Burke (0-1); A Cullinane (0-1), K Raymond (Sligo, 0-1); M Kerins, P Killilea, K Hooban (0-1); N Healy (1-6, 0-1 free, 0-1 65), J Gantley (0-1), A Callanan (1-2)

Subs: K Hynes (0-2) for Killilea, (37); C Donnellan (0-2) for Kerins, (43); R Murray for Hooban, (50); F Healy for Raymond, (58).

Munster: B Cummins (Tipperary); C O’Brien (Tipperary), D Prendergast (Waterford), E Murphy (Waterford); B Dunne (Tipperary), M Walsh (Waterford), S Hickey (Limerick); S McGrath (Tipperary, 0-1), D O’Grady (Limerick); S Prendergast (Waterford, 0-3), K McGrath (Waterford, 1-1), T Grffin (Clare, 0-3); A O’Shaughnessy (Limerick, 0-6 frees), S Molumphy (Waterford, 0-1), P Kelly (Tipperary, 1-2).

Subs: D Fitzgerald (Tipperary) for Murphy, (29); J Woodlock (Tipperary) for O’Grady, (ht); J Clancy (Clare, 0-1) for Kelly, (50); S O’Sullivan (Waterford) for S McGrath, (52).

Referee: F Smith (Meath)

Last Inter Provincial Hurling Title for Munster

2007 Final – Munster 2-22 Connacht 2-19 played at Croke Park

Munster Team: Brian Murray (Limerick); Eoin Murphy (Murphy), Declan Fanning (Tipperary), Gerry Quinn (Clare); John Gardiner (Cork), Tony Browne (Waterford), Seamus Hickey (Limerick); Donal O’Grady (Limerick), Brian O’Connell (Clare); Shane McGrath (Tipperary), Ollie Moran (Limerick), Eoin Kelly (Waterford); John Mullane (Waterford, Captain), Dan Shanahan (Waterford), Lar Corbett (Tipperary)

Subs: Sean Óg Ó hAilpín (Cork) for O’Connell (Blood sub 20th minute to 49th minute); Niall Gilligan (Clare) for McGrath; Gerry O’Grady (Clare) for Murphy; Sean Óg Ó hAilpín for Quinn); Niall Moran for Ollie Moran); Mike O’Brien (Limerick) for Shanahan (Blood sub 58th minute to 64th minute). Gerry Kennedy (Tipperary), Sean O’Connor (Limerick), Michael Fitzgerald (Limerick), Jonothan Clancy (Clare). Conor O’Mahony (Tipperary), Michael Walsh (Waterford) and Timmy McCarthy (Cork) played in the semi-final.

Connacht: J Skehill; F Moore, C Dervan, G Mahon; D Collins, J Lee, A Keary; F Healy, R Murray; A Kerins, I Tannain, S Glynn; D Hayes, N Healy, A Callanan.

Subs: D Joyce for Collins (inj) (25); T Óg Regan for Mahon (32); G Kennedy for Keary (BS 35-38); K Hynes for Glynn (HT); K Higgins for Kerins (54); G Kennedy for Moore (61).

Inter Provincial Hurling Roll Of Honour

Munster (44) – 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007

Leinster (28) – 1927, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1941, 1954, 1956, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012

Connacht (11) – 1947, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2004

Ulster (0)

List of Munster Inter Provincial Hurling Teams

Visit the Munster GAA web site at https://munster.gaa.ie/history/railway-cup-hurling/ to view the list of all the teams to represent Munster in the Inter Provincial Hurling competition.