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2023 Kerry Senior Hurling Championship Final – Crotta O’Neills 0-15 Lixnaw 1-9

August 6, 2023 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Crotta O’Neills defeated Lixnaw by 0-15 to 1-9 in the Kerry Senior Hurling Championship Final on Sunday August 6th at Austin Stack Park Tralee.

Interview with Man of the Match Jordan Conway

Crotta O’Neills joy as 55-year Kerry wait ends

Kerry SHC final: Crotta O’Neill’s 0-15 Lixnaw 1-9.

Report by Mortimer Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Grown men cried. Supporters invaded the pitch and submerged the Crotta O’Neill’s players as 55 years of heartache ended with referee Ciaran O’Regan’s final whistle on this Kerry SHC final. And how they deserved it.

Lixnaw and Shane Conway gave it everything but they can have few complaints as Crotta were the superior side, even though they shot 20 wides and created three goals chances that they failed to convert. It was a triumph for hunger, passion and a sheer desire to get rid of that monkey off their backs.

Crotta O’Neill’s longest serving player and top marksman Shane Nolan reflected emotionally as he said: “Relief is the main feeling. Although we tried not to pay too much attention to the 55 years, it was always in the back of our head. I can only thank the panel of players because I thought I would never see this day. Some of us were throwing away chances including myself while Seanie McElligott, the youngest player on the field, fired over three points and Jordan Conway stood up there as well when needed.

“My grandfather has six county championship medals, my uncle Cyril has one and my uncle Todd lost two county finals and now I, Richard, Raymond and Dominick are the next generation of Nolans with one each. I think we were guilty of trying too hard and we left the door ajar at the end as Lixnaw created three goal-scoring chances but we held on to win.

“We were down five points but the likes of Cillian Trant and Barry Mahony drove us on. Making a final in 2011 at 20, you think we would be back a few times but lads went away and then we had to wait until today. It’s a day I will never forget but it’s more about the community. We did it for the people who thought they would not live to see another win after 1968.”

Lixnaw exploded from the blocks with Shane Conway coveting a sideline cut from under the terrace inside the opening minute and John Buckley quickly added a point as Lixnaw were using the wind to telling advantage. But Crotta O’Neill’s were wasting scoring chances and in fact by the end of the half they missed 13 chances, including ten wides.

Shane Conway then added a free but Crotta hit back with Seanie McElligott point. But then Lixnaw struck for a crucial goal in the 10th minute when Jeremy McKenna raced through and his shot was deflected into the path of Mikey Kelliher who had the simplest task of finishing to the net.

Lixnaw were now 1-4 to 0-2 by the 14th minute when Ricky Heffernan added another point but Crotta O’Neill’s took over and by half time they were level thanks to points from Barry Mahony, Cillian Trant, Jordan Conway, Shane Nolan, Seanie McElligott, Cillian Trant again, and Shane Nolan and at 0-9 to 1-6.

Crotta were in the box seat with the wind to their backs for the second period.

Darragh O’Donoghue and Mikey Kelliher swapped points but Crotta took over and points from Seanie McElligott and two Jordan Conway specials had those three clear and despite ten second half wides, they repelled the Lixnaw challenge led by Jeremy McKenna and Shane Conway. Lixnaw lost Reggie Galvin to a red card just three minutes after being introduced while Crotta lost keeper Adam O’Sullivan for a strike late on but Barry Mahony, Bill Keane and Cillian Trant refused to concede that late goal that Lixnaw never gave up on, but justice prevailed and Crotta O’Neills finally reached the Promised Land.

Referee Ciaran O’Regan, in his first Kerry SHC final, gave a wonderful exhibition

Scorers for Crotta O’Neills: S Nolan (0-2, frees) and J Conway (0-4 each), S McElligott (0-3), C Trant (0-2), B Mahony and Darragh O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

Scorers for Lixnaw: M Kelliher (1-2), S Conway (0-4, 1s/l, 2fs, 2 65s), J Buckley, J Brosnan and R Heffernan (0-1 each).

CROTTA O’NEILLS: A O’Sullivan; S McGrath, B Keane, E Shanahan; C Trant, T O’Connor, R Mahony; T McKenna, B Mahony; Darragh O’Donoghue, Sean Weir, J McKenna; S McElligott, S Nolan, J Conway.
Subs: Declan O’Donoghue for S Weir, 38, D Behan for É Shanahan, 51, D Murnane for D O’Donoghue, 60 (+1), G Parker for T McKenna, 60 (+4).

LIXNAW: M Stackpoole; C O’Sullivan, C O’Keeffe, A Shanahan; D Conway, D Shanahan, J McKenna; S Conway, J Buckley; J Brosnan, J Griffin, E Stack; C Sheehy, R Heffernan, M Kelliher.
Subs: K Molloy for J Brosnan (inj), 30 (+1), D McElligott for C O’Keeffe (inj), 35, M Conway for C Sheehy, 49, R Galvin for E Stack, 49, D McCarthy for C O’Sullivan, 60.

Referee: C O’Regan (Cork).

Ticket Information

Match Coverage

Details

Date:
August 6, 2023
Time:
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Venue

Austin Stack Park Tralee
Tralee, Ireland + Google Map

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA