On Friday the 21st of March, 2014, St. Ailbe’s and Roscrea played the first match of the U17 Boys’ Hurling Championships. The organising teacher and coach was Mr. Denis Keating.
The team arrived in Thurles following a half hour bus ride, and they were out warming up quicker than you can blink. Dark purple clouds loomed above, holding promises of heavy rain and Mr. Keating eyed them nervously. The wind was cold and harsh, giving everyone goose bumps, but that was only more of a reason for the team to get moving and they did all kinds of complicated stretches under the command of their coach. The other team, Roscrea, held their own and did their warm ups on the opposite end of the pitch. Mr. Keating, when pressed for a quote, said “Looking forward to the game, should be good.”
The game started with the shriek of a whistle, and an instant later there was the clack of wood on wood as hurleys connected. Immediately, one could sense the intensity in the air, the teams hard at each other, passing well and looking to score at every opportunity. Unfortunately, it was Roscrea who got the upper hand, coming out of the first five minutes with a 2 goal 2 point lead over St. Ailbe’s. We woke up quick after that, coming back with John ‘Wall’ Ryan scoring points left, right and centre. A true player, he didn’t let it go to his head. He made sure to keep cool and focussed. Seán Daly got his own in too, a beautiful point from way out in the wings, soaring through the posts so fast they shook, along with the confidence of Roscrea’s goalkeeper. Roscrea were terrified as they went to the bench to receive their half-time pep talk, but the spirits of St. Ailbe’s team were at a high. We were down by two goals but we were on the attack. Tommy Childs scored a goal and a point and everyone seemed to be getting their piece of the action. John ‘Wall’ Ryan was the top scorer on our team, five points to his name.
In the second half our team came out strong, and even though Mr. Keating’s words of wisdom were still fresh in their minds, Roscrea came out harder, fighting like there was no tomorrow. Whatever their coach had said to them, a new fire now roared in their hearts and all they could think of was winning that match. Rain had started to beat down on both teams, making the pitch a pit of slippery mud so that the players were hard pressed to keep possession of the sliotar. It was no longer a war against each other, the weather was weighing in too. Mark Compton, taking a well-deserved rest on the side-lines, said “Not looking forward to seeing my toes in the dressing room…” We gave it our best for the remainder of the game, gritting teeth so hard they pained, but the one goal we received was not enough to compare with Roscrea’s ever growing score. Goal after goal, they increased their lead drastically, and when that final whistle blew, the score was 6:14 to 2:7 and the heads of St. Ailbe’s players hung low as they trudged from the pitch.
But our players’ dignity was in no way dented, and they have promised to come back in the next game with a fury to match their skill. They are now training harder than ever, and despite the first game, the U17 Boys hurling championships should be very interesting. Mr Denis Keating is proud of his players, they did their best and gave a good display against a very tough team. We do not know yet who they will be playing in the second round, but personally, I pray they train harder than they ever have.
By Sean Glasheen
