Ballygiblin ready for novel Munster junior hurling title defence

Apart from those top clubs that routinely win senior county titles, participation in provincial club championship competitions is a nice novelty for those who have triumphed below the top tier.

However, for Ballygiblin, there is a sense of déjà vu after their recent Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier JHC victory.

Until the end of last year, Cork’s representatives for provincial junior fare were the winners of the junior A championships – the sixth tier since the reformatting for 2020 – but the renaming of the fifth-level Lower IHC as premier junior saw a change, with the winners of that progressing instead.

Ballygiblin, who won Cork and Munster junior titles last year – narrowly losing the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny’s Mooncoin – managed to carry their momentum into the premier junior grade, beating Tracton in last month’s final. Now, unusually, they gear up for the defence of their Munster crown, seeking to do themselves justice once more.

First up for them is Tipperary champions Grangemockler-Ballyneale in Cahir tomorrow (1.30pm) and manager Ronan Dwane is hopeful that the memories of last year’s wins over Caherline of Limerick and Tipp’s Skeheenarinky will stand to his side.

“Last year, it was all new and all fresh and exciting going into Munster,” he says, “whereas this year you know the journey that you can have, which is a good thing from the point from the point of view that you know how it could go whereas you always have the experience from last year, which is a help as well.

“The ‘giddiness’ or the novelty isn’t there and you’d be hoping that you’d have the experience to call on.

“This time last year, we were saying that we’d never be there again but, due to the format, we are here again. Teams from other counties are saying that they’ll never be there again and it’s hard to know how that would go – will the enthusiasm trump the bit of experience?

“We’ll find out in the next few weeks, but there are positives and negatives there. On balance, you’d like to have the bit of experience in the bank.”

For Ballygiblin to be where they are now, with intermediate A hurling to look forward to in 2023, must have seemed fanciful when the 2021 championship began but their progress has been steady and sustainable. Dwane certainly isn’t taking it for granted.

“Absolutely, it’s a fantastic achievement,” he says.

“Starting off this year, you were hoping to preserve your status in the first of all, win the first game and keep yourself up.

“That’s the first thing that you’re thinking about, holding your own at the grade. To actually go on and win it was absolutely fantastic and to be playing intermediate A next year – from where we were 15 or 16 months ago, it’s hard to believe we’re there.

“To be starting off next year, knowing that we’re up there, it’s a great boost.

“When you get a bit of momentum and begin to improve, the confidence grows. Your reading of situations and the ability to win tight matches becomes better, you’ve more of a settled team – it all comes together and adds up to getting the victories.”

While Colin English remains an injury absentee for Ballygiblin, they are otherwise in good health, benefiting from All-Ireland U20 winner Darragh Flynn being back to full fitness.

With Cahir such a close venue, they will hope to have a large travelling support with Dwane expecting a stiff challenge from the Premier County flag-bearers.

“I went to see them in their county final,” he says, “they’re a good team and, like any team team progressing on to this stage, they’ll have some confidence after winning a lot of matches to get here.

“Any team representing Tipperary is going to be very strong. Ultimately, it’ll come down to what happens on the day – there’s no form to go and a lot of these matches come down to small things.

“The weather is another factor now, too – which team adapts better to it could be important.

“This time of year, with injuries and the weather and everything, you need a strong panel.

“You need 20 fellas.”