Tipperary sub goalkeeper Darragh Egan in 2014 James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
DARRAGH EGAN PINPOINTS a day that illustrates just how far Kiladangan have travelled.
Two decades ago, he recalls as a youngster seeing the club’s flagship adult team plying their trade at junior level in North Tipperary, losing a championship game to Roscrea’s second-choice team by 20 points.
Now Kiladangan are part of the last two standing on the 2016 Tipperary hurling stage. Since last month’s All-Ireland win, the focus has shift in Tipperary back to the club scene and amidst that heightened interest, Kiladangan have reached today’s Tipperary senior hurling final at Semple Stadium.
It’s the club’s first in 78 years and they’re meeting Thurles Sarsfields, the aristocrats who have collected five of the last seven county titles.
Semple Stadium will host today's game Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
“I just turned 30 this year and it’s my 16th season,” says Egan.
“I came on the scene at 15, we won an intermediate north final in 2001 which was a massive step forward for our club.
“I remember going watching them matches, we were struggling for numbers. There was still a lot of good people doing a lot of good work around the club.
“We just literally didn’t have the bodies. We’ve come a long way from that.”
Darragh Egan (front right) after Tipperary's 2010 All-Ireland final win Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
They have made incremental progress. In 2004 they won the Tipperary intermediate title and went on to win the All-Ireland against Kilkenny’s Carrickshock.
That ensured promotion to the senior ranks. This year Kiladangan won their third North title in four years but it was the breakthrough victory in 2008 that kickstarted this run.
“We won it in 2008 in a game when we were well behind against Burgess and turned them over at the end,” remembers Egan.
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“That was a massive, massive achievement for our club. It had been 65 years we’d gone without winning one.
“We do really cherish every North medal we get. It’s a great competition. I’ve four of them now.”
After becoming the kings of the local arena, the challenge was to translate that to the county scene. In 2010 they lost a county senior semi-final to Clonoulty-Rossmore and in 2013 after a replay to Nenagh Éire Óg. Last Sunday they finally surmounted that last four hurdle in Tipperary with a win over Killenaule.
It’s taken an amount of hard work. As principal of Kiladangan national school, Egan has observed at the coalface what has been required for the overhaul of hurling in the parish. He himself spearheaded a drive to get club senior players back involved with underage teams.
“When I was playing underage, we were playing C grade in everything. Now in the last four or five years, we’ve won North A titles at U12, U16, minor and U21.
“I remember there about three weeks ago, we’d 52 lads on the field training. That sounds crazy but that’s a fact. The minor and junior teams were still involved. It’s been a great year.”
They’ve had good coaches as well. Ex-Offaly manager Eamon Kelly, Limerick’s Ger Hegarty, Ger Cunningham – who has experience of Laois, UL and Newtownshandrum – and former Galway and Portumna U21 boss Johnny Kelly.
Now they have another Portumna man in Galway All-Ireland winner Sean Treacy as their coach. Martin Moloughney is a selector and club stalwart Dan Hackett is the manager.
“Our performances at the moment epitomise what Dan means in our club,” says Egan.
“I was asked before who my favourite player was and Dan Hackett was my answer. If you’d seen him hurling, he was the level exactly we needed to get to.”
A bunch of their players have received their call-up papers from Tipperary. Tadhg Gallagher won an All-Ireland minor medal in 2012, Barry Hogan did likewise this year.
Last year James Quigley started in an All-Ireland minor final. Joe Gallagher was involved with the Tipperary senior squad last spring. In July the Tipperary U21’s lost the Munster final but David Sweeney impressed with his marking job on Waterford’s talisman Patrick Curran.
Egan has a wealth of experience himself. During Babs Keating’s second coming, he was a wing-forward for the Tipperary seniors.
Then two years ago, he was the sub goalkeeper when they were deprived of the Liam MacCarthy Cup after a replay. Now he’s back immersed in the club scene and restored to an attacking role.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it (this year). I absolutely love going down club training.
“When you’re in the county setup, it is definitely tougher to get down. But look our club lads have definitely been understanding over the years.
“Since I came onto it, I would have always been outfield. 2011 I got injured actually, went back in goal and that’s how I got called back into the Tipp senior set-up as sub goalie.
“I played two and a half years in goal with the club, where our goalkeeper actually moved to America so we were half caught.
“And now Barry Hogan who was on the Tipperary minor panel this year has an All-Ireland medal. He joined us last year and took over the mantle. I went back outfield and I love it.”
Darragh Egan in action for Tipperary against Wexford in 2010 Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
The scale of the challenge today does not need to be painted graphically. Thurles Sarsfields have the know-how to win games and a galaxy of county stars.
“They’re an excellent side and they have been the benchmark,” admits Egan.
“I think Paudie Maher is going for his sixth county medal. That’s a remarkable achievement, Paudie is still a relatively young man.
Padraic Maher celebrates Thurles Sarsfields Tipperary senior title win Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“We are definitely making a conscious decision to enjoy the week and the build-up. I think there’s only five or six of us left (from 2004 intermediate final).
“Just talking to a few of the boys over the last few days, they didn’t even dream of a county senior final.
“We can’t let history and tradition and emotion take over for Sunday. It’s a great position to be in and we just need to grasp it.”
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Goalkeeper, forward and set for club's first Tipperary senior hurling final in 78 years
DARRAGH EGAN PINPOINTS a day that illustrates just how far Kiladangan have travelled.
Two decades ago, he recalls as a youngster seeing the club’s flagship adult team plying their trade at junior level in North Tipperary, losing a championship game to Roscrea’s second-choice team by 20 points.
Now Kiladangan are part of the last two standing on the 2016 Tipperary hurling stage. Since last month’s All-Ireland win, the focus has shift in Tipperary back to the club scene and amidst that heightened interest, Kiladangan have reached today’s Tipperary senior hurling final at Semple Stadium.
It’s the club’s first in 78 years and they’re meeting Thurles Sarsfields, the aristocrats who have collected five of the last seven county titles.
“I just turned 30 this year and it’s my 16th season,” says Egan.
“I came on the scene at 15, we won an intermediate north final in 2001 which was a massive step forward for our club.
“I remember going watching them matches, we were struggling for numbers. There was still a lot of good people doing a lot of good work around the club.
“We just literally didn’t have the bodies. We’ve come a long way from that.”
They have made incremental progress. In 2004 they won the Tipperary intermediate title and went on to win the All-Ireland against Kilkenny’s Carrickshock.
That ensured promotion to the senior ranks. This year Kiladangan won their third North title in four years but it was the breakthrough victory in 2008 that kickstarted this run.
“We won it in 2008 in a game when we were well behind against Burgess and turned them over at the end,” remembers Egan.
“That was a massive, massive achievement for our club. It had been 65 years we’d gone without winning one.
“We do really cherish every North medal we get. It’s a great competition. I’ve four of them now.”
After becoming the kings of the local arena, the challenge was to translate that to the county scene. In 2010 they lost a county senior semi-final to Clonoulty-Rossmore and in 2013 after a replay to Nenagh Éire Óg. Last Sunday they finally surmounted that last four hurdle in Tipperary with a win over Killenaule.
It’s taken an amount of hard work. As principal of Kiladangan national school, Egan has observed at the coalface what has been required for the overhaul of hurling in the parish. He himself spearheaded a drive to get club senior players back involved with underage teams.
“When I was playing underage, we were playing C grade in everything. Now in the last four or five years, we’ve won North A titles at U12, U16, minor and U21.
“I remember there about three weeks ago, we’d 52 lads on the field training. That sounds crazy but that’s a fact. The minor and junior teams were still involved. It’s been a great year.”
They’ve had good coaches as well. Ex-Offaly manager Eamon Kelly, Limerick’s Ger Hegarty, Ger Cunningham – who has experience of Laois, UL and Newtownshandrum – and former Galway and Portumna U21 boss Johnny Kelly.
Now they have another Portumna man in Galway All-Ireland winner Sean Treacy as their coach. Martin Moloughney is a selector and club stalwart Dan Hackett is the manager.
“Our performances at the moment epitomise what Dan means in our club,” says Egan.
“I was asked before who my favourite player was and Dan Hackett was my answer. If you’d seen him hurling, he was the level exactly we needed to get to.”
A bunch of their players have received their call-up papers from Tipperary. Tadhg Gallagher won an All-Ireland minor medal in 2012, Barry Hogan did likewise this year.
Last year James Quigley started in an All-Ireland minor final. Joe Gallagher was involved with the Tipperary senior squad last spring. In July the Tipperary U21’s lost the Munster final but David Sweeney impressed with his marking job on Waterford’s talisman Patrick Curran.
Egan has a wealth of experience himself. During Babs Keating’s second coming, he was a wing-forward for the Tipperary seniors.
Then two years ago, he was the sub goalkeeper when they were deprived of the Liam MacCarthy Cup after a replay. Now he’s back immersed in the club scene and restored to an attacking role.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it (this year). I absolutely love going down club training.
“When you’re in the county setup, it is definitely tougher to get down. But look our club lads have definitely been understanding over the years.
“Since I came onto it, I would have always been outfield. 2011 I got injured actually, went back in goal and that’s how I got called back into the Tipp senior set-up as sub goalie.
“I played two and a half years in goal with the club, where our goalkeeper actually moved to America so we were half caught.
“And now Barry Hogan who was on the Tipperary minor panel this year has an All-Ireland medal. He joined us last year and took over the mantle. I went back outfield and I love it.”
The scale of the challenge today does not need to be painted graphically. Thurles Sarsfields have the know-how to win games and a galaxy of county stars.
“They’re an excellent side and they have been the benchmark,” admits Egan.
“I think Paudie Maher is going for his sixth county medal. That’s a remarkable achievement, Paudie is still a relatively young man.
“We are definitely making a conscious decision to enjoy the week and the build-up. I think there’s only five or six of us left (from 2004 intermediate final).
“Just talking to a few of the boys over the last few days, they didn’t even dream of a county senior final.
“We can’t let history and tradition and emotion take over for Sunday. It’s a great position to be in and we just need to grasp it.”
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County final Darragh Egan Hurling Kiladangan Semple Showdown Tipperary