WE’VE ALL HEARD of study breaks being important for Leaving Cert students but Shane Bennett took a different approach yesterday.

Bennett came off the bench for the Waterford hurlers to make his Munster senior hurling championship debut and struck 0-2 from play.

He helped secure victory over Cork and a place for Waterford in the Munster final on 12 July.

But the teenager has little time for celebration as he sits Leaving Cert exams today in Maths and Irish in Blackwater Community School in Lismore.

Bennett’s not the only Leaving Cert student shining on the GAA fields at the moment as last week five Kilkenny hurlers played for the county U21 side the night before their exams began.

Waterford boss Derek McGrath heaped praise on Bennett and the other youngsters that were sprung from their bench to help defeat Cork.

“(I’m) just happy with them. Shane Bennett played three league games with us. He did Leaving Cert Maths on Friday so today didn’t take a feather out of him.

“Patrick Curran just came into the panel. We hounded him through the league but we had an agreement that he’d finish his exams (in UCC) and then come into us. He did great out there too.

“And Tom Devine made a big impact as he usually does – I’m delighted for him in particular because he’s such a lovely lad. He’s a second year medical student and I’m just delighted for him.”

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