Thomastown (Kilkenny) 2-23 

Castlelyons (Cork) 0-13 

Paul Keane reports from Croke Park

WHEN NOT EVEN Henry Shefflin could fix it for Thomastown, they must have wondered if an occasion like this would ever come around.

The long-suffering Kilkenny club have finally made their mark though as Kilkenny, Leinster and now AIB All-Ireland intermediate hurling champions.

Captain Stephen Donnelly led by example in front of 4,537 at Croke Park while current Kilkenny senior John Donnelly, free-taker Robbie Donnelly and rising stars Luke Connellan and Zach Bay Hammond all excelled too.

This is the same Thomastown team that turned to Cats great Shefflin in late 2020 following an agonising county intermediate final defeat on penalties.

The best they could do under Shefflin was a semi-final appearance in 2021 though and there was more heartache in 2022 when they lost another final after extra-time.

Current manager Noel Doherty has found a way to get them going and they’ve looked the part this year, ultimately becoming the eighth Kilkenny club to claim the national crown.  

They led throughout at Croke Park and save for a 10-minute or so speed wobble in the first-half were largely dominant.

The game’s first four points all went to Thomastown and it already looked worrying from Castlelyons’ perspective at that stage.

The Cork side, who operated at the third grade of hurling this season in their county, reeled off three points in a row but Thomastown finished the half strongly to lead 0-11 to 0-6 at half-time.

From there, they put the game to bed with 1-2 after the restart, the goal coming from Stephen Donnelly after a great run by John Donnelly up the left.

Thomastown struck a six-in-a-row of points between the 40th and 47th minutes to extinguish whatever hope Castlelyons may have had of a recovery.

And Stephen Donnelly sniped his second goal to put the tin hat on it in the 56th minute, tapping in from close range following Robbie Donnelly’s initial blocked shot. 

Thomastown scorers: Stephen Donnelly 2-3, J Robbie Donnelly 0-9 (0-5f, 0-2 65), John Donnelly 0-4, Luke Connellan 0-2, Jonjo Farrell 0-2, Peter McDonald 0-1, Jack Holden 0-1, Eddie Donnelly 0-1.

Castlelyons scorers: Alan Fenton 0-7 (0-2 65, 0-4f), Niall O’Leary 0-2, Colm Spillane 0-2, Oscar Hallihan 0-1, B Murphy 0-1.

Thomastown 

1. Diarmuid Galway

2. Peter Connellan, 3. Jay Burke, 4. Ned Kirwan

5. Brian Staunton, 6. Eddie Donnelly, 7. Zach Bay Hammond

8. Peter McDonald, 9. Jonjo Farrell 

10. Robbie Donnelly, 11. Luke Connellan, 12. John Donnelly 

13. Thomas O’Hanrahan, 14. Jack Holden, 15. Stephen Donnelly – Captain

 Subs:

18. Dylan Waugh for Holden (52)

17. David Prendergast for O’Hanrahan (59)

19. Richard O’Hara for Kirwan (59)

20. Alex Cass for Luke Connellan (61)

25. Brian O’Hanrahan for Bay Hammond (61)

Castlelyons 

1. Jack Barry

2. Jamie O’Leary, 3. Colm Barry, 4. Dara Spillane 

5. Niall O’Leary, 6. Colm Spillane – Captain, 7. Leo Sexton 

11. Alan Fenton, 9. James Kearney,

8. Barry Murphy, 12. Keith O’Leary, 10. Leon Doocey,

13. David Morrison, 14. Anthony Spillane, 15. Oscar Hallihan

 Subs: 

23. Colm McCarthy for Doocey (12)

20. Shane Moroney for J O’Leary (49)

25. Brian O’Donovan for Hallihan (53)

27. Ronan Fenton for Morrison (55)

24. Rob Feeney for K O’Leary (57)

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).