It’s been an incredibly successful fortnight for Trinity GAA’s hurlers, who not only won back-to-back fresher league titles last week, but added to the silverware this week with the senior team finally getting their hands on the Division Two title, beating the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) on a scoreline of 0–16 to 0–10 on Tuesday night.
The bitterly cold weather and the long trek from the capital to Staker Wallace GAA grounds in Limerick could not deter the determination and motivation shown by Trinity’s players, who were looking for their first league title since the team’s promotion in 2006 from Division Three. The tough games encountered in the league group stood to the team as they fought to claim the title that had evaded them for many years. An impressive team performance was enough to see joint-captains Eoghan McNamara and Fionn O’ Riain Broin lift the trophy after the final whistle.
It was Trinity who got on the scoreboard first, courtesy of a well-taken free from O’Riain Broin who had been pulled down by his marker within the first few minutes of the game. ITT had reached the final previously and was just as determined to clinch the trophy. Trinity pulled ahead moments later with another free from O’Riain Broin, giving Trinity’s opponents an early warning of the danger of giving away opportunities.
A goal opportunity in the early stages of the first half saw the ITT keeper make a brilliant save, which stopped the shot Sean O’Connor had blasted in his direction, having received a perfectly timed pass from Mark Corry after well-worked play by the forwards.
O’Riain Broin seemed to be putting over frees for fun every time a Trinity player was fouled, driving over another point after midfielder Jack O’Neill was brought down as he made a dash towards the goalmouth in search of a score. Tralee attempted to push back down the field, mounting the pressure on the full-back line after a corner-forward received a perfect ball near Eoin Skelly’s net. But a tough defensive effort by the Trinity defence saw Mark O’Keefe come away with the ball and drive it out of danger.
More frees came Trinity’s way, with Johnny Walsh also getting a point from play after O’Connor got in a vital block, which Walsh got on the end of before the ball had even touched the ground. Walsh added another point to his personal tally when O’Neill hit the sliotar into space for Walsh to run onto, side-step his man and strike the ball hard and true over the black spot.
Walsh and a Tralee corner-forward were carded for separate incidents at opposite ends of the field, while O’Neill was awarded another free in the dying minutes of the half, seeing Trinity go into the break five points up against Tralee by 0–9 to 0–4.
Trinity burst out of the traps in the second half, with substitute Eoin Kelly placed in the forward line. Cian O’Sullivan stepped up to the mark, accurately striking over a point from the half-back line over the bar and opening the scoring in the second half for the boys in red and black. Tralee’s players, who were tired of seeing sliotars sail over their heads, began to fight back, hitting over scores to narrow the gap again between the two sides.
O’Riain Broin struck over yet another free to interrupt this purple patch. A few confrontations on and off the ball ensued, with O’Neill shown a yellow card for disagreeing with a decision made by the referee. Such confrontations meant that the game did not flow as well as it could have, with hits and belts coming from all directions on both sides.
The teams traded scores a few times, with Trinity leading by four points going into the last five minutes, which were surely some of the most exciting minutes of the half. Trinity went a man down after O’Neill was shown a second yellow card, but this was not enough to stop the side scoring another two points to ensure that when the final whistle blew, it was Trinity that came away as All-Ireland League Champions after a tremendous battle between two very good sides.
Having not held a league title in over 10 years, Trinity’s achievement will see the team compete in Division One next season. Looking forward to the draw for the Fitzgibbon Cup Championship, Trinity’s players can go into the championship with the belief that they won’t be there to just merely compete, but to impose a challenge on those they meet. Hurling is on the rise in Trinity and is showing no signs of slowing down.
