Seamount boys shaded it

Seamount, Kinvara 1-14

St Killian’s, New Inn 2-9

Michael O’Connor in Ballinasloe

CHAMPIONSHIP fervour was on hand at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe on Sunday as Seamount College, Kinvara made history with a rare Connacht hurling title at senior level when overcoming St Killian’s, New Inn in the provincial NUI Galway Post Primary Schools C hurling final.

The large crowd present at the East Galway venue were treated to an encounter that was the most exciting of the three senior finals played at Duggan Park over the weekend.

Wind-assisted Kinvara opened the scoring through Jake Comyn in the third minute before the impressive Michael Garvey responded for St Killian’s. It was hard at this juncture to envisage how dominant Seamount would become for the remainder of the half as St Killian’s were most unfortunate not to score two goals through Garvey in the first quarter.

In any event, Seamount’s Niall Coen, who had a major say in the scoring stakes, added two points by the sixth minute before Comyn struck his side’s fourth score to edge the Kinvara students further ahead.

With St Killian’s missing scoreable chances, it was inevitable that Seamount, despite missing dual Clare minor Joey Droney through injury, would continue to thrive in the second quarter and this they surely did. Coen hit 1-3 in a six-minute spell with Ross Albertini also on the mark with a score in the 26th minute.

St Killian’s did hit back with points from Fiachra Garvey and Oran Finn before half-time but the New Inn college faced what appeared to be an insurmountable mountain to climb trailing 0-3 to 1-8 at the interval.

However, climb they did. Paul Creaven hit the opening score of the half before Adam Donohue pounced for a much-needed goal for the chasers. When Donohue and Creaven narrowed the gap to three points – a solitary effort from Seamount captain Keelan James was their only score in this time – it was all of a sudden game on.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.