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[jm-live-blog title=”Dacia Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship” description=””]

Dacia Senior Hurling Championship Final - Carnew v Glenealy

County Grounds Aughrim

Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship

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Carnew Emmets

Match Preview – Jim Doran

Glenealy were within a point of winning Leinster last year so its going to be no easy task. I think its going to be battle all over the field as both these teams are strong all over. Both have a few key forwards that will need to be on form on the day. Danny stauton, now playing in the backs has the ability to contol that part of the field while bosco will be doing the same around midfield. We have to curtail their influence on the game sunday to leave aughrim with a Carrnew win.

Sponsors

Gardiner Grain Limited Proud Sponsors of the Carnew Senior Hurling Team

http://www.gardinergrain.ie/

Team Management

Manager – James Hickey

Selectors – Liam Kennedy, Don Hyland, Horse Doyle, John Joe Myers

We have a great management team this year. James Hickey leads our team with an explosion of passion the same as he did in his Mt. Leinster and Carlow days. Liam Kennedy, Don Hyland and the Horse Doyle, the 3 of these lads have been there and done that. They know what it takes, along with John Joe Myers, who was with the footballers, no stone has been left unturned this year.

Future Generation

Carnew do huge work at underage level and it’s no suprise that some of that hard work sees them contest this years Minor Hurling final with a lot of these young men soon to be lining out for the Senior team in the very immediate future

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Glenealy

Match Preview – Tom Glynn

I see it as a tough physical battle as all Glenealy/Carnew games are and neither side will give an inch. Its 9 years since Carnew have won a Championship, so they could have a greater hunger. Glenealy have a new look team this year, with young players breaking through like Ronan Manley, Cian Staunton, Matthew Traynor and you also have Paul O Brien, Gary Hughes, Jonathan O Neill Jnr and Joey Driver Jnr who could have important parts to play.

The team hasn’t has not been announced as far as I know, but the spine of it will be on familiar lines of Danny Staunton, Warren Kavanagh, Bosco and Robert Byrne.along with Gary Hughes and Alan Driver who will be trying to emulate his two brothers Joey and Nigel in lifting the O’Donohoe Cup. There is also the vastly experienced Enan and Leighton Glynn, Wayne O’Gorman and Tommy Doyle who have seen and done it all before.

The game will be a contrast of styles as this Carnew side like to run with the ball and force their opponents into fouling while Glenealy play a more direct game and try and get the ball quickly into their forwards. Discipline will be a big factor in this game as both teams have good free takers. Glenealy have Bosco and Carnew have Enda O’Donohoe and either could be a match winner on their own. The middle of the field battle will be vital and whatever side comes out on top here will go a long way in deciding who wins on Sunday. Glenealy probably have more scoring potential from open play if given the room, but I can’t see Carnew allowing that to happen too often as they will be tenacious and in the Glenealy players faces all game. If Glenealy can stifle the Carnew running game without giving too many frees away, they are in with a chance.

Both sides are relatively knew to winning Senior Hurling Championships. Glenealy won their first in 1957, which was the start of a 3 in a row while Carnew recorded their first in 1965. Carnew were well ahead of Glenealy coming into the 2000s but Glenealy have narrowed that gap substantially in the last 20 years. Carnew now have 19 while Glenealy have 15. Glenealy will be trying to close that gap even further on Sunday while Carnew will be trying to extend it.

Sponsors

Kings Pub Glenealy are the proud sponsors of the Glenealy Senior Hurling jerseys and Wood Industries have kindly sponsored the new training tops this year.

Team Management

The Glenealy manager is former Wexford and Glynn-Barntown Gary Laffan. Gary won a Senior All-Ireland medal in 1996 at full forward when Wexford beat Limerick and also has a couple of Leinster medals to his name. Gary was also a usefull footballer and played under 21 for Wexford. While Gary never won a Wexford senior hurling Championship “on the losing side in 3 finals” He did win a Senior football one in 1996 when Glynn-Barntown beat Kilinerin in the final. A man who eats, breaths and loves hurling, he brought Glenealy to a new dimension last year, when they reached the Leinster Intermediate final. Unfortunately we were handed a raw deal when we played Ballyragget, who were given all the big decision by a ref who was incompetent to say the least, his sidekick Johnny(Honda)Doyle is another Glynn-Barntown man who has done some great work for Wexford at under age level. Johnny’s enthusiasm for the game rubs off on everyone but he has a steely side to him as well when needed. The third member of the Holy Trinity is local man Michael A Neill who has a wealth of experience of Wicklow hurling, and has won practically everything open to him at Wicklow and Intercounty level.

The Future Generation

There is a tremendous amount of coaching that goes on in Glenealy and has always been the Glenealy way. This year has been no different, it is an all year process, a production line that ensures we have young players coming through continuously. We have former players and also people who have moved into the area, looking after these young lads, and this hard work is paying off. The under 9s and 11s have won county titles this year, while the under 13s,15s and 17s are in their respective county finals. We have a wealth of talent in Glenealy coming through and if these young lads want it badly enough and apply themselves properly, the sky’s the limit. Players like the O‘Halloran brothers, John and Kevin, Cal Connolly, Sam Dowd, Charlie Cruise, Michael Og O’Neill, Fionn Luddy (His grandfather Billy was on the first Glenealy team to win the Senior Championship in 1957), Jack Byrne, James Byrne, TJ O’Neill, James Ffrench are just a fraction of the players, who should be making a name for themselves at senior level in the not to distant future.

The Trail Blazers

All three were Wicklow Intercounty hurlers. Rob was captain of the first Glenealy team to win championship in 1957 and he was also captain in 58 and 59 and Sean was the vice captain. Sean a Tipp man married a girl from Glenealy who he met in University in Dublin. He was a corner forward on the Dublin team beaten by Cork in the 1952 All-Ireland final. When Dublin met Wexford that year he scored 2-02 off the great Bobby Rackard. He was a member of the Wicklow team that won the Junior All-Ireland in 1967. All three players were top notch and are Glenealy legends. Rob would have captained Wicklow and won Leinster championships and league medals. Paudie was a dual player who played minor hurling and football for Wicklow. Rob never played football, but Sean and Paudie played senior football for Ashford.

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CHAMPIONSHIP TOP SCORER

With an incredible 3-60 scored so far in this year’s Championship, Carnews Enda Donohoe sits comfortably at the top of the Senior Hurling Championship Table and looks to have secured the top scorers prize kindly sponsored by the The Martello Bray.

Man Of The Match Prize

Thanks to the brilliant generosity of Maire Doran Injury Solutions, the Man of The Match from the final will win a €50 voucher for Maire Doran Injury Soluitions and a session in the normatec recovery pants which is a cutting edge recovery tool available at her clinic.