Preview | Ardscoil Rís and St Kierans meet in St Patricks Day Croke Cup Final

Ardscoil Rís and St Kieran’s of Kilkenny will face off in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day to decide the 2022 Croke Cup Champions.

Limerick’s Ardscoil Rís find themselves in their fourth Croke Cup final this Thursday, seeking a maiden title in the competition.

And for fourth successive time, Ardscoil will be against the black and white hoops of St Kieran’s College who hold a 100% record over the North Circular Road school.

Defeat was Ardscoil’s lot in the All-Ireland finals of 2010, 2011 and 2016 with the largest winning margin just three points in their first meeting.

Last Three Meetings

• 2016 Croke Cup Final: St Kierans College 1-15 :1-13 Ardscoil Rís
• 2011 Croke Cup Final: St Kierans College 2-10 : 1-11 Ardscoil Rís
• 2010 Croke Cup Final: St Kierans College 2-11 : 2-8 Ardscoil Rís

This will be Ardscoil’s first time in the final after failing to pick up Harty Cup honours, with the 2022 decider their first loss in the final at the sixth attempt.

But while Niall Moran’s side are looking for a first title, the current champions look to further themselves from the chasing pack in the roll of honour as they look to add to their 23 triumphs, nine more than St Flannan’s in second.

Ardscoil booked their final spot after a hard fought victory against Leinster champions Good Counsel, New Ross in Bansha in the semi-finals. The final score settled at 2-17 to 0-15 with Shane O’Brien shooting an incredible 1-7 throughout the game and David Kennedy bagging the other goal.

That result came after a win over Presentation College Athenry in the quarter-finals just five days previously.

speaking after the game, manager Niall Moran spoke of his delight on reaching the final Ardscoil,

“The lads are thrilled. They are going to an All-Ireland final, that sense of going up to Croke Park on Paddy’s day is amazing so they are thrilled and it’s good for them to enjoy today”.

Moran is well used to Thursday’s opponents, failing to get one over the Kilkenny kingpins in the last decade, and is aware of what it will take to beat them.

“Obviously in a final as well your playing top class opposition, you’re not gonna sail away from any of them and in the same breath they aren’t going to sail away from you. St Kieran’s are a very very strong team so goals win games and we are under no Illusions.”

From a St Kieran’s perspective they proved to be too strong for their semi-final opposition St Joseph’s of Tulla they ran up a comfortable eleven point 3-16 to 1-11 win. St Jospeh’s were appearing in their first ever semi-final after earning a maiden Harty Cup championship title earlier this year.

But despite, not reaching the Leinster final, St Kierans proved too strong for the Clare outfit as they bid for an eleventh title since the turn of the century.

History will be made on St Patricks day, but whether it will be a Limerick side or the Kilkenny outfit remains to be seen.

The Croke Cup Final takes Place on St Patricks day in Croke Park at 4pm and is live on TG4.