Preview | Monaleen and Tooreen look to make history in All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Final

One of these sides will make history by becoming the first team from the county to claim All-Ireland intermediate honours.

Monaleen take on Mayo’s Tooreen in the AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Final this Saturday evening at Croke Park at 7pm.

The winner will become the first from their respective county to claim the Intermediate title. For Monaleen, they will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Na Piarsaigh (Senior) and Blackrock (Junior) in returning to the county with All-Ireland honours.

Saturday’s contest will be Monaleen’s 13th game of the season which began last August as they returned to life in the Premier Intermediate Ranks after suffering relegation.

Under the tutelage of Eoin Brislane, the City side have been bested just once since the start of the season, a relatively inconsequential loss to Glenroe as they still topped the PIHC group after round seven of the championship.

In the semi-finals they were paired with Effin, a team they beat heavily in the final round of the groups. They repeated the trick to set up a tie with 2014 winners Bruff where they were 2-16 to 0-16 victors to claim the title at the first time of asking.

In the provincial series, Doora Barefield proved tricky customers but a wonder goal from Mark O’Dwyer helped them over the line and into the final where they were paired with a fancied Roscrea outfit.

But Brislane’s youthful charges were exceptional from start to finish in securing a maiden Munster title with a dominant seven-point victory.

They continued their winning ways with a 2-19 to 0-20 win over Bray Emmets, Andrew La Touche Cosgrave and Dan Power getting the goals to seal their place in the national final.

Monaleen Path to the All-Ireland Final

• R1 – 0-20 : 1-15 v Cappamore (W)
• R2 – 1-18 : 2-21 v Glenroe (L)
• R3 – 2-17 : 1-11 v Newcastle West (W)
• R4 – 0-24 : 2-17 v Bruff (W)
• R5 – 2-14 : 0-20 v Dromin-Athlacca (D)
• R6 – 0-26 : 1-13 v Knockainey (W)
• R7 – 1-22 : 0-11 v Effin (W)
• SF – 1-18 : 0-15 v Effin (W)
• Final – 2-16 : 0-16 v Bruff (W)
• Munster SF – 2-13 : 0-16 v St. Josephs Barefield (W)
• Munster Final – 1-22 : 0-18 v Roscrea (W)
• All-Ireland SF – 2-19 : 0-20 v Bray Emmets (W)

They will face a Tooreen side who are appearing in their first All-Ireland final. However, the Mayo men have been knocking on the door of this stage in recent years as they have claimed three successive Connacht titles in 2019, 2021 and 2022 (2020 wasn’t played).

They came through their province before being paired with Down and Ulster champions Liatroim Fontenoys in the last four of the All-Ireland. An early goal set the Mayo men on their way as they sealed a 1-18 to 1-14 win despite the concession of a late goal.

Still, Monaleen will provide formidable opposition with Brislane working with an excellent blend of youth and experience. The City men are captained by All-Ireland winner Lorcan Lyons who has been an ever present at centre-back. La Touche Cosgrave is also an All-Ireland winner and has returned from injury to great effect in the latter stages of Limerick and then onto the province.

Ed Doyle and Jamie Porter were Munster winners with Limerick in 2014 while others like Jamie Power, Mark O’Dwyer and Ed Doyle have led by example down the spine of the team.

However, the standouts have arguably been their U20 contingent who have announced themselves on the national stage. In defence, teenager Bryan Canny has been imperious at full-back while Ronan has flanked his brother Lorcan at wing-back, notching four points in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two more teenagers, Joe Fitzgerald and Lochlann McHale man the midfield where they have been excellent all year.

There is hard to argue a weakness in the Monaleen side but Tooreen are formidable in their own right as a seasoned team with plenty of intercounty experience. Fergal Boland has featured regularly with the Mayo footballers but is a classy hurler in his own right as is Cathal Freeman who hurled with UL as well as intercounty regulars Bobby Douglas, Sean Kenny, Shane Boland, Daniel Huane and Stephen Coyne to name a few.

It promises to be an exciting battle but local eyes will be hoping that it will be the Monaleen corner making history in returning the cup Shannonside.

Monaleen face Tooreen this Saturday at 7pm in the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Club Championship final in Croke Park.