Mount Leinster Rangers crowned Carlow SHC champions
Chris Nolan of Mount Leinster Rangers celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Carlow County Senior Club Hurling Championship final match between Naomh Moling and Mt Leinster Rangers at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.
Carlow senior Hurling championship Final
Mount Leinster Rangers 1-19 St Mullins 0-16
By Kieran Murphy at Netwatch Cullen Park
Mount Leinster Rangers are the 2025 Carlow senior hurling champions. They got off to a great start in Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday but had to withstand a brilliant resurgence from St Mullins before scoring the final five points of the game to cement their victory.
The winners got off to a start where they looked set for an easy victory. Donagh Murphy flashed over two points while Chris Nolan was on the end of a quick exchange of passes to find the top right hand corner of the net. Nine minutes in, they led 1-6 to 0-1 with Colm Kavanagh scoring the solitary St Mullins point.
Rangers had chances to extend the lead but they registered a number of wides. Their opponents responded and Marty Kavanagh scored four points from placed balls, the Rangers lead was down to 1-10 to 0-9 at the interval.
They kept their noses in front in the early stages of the second half but when the St Mullins full-back, Paul Doyle, scored two points from play to level matters at the end of the third quarter it looked as if the reigning champions were in the ascendancy.
The eventual winners dug deep and Chris Nolan scored two frees and a 65.
In defence Rangers hunted in threes and fours never allowing St Mullins to settle. They were hungry and nothing was going to stop them.
At the other end, Jon Nolan and Ted Joyce raised white flags for Rangers who scored the final five points of the game. It was enough to cement what was a sweet victory after they had surrendered their title to the same opposition after a replay last year.
Scorers for Mount Leinster Rangers: C Nolan 1-10 (7fs 65), D Murphy 0-4, T Joyce 0-3, J Nolan 0-2.
Scorers for St Mullins: M Kavanagh 0-7 (65 6fs), P Boland 0-3, P Doyle 0-2, John Doyle, J Kavanagh, C Kavanagh, J Doyle (Dranagh) 0-1 each.
MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS: Frank Foley; Michael Doyle, Tony Lawlor, Sean Joyce; Richard Coady, Kevin McDonald, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Tim Brennan; Ruairi Murphy, Jon Nolan, Donagh Murphy; Chris Nolan, Eddie Byrne, Ted Joyce. Subs: Dean Tobin for R Murphy (38), Evan Kealy for Coady (44), Michael Malone for S Joyce (60).
ST MULLINS: Seamus Murphy; Paidi O’Shea, Paul Doyle, Ciaran Harris; Ger Coady, Paudie Kehoe, James Doyle (Drummond); Eamonn O’Shea, James Doyle (Dranagh); Jack Kavanagh, Conor Kehoe, John Doyle; Colm Kavanagh, Marty Kavanagh, Paddy Boland.
Subs: Oisin Boland for O’Shea (44), Oisin Ryan for C Kavanagh (56), Laurence Brennan for J Doyle (Drummond 59).
Referee: David Hickey (Fenagh)
