No secrets in Dublin hurling final derby
Kilmacud Crokes hurler, Dara Purcell, pictured ahead of the PTSB Dublin Hurling Championship Senior Final against Cuala. PTSB is proud to sponsor the PTSB Dublin Leagues and Championships across all four codes within Dublin GAA, Dublin LGFA and Dublin Camogie, from minor level upwards.
By John Harrington
There will be no surprises for either team when Kilmacud Crokes play Cuala in Saturday night’s PTSB Dublin SHC Final.
These two great south-side rivals know each other inside out, with a good chunk of both panels former team-mates in their school days in Coláiste Eoin.
“Yeah, I’d know a lot of them,” says Crokes forward, Dara Purcell. “We actually won a Leinster Schools title in 2019, I think. Conall O'Toole and a few of the Cuala lads would have been playing.
“We’d know them well, and obviously you play against a lot of them at underage and senior level too. Most of us would have been in school together at some stage, so there’s a good rivalry between us.
“I’ve played with some of them with Dublin too, Conor Groarke, Sean Brennan and Liam Murphy, among others. They have a lot of excellent hurlers, as well as young lads coming through who will probably be with Dublin next year and in the coming years. They have a lot of talent in their squad.”
So too do Crokes, who seem to have a happy habit of producing ready-made senior stars from the U20 grade year on year.
Purcell himself is still only 24, but that makes him a relative veteran in a very youthful panel.
“Yeah, over the last few years, we’ve had a lot of younger lads coming in and driving us on,” he says.
“They’ve been really good, so I think that’s a positive for the club. Every year over the last four, we’ve been able to bring a few lads through. The younger lads we have now are really strong
“Those of us who are 24 in the middle bracket now. We still have a lot of lads who’ve been on the panel for a good few years, so there’s a nice blend of experience and the energy of the younger lads.”
Dara Purcell of Kilmacud Crokes in action against Conor McHugh of Na Fianna during the PTSB Dublin Senior Club Hurling Championships Round 5 match between Kilmacud Crokes and Na Fianna at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile.
Crokes haven’t won the PTSB Dublin SHC since 2022, but Purcell believes they’re stronger this year than they have been for some time.
“Over the last few years, we’ve had a lot of injuries and lads have missed out, so the team has changed a lot. This year, thank God, we’ve had injuries, but the core of the group has stayed the same. We’ve had that consistency throughout the year.
We’ve had a similar group, but the bench has also made a big impact. Against Lucan the last day, that was probably the biggest positive: the lads who came on and helped win the game for us.
“We have a lot of depth in the squad at the minute, and a positive for us is that lads are making a really good impact when they come on. That’s always good to see. Even in training, when you’re playing internal games, the standard is really high.”
Having won two Dublin senior championships in his first two years in the team, Purcell admits he probably didn’t appreciate just how difficult it is to do.
If he wins a third on Saturday after three lean years, it’ll mean that bit more to him.
"Exactly. You don’t really know what it means. You think it’s going to happen every year, and you don’t understand what it means to people in the club or to lads who’ve put in so many years and had limited success.
“I’ve experienced that now, having gone a few years without being successful, so this one would be really nice if we got over the line.”
