St Joseph's Borrisoleigh enjoying encouraging campaign

By Cian O'Connell

"It is brilliant, it is something we're not used to," St Joseph's Borrisoleigh joint manager Mike Halpin remarks ahead of Friday's All-Ireland Senior Colleges C Final against Coláiste Naomh Cormac.

"Everyone is getting a great kick out of it now. It has been 20 years since we were in a hurling All-Ireland, it is a novelty for everyone, there is great excitement."

High quality players, who subsequently starred for Tipperary, have represented the school throughout the years. Halpin has spent two and a half decades in St Joseph's as a teacher so appreciates that these are good days. "After Munster, you're on straightaway wondering who you're playing," he says.

"You wouldn't even have thought about looking into it beforehand. We'd the Connacht champions, Clonfert College. As a school, it was only our third ever semi-final.

"The last one was 20 years ago when we'd Brendan Maher and Seamie Callanan on it, and we lost it. The former principal was warning us to make sure we'd take nothing for granted, to make sure to get over the semi-final, at least.

"We got over Ballinasloe and we've Coláiste Naomh Cormac, who're very like ourselves, very similar. A smallish school, relative to others, but mad hurling country. We'll be expecting a big battle on Friday."

Halpin and former Tipperary hurler Willie Ryan are in charge of St Joseph's. In 2003 Ryan played in an All-Ireland B Schools Final against Castlecomer CBS.
"He is driven by going one better," Halpin explains.

"He was saying that at Christmas, he met lads still giving out about that match, they felt they should've won it, but it is gas - those days stay with you forever."

A passion for hurling endures in the school. "We've four clubs with players on the panel," Halpin says.

"Borrisoleigh and Toomevara would be the backbone, our captain and a couple of others are from Templederry. We've one lad from Silvermines, too. Then, we've players from Upperchurch-Drombane, JK Brackens, and Drom-Inch in other teams in the school.

"They'd be playing against each other in finals. They're enemies in the summer, but they all come together for this.

"We've a Templederry man between the two big parishes as the captain to keep them all in check. He's the peacemaker when he's needed. They're a great bunch of lads. The way it worked out, there is a nice spread across the clubs."

Momentum was generated early in the current campaign, with a defiant display against Newport, providing hope and encouragement. "We were in B for the last few years," Halpin says.

"Injuries and losing lads, not having the numbers, but mainly injuries have bothered us. We got an awful hammering last year in a B quarter-final so we made a decision for the lads here to drop down to C. We're a small school, we were competing.

"We knew we'd a good enough crop, but they never won anything all the way up, they were semi-finalists or quarter-finalists. So, the year started off and we didn't know how we'd go. We'd a couple of handy enough wins in the group stages.

"Then, by the time we got to our last match against Newport, that was a brilliant game inside in UL. We felt coming away from it, that we'd something special.

"They were behind and came back to draw a match they probably should've lost. We were down five players, it all snowballed from there."

So, it has been a rewarding journey. "The lads really rowed in behind us, we put in a good bank of training," Halpin adds.

"We'd a preliminary quarter final, quarter final, semi-final, and it took on a life of its own. Supporters were coming to the last few matches and every match seems to go up and up in terms of the interest around the place. The work the lads were putting in was paying off.

"It was easy enough to ask them for more when you're on a winning streak. It just took off from day one, we weren't expecting this. We were hoping to maybe get near a Munster final, but they've kicked on, and to be in the All-Ireland, it is beyond everyone's dreams. It is just fantastic."