Tooreen hurlers ready to seize their moment

By John Harrington

Eight years of hard work will culminate for Tooreen Hurling Club in Saturday’s AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Final against Tipperary and Munster hurling champions, Upperchurch-Drombane.

Since 2017 they’ve won six out of eight Connacht championships, lost the 2023 All-Ireland Final against a strong Monaleen team narrowly, and travelled the length and breadth of the country seeking challenge matches against quality opposition so they can raise their level to the point where it’s good enough to win this competition which has been the club’s goal for some time now.

A talented generation of players that has grown up together is now at the peak of their powers and there is a real determination that this is the moment when they must seize their destiny.

That sort of expectancy can bring its own pressure, but team captain, Fergal Boland, says they’re motivated rather than burdened by it.

“When you get to an All-Ireland Final you're always trying to deliver,” says Boland.

“We're trying to not think too much about it as a burden but as an opportunity to perform on the big day.

“There is going to be life after this as well but obviously winning on Saturday would be unbelievable. We're looking at it as an opportunity and really looking forward to it.

“We always have a big focus in the group on our own standards and trying to perform and if that's good enough it will hopefully get us over the line.

“We've prepared really well, as good as we can. We've a strong belief in the group and in the community that we can perform again on Saturday and hopefully that will be good enough to get us over the line.

“I feel like we're probably in a really strong position. It's the same sort of fellas that are playing that were playing three years ago (against Monaleen) and we have a few lads who were younger lads then who are in their mid-twenties now and have taken ownership of the team.

“The dressing room is the same group players but the younger lads have kind of stepped up into more leadership roles in the team. I think we're in a really good position.

“We've a really good mix of young lads coming through. We've three or four lads that are just out of minor who are contributing to the team and we've other lads, the likes of Stephen Coyne and Joe Boyle who are still playing unbelievable hurling so I think we've a really good mix.”

Tooreen are entitled to feel confident coming into Saturday’s game because their form has been so impressive.

They blew away Ulster champions Éire Óg Carrickmore in the second half of their All-Ireland semi-final, winning eventually by 11-points, and were 12-point victors over Galway champions Meelick-Eyrecourt in the Connacht Final.

Their team is stacked with Mayo county hurlers – Eight Tooreen club-men started this 2025 Nickey Rackard Cup Final and another couple were on the bench.

Shane Boland, Liam Lavin, and Eoin Delaney scored a combined 3-76 for Mayo in that Rackard Cup campaign and while team captain Fergal might be better known for his exploits as a county footballer with Mayo, he’s another forward capable of shooting the lights out on his day.

You combine that sort of firepower with the midfield energy of Danny Huane, the defensive steel of David Kenny, Oisin Greally, and Conal Hession, and the authoritative goalkeeping of Bobby Douglas, and you’re left with a seriously good team.

Between club and county, most of these Tooreen players have played in Croke Park on multiple occasions, which will surely be some advantage on Saturday because its such a different arena than any other in the country.

“Yeah, it definitely is,” says Boland. “It takes a while to get used to your surroundings. We've a lot of lads who have played in Croke Park and that helps.

“The main thing is probably that the surface is probably a lot quicker than we would be used to playing in at club venues around the country.

“Lucky enough, our club pitch is actually the same size as Croke Park, but the surface in Croke Park where the pitch is a bit greasier the ball kind of flies off the ground a bit more.

“That's one difference. Then the second thing is the shooting. When you're in Croke Park the goals kind of nearly seem closer than you actually think because of the stands behind the goal, so it's just kind of getting used to that in the warm-up and then trying to bring that into the game.”

Despite their pedigree in this competition, Tooreen have been widely billed as underdogs for their clash with Upperchurch-Drombane, presumably because many view it through the prism of it being a hurling clash between Mayo and Tipperary.

Tooreen don’t mind being underestimated. They know their worth, they know what they’re hurling for, and they know what they’re capable of achieving on Saturday.

“We're not too bothered if people from other outside counties respect us or disrespect us,” says Boland.

“For us it’s all about our community and giving back to our volunteers and everyone and trying to make them proud. That's the people that are most important to us.

“Anyone that's from Tooreen is hugely passionate about the hurling and it's a huge part of our identity. It's a sea of blue and white down in the village at the minute.

“We had a meet and greet last Sunday with all the kids and it was unbelievable to see all the people out, all the young kids there just hugely invested in hurling. It's crazy. People think we're stone mad down there, but everyone just loves their hurling.

“It's what everyone talks about. We've no shop or pub at the minute in Tooreen. It's only, it's only the hurling pitch and the school and the church.

“It's the centre of the community. Even on the bad days, people are going to the wall to meet up and go pucking, and obviously, on the good days it has made the Christmas and the winter a lot shorter.”

If they can win this All-Ireland title, then it’ll be Christmas in Tooreen all over again.

Saturday, January 10

AIB All-Ireland club Intermediate Hurling Final

Tooreen (Mayo) v Upperchurch-Drombane (Tipperary), Croke Park, 5.15pm - TG4