OVER a century of heartbreak – to paraphrase captain Darragh O’Donovan – ended as Doon dethroned Na Piarsaigh in a lively Limerick Senior Hurling Championshp Final at the Gaelic Grounds.
Beaten in many finals, the east club have eventually made the long-overdue breakthrough with this slender 0-16 to 2-9 victory over the modern day giants on Shannonside.
Na Piarsaigh flashed home goals through Adrian Breen and Dáithí Dempsey to lead 2-3 to 0-8 at the interval.
The teams were tied on a few occasions in the closing period, but the winning gap opened late-on when the brilliant performer Adam English struck over his 11th point.
Earlier, Doon showed some real class with serious scores in a row from English, and stalwarts O’Donovan, Barry Murphy and Pat Ryan Simon.
The likes of Shane Dowling, Ronan Lynch, Dylan Lynch and Peter Casey (yes, he’s thankfully back) struck important points also for Na Piarsaigh.
For the dreadful conditions, the decider was hugely enjoyable, one attended by around 7,500 enthusiastic supporters.
Doon: Tomas Lynch; Eoin Fitzgibbon, Tommy Hayes, Cian O’Donovan; Chris Thomas, Barry Murphy (0-1), Richie English; Darragh O’Donovan (0-1), captain, Adam English (0-11); Eddie Stokes, Gareth Thomas (0-1), Pat Ryan Simon (0-1); Jack Ryan, Kevin Maher, Darragh Stapleton (0-1).
Substitutes used: Cormac Ryan, Mikey O’Brien, Patrick Cummins.
Na Piarsaigh: Shane Dowling (0-2); Vince Harringon, Mike Casey, Emmet McEvoy; Mike Foley (0-1), William O’Donoghue, Jerome Boylan; Ronan Lynch (0-2), Tommy Grimes; Kevin Downes, Will Henn, Conor Boylan (0-1); Daithi Dempsey (1-0), JJ Carey (0-1), Adrian Breen (1-0).
Substitutes used: Peter Casey (0-1), Dylan Lynch (0-1), Keith Dempsey.
