JJ Kavanagh Kilkenny U21 A Hurling Final 2025
Graigue Ballycallan 1-20 (23); Dicksboro 2-16 (22)
The final hurling game of the year at UPMC Nowlan Park was also one of the best seen at the venue in 2025.
The game went to extra time, finished as darkness threatened, and resulted in victory for Graigue Ballycallan over Dicksboro, the city side who were going for a three-in-a-row.
This one-point victory in extra time for the Kilmanagh men, was only their second victory in the under 21 grade.
Their previous victory in 1997 paved the way for a tremendous era for the ‘sky blues’, resulting in four consecutive county senior final appearances, and two Kilkenny Senior Hurling successes, in 1998 and 2000.
Both sides have players that will certainly feature in the senior ranks in the years ahead.
Graigue Ballycallan made the early running in this final with three opening points from Cormac Neary (free), Eoghan Cahill and Aaron McEvoy.
They were the more impressive side overall in the opening half and led by four points at the interval, 1-7 to 0-6, helped by an Aaron McEvoy 21st minute goal.
Dicksboro made the better start to the new half with a Patrick Lacey score from a midfield free and a Cillian Hackett goal.
Graigue Ballycallan regained their four points lead in the next fifteen minutes with scores from Ryan Corcoran, Cormac Neary (free), Jeff Neary and a Billy O’Neill (free), 1-11 to 1-7.
As the game went into the final two minutes of normal time Ballycallan were still 1-14 to 1-10 clear.
The Boro showed great fighting spirit and looked to have snatched the game with a Matthew Kelleher goal from close range, along with points from Samuel John O’Shea and Patrick Lacey, which gave them a narrow one-point advantage, 2-12 to 1-14.
A Cormac Neary free right at the death levelled the game for Graigue Ballycallan to take things into extra time, 1-15 to 2-12.
Scores were scarce in the twenty minutes of extra time as daylight faded fast on the last day of November. Five points from Conor Walton, Billy O’Neill (free), Ryan Corcoran (2) and a Cormac Neary placed ball proved enough for the Kilmanagh side to clinch their second under 21 A grade success.
Graigue Ballycallan had stars in defenders Ryan Cody, Jeff Neary and Billy O’ Neill. Further upfield Ryan Corcoran was man of the match, closely followed by Aaron McEvoy and Conor Walton.
Dicksboro will be disappointed but gave their all in an excellent contest.
Best for them were Evan Murphy, Kevin Moore, Louis Raggett, Cillian Hackett, and Patrick Lacey.
SCORERS
Graigue Ballycallan
Cormac Neary (0-6, 6 frees), Aaron McEvoy (1-3), Ryan Corcoran (0-4), Billy O’Neill (0-2, frees), Eoghan Cahill, Jeff Neary, Patrick Foley, Conor Walton, Paidi Egan (0-1 each).
Dicksboro
Patrick Lacey (0-9, 7 frees), Cillian Hackett (1-1), Matthew Kelleher (1-0), Kevin Moore (0-2, 1 free), Sean Keenan, Bill O’Shea, Samuel John O’Shea, Dan Carroll (0-1 each).
TEAMS
Graigue Ballycallan
Sean McGrath, Dean O’Brien, Billy Dowling, Ryan Cody, Jeff Neary, Billy O’Neill, Ben McEvoy, Jake O’Brien, Cormac Neary, Conor Walton (Captain), Aaron McEvoy, Eoghan Cahill, Ben Young, Patrick Foley, Ryan Corcoran.
Substitutes:
Keelan Lynch for Ben Young (27 mins), Sean Roberts for Patrick Foley (extra time), Paidi Egan, Tony Butler for Cormac Neary (extra time).
Rest of panel – Eoin Egan, Robbie Lynch, Shane Cody, Micheal Harrison, Pat Purcell, Frank McCluskey, Oran Hoyne, Aiden Cahill
Dicksboro
Tom O’Neill, Johnnie Keane, Evan Murphy, Mick Carroll, Michael Stynes, Kevin Moore (Captain), Donnacha Hennessy, Bill O’Shea, Louis Raggett, Anthony Clifford, Cillian Hackett, Sean Keenan, Dan Carroll, Patrick Lacey, Matthew Kelleher.
Substitutes:
Used – Brian Moore for Dan Carroll (halftime), Samuel John O’Shea for Anthony Clifford (44 mins), Billy Fitzpatrick for Michael Stynes (58 mins), Sean Keenan for Brian Moore (extra time).
Rest of panel – Ciarán Power, James Cleere, Conor Kavanagh, Peter Conroy, Noah Gibbons, Eoin Moore, Ben Henderson, Luke Bourke, Thomas Treacy, David Mulrooney, Christy Murphy, Enda Kavanagh, Killian Dollard, Fionn McGarry, Luke Morrissey, Rian Dunne Dowling, Harry Shine (Inj), Tom McPhilips (Inj).
Referee: Brian Fox (O’Loughlin Gaels).
Click HERE for photos, courtesy of Willie Dempsey.
By John Power Mon 1st Dec
