Abbeydorney go back to back Kerry hurling titles after having waited five decades
AFTER WAITING FIFTY years for a county title before their win last year, Abbeydorney have now gone back to back in the Kerry senior hurling championship.
In what is the first county final to be played anywhere in the country, the final was a repeat of last year’s, with the black and amber of Abbeydorney facing Ballyduff again.
Last year’s decider was a 1-17 to 1-10 triumph, and this year’s was 0-23 to 0-17 in Austin Stack Park, Tralee.
Abbeydorney hadn’t won the Neilus Flynn Cup since 1974 before their win last year, and had only been to the final day in 2005 in the interim.
Meanwhile, Ballyduff were bidding for their 26th title, which would have brought them level at the top of the leaderboard with Kilmoyley.
Abbeydorney jumped into an early three point lead before Ballyduff got off thee mark with a Podge Boyle free.
But with Oisín Maunsell in accurate form for Abbeydorney, Podge Boyle being the main scoring threat for Ballyduff, the champions brought a 0-13 to 0-8 lead into the break.
A Jack Enright point on 41 minutes brought the margin back to two but Abbeydorney had Michael O’Leary to thank for a brilliant display of free-taking as they landed their sixth county title.
They will now go on to represent Kerry in the Munster intermediate hurling club championship, against the eventual winners out of Clare, on 2, November.
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