Dr. Harty Cup Hurling – Ardscoil Rís Limerick 2-17 Hamilton HS Bandon 1-5

Ardscoil Rís power past Hamilton High School

Report by Therese O’Callaghan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Ardscoil Rís Limerick 2-17 Hamilton HS, Bandon 1-5

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Click here to view photos from the game

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Holders Ardscoil Rís got the defence of their Dr Harty Cup title off to a great start at Mallow yesterday, their dominant display eventually recording a 15-point win over Hamilton HS Bandon.

Leading by eight points at half-time, a goal immediately after the break from top forward, Limerick county minor Brian Ryan, left Hamilton High with too much to do.

With just two teams in this group, the result means Ardscoil Rís will meet Charleville CBS in the next round, while Hamilton HS face a tough assignment against last year’s finalists Our Lady’s Templemore.

Ardscoil Rís – who have many changes to their side from last season – played with the wind in the first-half and were quickly on their way with six points on the board before Ronan McCarthy opened the Bandon scoring. The champions, who picked off some excellent scores from Ryan, Rory Duff, Will Henn and Cillian O’Reilly, were 0-9 to 0-2 clear when Brian Ryan drilled to the net, after being put through by Duff.

While Hamilton High pulled the goal back five minutes later from Bertie Butler, the winners looked much sharper, especially with plenty of ball coming from midfield and their half-back area, where another county minor Jerome Boylan and Diarmuid Ryan impressed.

Despite trailing 1-11 to 1-3 at the interval, Hamilton HS were turning to play with the wind. However, when Brian Ryan netted within a minute of the restart – following good work by Darragh Carroll and Jack McInerney – the game was pretty much up for Bandon.

Substitutes like Carroll and Jack Woulfe – county players as well – came into the fray, with Carroll bagging their last two points from frees.

Scorers for Ardscoil Rís: B Ryan (2-2, 0-1 65m, 0-1 free), W Henn (0-1 free) and R Duff (0-4 each), C O’Reilly (0-3), D Carroll (0-2 frees), J Gleeson and J Daly (0-1 each).

Scorers for Hamilton HS: B Butler (1-1, 0-1 free), C Maguire (0-2), P Wall and R McCarthy (0-1 each).

Ardscoil Rís: B Curtin (Adare); P Heaney (Na Piarsaigh), M Daly (Na Piarsaigh), J Considine (Patrickswell); J Boylan (Na Piarsaigh), G Synnott (Na Piarsaigh), D Ryan (Cratloe); R Connolly (Adare), J Gleeson (Na Piarsaigh); R Duff (Mungret/St Paul’s); W Henn (Na Piarsaigh), B Ryan (South Liberties); J McInerney (Cratloe), C O’Reilly (Patrickswell), J Daly (Na Piarsaigh).
Subs: D Carroll (Newport) for J Gleeson (half-time), R McCarthy (Na Piarsaigh) for B Ryan (45), D Woulfe (Kilmallock) for J McInerney (52), M Gaule (Sixmilebridge) for W Henn (54), J McGrath (Patrickswell) for J Boylan (57).

Hamilton HS: B Donegan (Bandon); B Goulding (St Finbarr’s), G O’Donovan (Newcestown); C Mangan (Ahan Gaels), C McCarthy (Bandon), T Sheehan (Kilbrittain); E Collins (Newcestown); C Maguire (Courcey Rovers), F Herlihy (Dohenys); R McCarthy (St Oliver Plunkett’s), E Buckley (Ballinhassig), B Murphy (Dohenys); P Wall (Kilbrittain), P Collins (Newcestown), B Butler (Kilbrittain).
Subs: M Madden (Kilbrittain) for R McCarthy, A O’Mahony (Bandon) for B Murphy (both 42), P Lang (Bandon) for E Buckley (46), F Lyons (Valley Rovers) for C McCarthy, A Kenneally (Valley Rovers) for F Herlihy (both 55).

Referee: Michael Sheehan (Liscarroll)