Masterclass from Barry Murphy as Killavullen prevail
November 03, 2025
In the opening game in defence of the Shreelawn Oil, 13 a side Junior C hurling championship, played on Sunday in Killavullen, it was the home team, that was to prevail, by the slenderest of margins after a great battle with our near neighbours, Ballyhooly.
Killavullen opened the scoring with a long range point from a free from Sean Woulfe but Ballyhooly were to take the lead with a well taken goal, from their midfielder quickly there after and followed that up with a point, and only two minutes on the clock. Sean got a point back for us, and then Ian O Gorman , our captain on the day with the U6 team that he coaches cheering him on scored from distance. Sean Woulfe equalised for us, and Ballyhooly lost their influential midfielder, the one that had scored the opening two scores for them, to an injury and is loss was keenly felt. Colm Hannon scored a nice point for us, to take the lead but Ballyhooly equalised from open play, and quickly tacked on another point, that we should have cleared to regain the lead and that was followed with another long range free conversion, from Sean to regain the equilibrium , back to an even keel, in the 15th minute, to leave the score at the end of the 1st quarter at 1-03 to 0-06.
Ian O Gorman scored another point for us, to regain the lead and then, the here to then, quiet Barry Murphy slipped over a lovely dainty point with the minimum of fuss but there was nothing dainty about his next involvement in the play. He gathered a great long relieving clearance from Joe Cagney, turned his man, and fairly nearly blew the nets from his ribbings, to score a cracking goal. Barry was winning All Ireland medals with Clare when the vast majority of the Killavullen team around him, were not born, not even conceived or even thought about by their parents, who were probably only in school at that stage. Suffice to say, that Barry is no young Fella, but class is permanent.
Ballyhooly responded well to the concession of the goal though, and scored the next two points from dead ball situations, before Sean Woulfe scored another impressive long range point from a free, after Barry Cotter was fouled in and around the midfield area. Conor Brennan at corner back was good in this period, despite sustained pressure, from Ballyhooly. That left the score in a lively and entertaining game at 1-09 to 1-05 at the interval.
Oisin Larkin was brought on a substitute for us, for Ian O Mahony for the second period, in a deal of squad rotation. Ballyhooly set about arresting the arrears at the start of the second period, and impressively scored four points in a row, to have the teams deadlocked after seven minutes of play. Our next score owed much to the craft of Murphy, who hooked the Ballyhooly goalkeeper, in the act of clearing the ball, and Barry then squared the ball to Sean Woulfe who fired the sliotar into the yawning goal. Barry added a close in free for us again, to open up a four point lead. Ballyhooly gamely again, tacked on a point from a free, and another from open play, before Barry added another free, but the momentum was with Ballyhooley and that carried then through to score an equalising goal. 2-11 each, with 11 pulsating minutes on the clock.
Patrick Angland was introduced for Michael Walsh, but we lost a man to a second yellow card. We were under pressure at the back, but Eoin O Hanlon, Tomas Fennell, Barry Cotter and especially Joe Cagney were putting in a determined shift to try to stem the Ballyhooly forwards. Pa Angland moved from midfield to full back to help, and it was a back to the wall’s performance from both teams now, that entertained the decent crowd thoroughly, as each team tried manfully to wrestle the win from each other.
Our forwards worked very hard to be our first line of defence and with only 13 players on each team, it made for loads of space, and loads of hard graft to get about. We spurned a great goal chance, but you must credit the Ballyhooly net minder with a brave double save and Barry edged up ahead again, with a pointed free after Colm Hannon was fouled. Ballyhooly got a free in reply, an in a Helter skelter of a finish, the equalised with a goal from a long delivery into our square. The ball was repelled out three or four times, before it was forced over the line, with the square as crowded as the No. 8 bus to Bishopstown on any college morning.
With the teams deadlocked, and time up, Killavullen won a free out around midfield. Ian O Gorman took the free quickly to Barry, who was fouled again. From in closer to the goals, Barry made no mistake with the free, and that was the final score, in a welter of excitement.
The referee for the game was Alex Morrissey who contributed immensely to the fine sporting game that it was, no lack of endeavours from both teams, loads of dramas, some players who did not train so much, others that trained loads, and players of all level of abilities.
It made for a absorbing game, but that man Murphy – well – he is just class.
The team and those who scored were;
- Michael Cronin
- Conor Brennan
- Tomas Fennell
- Eoin O Hanlon
- Joe Cagney
- Barry Cotter
- Michael Walsh
- Kian Lane
- Colm Hannon (0-01)
- Ian O Gorman (0-02)
- Ian O Mahony
- Sean Woulfe (1-05, 0-04F)
- Barry Murphy (2-05, 0-04F)
Substitutes
Oisin Larkin for Ian O Mahony
Patrick Angland for Michael Walsh