Just when it seemed the Examiner Cup had become the exclusive property of Lough Lene Gaels, Clonkill awoke from their slumber to end a 32-year wait last September. Here, we review their march to glory. Clonkill enjoyed their finest hour since 1969 at Cusack Park on September 16 last when they defeated first-time finalists Cullion to regain their place at the summit of the Westmeath senior hurling scene. It was a hugely significant victory for Clonkill who had been threatening to make a breakthrough since losing the 1998 decider to Lough Lene Gaels. In 2000, they came within a whisker of returning to the showpiece game but suffered an agonising one-point defeat to Castlepollard in the semi-final. But this year, they were not to be denied and the celebrations which followed their triumph confirmed to everyone that Clonkill were back. It must be said that the omens were good for Clonkill at the start of the year. Following the club's under 21 championship success in 2000, it was remembered that Clonkill's last under 21 title win in 1968 preceded their last senior triumph in '69. How history was to repeat itself! Few hurling followers were prepared to look beyond Lough Lene Gaels retaining the Examiner Cup at the outset of the year. The Gaels were bidding to win their fourth title on the trot, and thus equal the record set by Clonkill in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Clonkill club president Tod Nugent, who is the only surviving member from that great team, made no secret of his desire to see that proud record maintained when he told the players: "Stop Lough Lene Gaels from winning the four in-a-row and bring back that cup back to Clonkill." His wish was duly granted. Under the management of Pat O'Toole - a man who has played a vital role in the club's recent underage successes - and his co-selectors Jimmy Cribben and Tommy Keegan, Clonkill opened their championship campaign with a 0-15 to 2-7 victory over Castletown-Geoghegan on May 27. Clonkill made the better start with points from Andrew Mitchell, Enda Loughlin and Sean Loughlin (two) giving them an early 0-4 to 0-0 advantage. A Pat Conway goal brought Castletown back into contention but the Loughegar men were 0-7 to 1-2 in front at the interval thanks to further points from Sean Loughlin and Mitchell. Loughlin extended Clonkill's lead on the restart but an unanswered 1-1 from the black and ambers - the goal coming from Colm Geoghegan - had them in front for the first time. Clonkill responded impressively, though, with scores from Brendan Murtagh, Gerard Fagan and Jonathan Forbes giving them control once again. Castletown quickly reduced the deficit to the minimum before a late point from Andrew Mitchell's sealed Clonkill's win. Three weeks later, they suffered their only defeat when succumbing to Castlepollard by 0-12 to 2-9. Clonkill got off to a flier, with early scores from Michael Murtagh, Sean Loughlin and Brendan Murtagh (two) propelling them into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead. But Donal Devine. Ollie Devine and Alfie Devine shot points to bring 'Pollard back onto level terms. Points from Paddy Dowdall and Gerard Fagan restored Clonkill's advantage but 'Pollard hit a purple patch before half-time with goals from Adrian Smith and Larry Kennedy giving them a 2-7 to 0-7 interval lead. Castlepollard had stretched their advantage to eight points within 10 minutes of the restart thanks to points from Alfie Devine and Kevin Brazil but they were not to score again as Clonkill battled back. Sean and Enda Loughlin, Andrew Mitchell and Gerard Fagan all scored points but the green and golds were unable to make up the deficit. On July 1, Clonkill defeated Brownstown by 1-19 to 2-7 to book their place in the quarter-final. Pat O'Toole's charges were marginally the better side in the first half with points from Enda and Sean Loughlin and a goal from Darragh Ayres giving them a 1-7 to 1-5 lead at the break. Any hopes Brownstown may have had of overtaking Clonkill were all but dashed in the opening stages of the second half when the green and golds rattled over five points without reply. With Brendan Murtagh, Enda Loughlin, Paddy Dowdall and Colm Kelly prominent, that lead was extended to a massive 13 points, 1-19 to 1-6, with time almost up. Brownstown managed 1-1 in the time remaining to put a more respectable look on the scoreline. Raharney provided the quarter-final opposition two weeks later at Cusack Park. This proved to be one of Clonkill's toughest games of the season with the outcome remaining in doubt until the final whistle. Clonkill raced into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead and their hopes were further boosted when David Scally crashed home the opening goal. Nicky Weir replied with a goal for Raharney but the Loughegar men remained composed and points from Brendan Murtagh, Gerard Fagan and Fergal Fagan enabled them to regain the initiative. But Raharney kept plugging away with a John Shaw goal leaving them just two points in arrears, 2-4 to 1-9, at the half-way stage. Shaw reduced the deficit to the minimum on the restart and when Nicky Weir scored his second goal, Raharney supporters could sense victory. But Clonkill refused to panic and were back in it when Fergal Fagan blasted to the net. That goal provided the green and golds with the boost they needed and they went on to secure a 2-14 to 3-7 victory with late points from Sean Loughlin, Gerard Fagan and David Scally. The two semi-finals were played at Cusack Park on August 26 and what a momentous day it proved to be. In the first game, Cullion caused a huge upset by defeating Castlepollard by 2-8 to 1-10. Another major surprise followed in the second game when Clonkill ended Lough Lene Gaels' four in-a-row ambitions by triumphing on a 1-11 to 1-10 scoreline. It was nip and tuck in the early stages with the sides sharing eight points between them in the opening 20 minutes. But then a great goal by Sean Loughlin put the underdogs in the driving seat and at half-time, they led by 1-7 to 0-6. Clonkill continued to hold a four-point advantage as the game moved into its final quarter. But the champions refused to throw in the towel and a well-struck goal by John Kennedy left just the minimum in it. When Kennedy followed up with two further points to put his side in front for the first time, it seemed that Clonkill were destined for more heartbreak. But Pat O'Toole's charges dug deep and two unanswered points from Brendan Murtagh and substitute Jonathan Forbes had them back in front. Paul Williams equalized for the Gaels but in a dramatic finale, teenage star Murtagh sent over a free from 55 meters to secure a famous victory for the Loughegar men. Having preserved their four in-a-row record, Clonkill found themselves installed as warm favourites to beat their fellow-parishioners of Cullion in a novel county final. Clonkill's favouritism was supported by the fact that Cullion were appearing in their first senior final and they hadn't beaten Clonkill in the championship since 1981. Clonkill got off to a flying start, with Brendan Murtagh raising a white flag after just 10 seconds and Paddy Dowdall firing home the opening goal in the fourth minute. Cullion pulled back two points but they were picking the ball out of the net for a second time after nine minutes when Enda Loughlin flashed an unstoppable shot from 30 meters past goalkeeper Jim Baker. Cullion seemed shell-shocked but then a goal from Frank Shaw left just three points between the sides. The green and golds responded, however, with points from Ger Fagan, Andrew Mitchell and Murtagh (two) to take a 2-6 to 1-2 lead into the interval. Cullion were favoured by the stiff breeze in the second half and within 30 seconds of the restart, they were back in it when Declan Gillen scored their second goal. When Robbie Galvin tagged on a point in the third minute, the margin was back to three and Clonkill looked to have a major battle on their hands. But that was as close as Cullion came. Man of the match Andrew Mitchell grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck at centre back while throughout the field, Clonkill's work-rate increased dramatically. Cullion's final wide count was 15 but several of those misses can be attributed to the enormous pressure their forwards were put under by the Clonkill rearguard. Points from Fagan (two) and Sean Loughlin had pushed Clonkill six clear (2-9 to 2-3) after 52 minutes. Loughlin and Declan Gillen exchanged points in the closing stages before substitute Martin Scally sealed a 2-11 to 2-4 victory for Clonkill in injury-time. Afterwards, a jubilant Clonkill joint-captain and goalkeeper Paddy Walsh was fulsome in praise for manager Pat O'Toole, stating: "this man deserves great credit because he does it for the love of the game." It is fair to say that O'Toole got the best out of what is still a very young Clonkill team. One senses that their best years are still to come and it's highly unlikely that they will have to endure another 32-year wait before title number 10 comes their way. The Clonkill team that captured the senior hurling championship title after a 32-year lapse was: Paddy Walsh; Donal Kenny, Brian Murray, Shane Owens; Michael Murtagh, Andrew Mitchell (0-1), Larry Donoghue; David O'Reilly, Colm Kelly (0-1); Gerard Fagan (0-3), Brendan Murtagh (0-3), Enda Loughlin (1-0); Sean Loughlin (0-2), Fergal Fagan, Paddy Dowdall (1-0). Subs used: Martin Scally (0-1), Jonathan Forbes, Gareth Mitchell and David Scally. Clonkill add Feis Cup Clonkill finished the year on a high when they added the Feis Cup to the senior championship with an extra-time victory over Castletown-Geoghegan at Robinstown in December. The victory made up for the defeat Clonkill suffered to Lough Lene Gaels in the delayed 2000 Feis Cup final a few weeks earlier. They also got their revenge on the Gaels, beating them in the 2001 semi-final. Brendan Murtagh and Paddy Dowdall scored early points for Clonkill but they were rocked back on their heels when Pat Clarke scored two goals in quick succession for the Castletown-Geoghegan men. When Derek Gallagher tagged on a point, Clonkill found themselves seven points adrift. But they responded with four unanswered points to leave themselves just three adrift, 0-6 to 2-3, at the interval. Points from Barry Whelan and Alan Mangan put Castletown five clear in the early stages of the second half. Clonkill refused to panic, however, and roared back with six unanswered points to take the lead. Colm Kelly, Andrew Mitchell, Gerard Fagan, Andrew Mitchell and David Scally all found the target during that glorious spell of dominance. But Clonkill couldn't keep the momentum going and they required a late point from Scally to force the game into extra-time. The score at the end of normal time was 0-14 to 2-8. Castletown enjoyed the better of the exchanges in the first period of extra-time, at the end of which they led by 2-12 to 0-16. But Clonkill's greater level of fitness came to the fore in the second period. Points from Andrew Mitchell and Paddy Dowdall brought them back onto level terms before two late Gerard Fagan frees gave them a thrilling 0-21 to 2-13 victory. The Clonkill team was: Paddy Walsh; Donal Kenny, Brian Murray, Shane Owens; Michael Murtagh, Andrew Mitchell, Larry Donoghue; Jimmy Fitzsimons, Colm Kelly; Sean Loughlin, Brendan Murtagh, David O'Reilly; Paddy Dowdall, Fergal Fagan, Gerard Fagan. Subs used: Jonathan Forbes, David Scally and Jimmy Fitzsimons. Minor joy for green and golds Clonkill annexed the minor 'A' hurling championship with a 1-15 to 2-9 victory over Lough Lene Gaels at Delvin on October 13 last. Although they were guilty of spurning a number of scoring chances, the Loughegar side had sufficient strength in the central positions to prevail. Their big full forward Adam Mitchell caused all sorts of problems for the Lough Lene Gaels rearguard and finished the final with a personal tally of 1-9. Clonkill, who had defeated Ringtown in the semi-final, made the better start and were 0-3 to 0-1 in front after 10 minutes thanks to points from Mitchell (two) and Paul Kelleghan. Daniel Carty reduced the deficit to the minimum before an Adam Mitchell goal put the winners four points clear after 15 minutes. The signs didn't look encouraging for the Gaels after Christopher Austin and Mitchell added further points but, to their credit, they finished the first half very strongly with an Eamonn Porter goal leaving them just two points adrift, 1-5 to 1-7, at the interval. Clonkill regrouped during the break and within 11 minutes of the restart, Mitchell (two), Michael Loughlin and Stephen Nulty had tagged on further scores to give them a 1-11 to 1-6 lead. The Gaels continued to struggle and by the 17th minute, they found themselves nine points, 1-6 to 1-15, in arrears. After that particular scoring burst, there appeared to be no way back for Lough Lene Gaels. Just as they had done in the first half, however, they finished much the stronger. A 22nd minute goal by Daniel Carty provided them with a massive boost and when Mark McNicholas, Padraig Fitzsimons and Carty followed up with points, the deficit was down to three points. But Clonkill stood firm in the dying moments and deservedly held on for victory. Afterwards, their captain Adam Mitchell was a fitting recipient of the minor 'A' championship shield from Minor Board chairman, Michael McHugh. The Clonkill team was: Adam Price; Oliver Merlehan, Paddy Hallinan, Ian Farrell; Robbie Daly, John Fagan, Paul Devine; Alan Dowdall, Paul Kelleghan; Michael Loughlin, John Curran, Christopher Austin; Stephen Nulty, Adam Mitchell, David Gibson. Sub used: Stephen Murtagh. Junior double for Clonkill Within the space of five weeks, Clonkill won the 2001 and 2000 junior 'A' hurling championship titles last year. Coincidentally, Lough Lene Gaels were their victims in both finals. On September 6, the Loughegar-based outfit captured the 2001 crown with a 1-11 to 0-8 victory at Cusack Park. The delayed 2000 final took place on October 14 with Clonkill again emerging triumphant on a 1-8 to 0-9 scoreline. Both finals followed the clash of the two clubs in the senior championship semi-final and were fiercely contested. Having defeated Raharney by 3-8 to 2-3 in the semi-final a few weeks previously, Clonkill went into the 2001 decider in a confident frame of mind. However, Lough Lene Gaels made much the better start and had four points on the board before Gerard Fagan eventually opened Clonkill's account. Paddy Dowdall and Fagan followed up with two points each to give Clonkill the lead for the first time. But a brace of points from Darragh McCormack edged the Gaels into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead at the interval. A point from Dowdall on the restart brought Clonkill back onto level terms before they surged in front with scores from Kevin McGrath and Gerard Fagan. Then came the game's decisive score. A long-range free from Fagan completely deceived the Lough Lene Gaels defence and ended up in the net. McCormack replied with a point for the Collinstown men but Clonkill tails were up and they made sure of victory with points from Fagan and Dowdall. Fergal Moran managed a late point for the Gaels but by then, Clonkill fans were celebrating. By coincidence, the same two sides met in the delayed 2000 final at Whitehall five weeks later. For obvious reasons, Lough Lene Gaels were determined to gain revenge but Clonkill again had the upperhand and emerged as deserving two points winners. As in the 2001 decider, the Gaels made the better start with Mark McNicholas and Paul Slevin scoring early points. But Clonkill quickly restored parity with scores from Brendan Murtagh and Gerard Fagan. A couple of points from Michael Walsh enabled the Gaels to regain their two-point advantage before Paddy Dowdall reduced the deficit to the minimum. Walsh added another point to leave the Collinstown side 0-5 to 0-3 in front at half-time. Mark McNicholas extended Lough Lene Gaels' advantage on the resumption before a point from Fagan was followed by the game's only goal from Jonathan Forbes. Larry Donoghue quickly followed up with another point and all of a sudden, Clonkill were in the driving seat. The green and golds had opened up a three points lead before Lough Lene Gaels hit back. Only a point separated the sides with 15 minutes remaining and it would be fair to say that the game could have gone either way in what proved to be a tension-filled final quarter. Both sides were guilty of missing some golden opportunities before Clonkill substitute John Fagan sealed the issue with a point in injury-time. For the record, the Clonkill junior team of 2001 was captained by Shane Murray while Jonathan Forbes captained the 2000 side. The Clonkill team which captured the 2001 junior 'A' hurling championship was: Christy Scally; Stephen Cleary, Donal Kenny, Alo Egerton; Shane Owens, Larry Donoghue, Paul Farrell; David O'Reilly, Paul Slevin; David Scally, Kevin McGrath, Paddy Scally; Jimmy Fitzsimons, Gerard Fagan, Shane Murray. Subs used: Gareth Mitchell, Michael Murtagh, Darragh Ayres and Alan Mitchell. The Clonkill team which won the delayed 2000 junior 'A' hurling championship final was: Christy Scally; Stephen Cleary, Donal Kenny, Shane Owens; Jimmy Fitzsimons, Larry Donoghue, Paul Farrell; David O'Reilly, Paddy Dowdall; Paul Slevin; Brendan Murtagh, Ollie Plunkett; Darragh Ayres, Jonathan Forbes, Gerard Fagan. Subs used: John Fagan and Michael Loughlin. Tweet

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