All-Ireland Colleges SH final: To say Waterford hurling is starved of All-Ireland success is restating the obvious but there are increasing hopes that is about to change, especially now they are challenging for their first national league title since 1963 next Sunday week. Indeed, no one would begrudge them a first All-Ireland win since 1959.
This Sunday De La Salle contest a first All-Ireland colleges' hurling final, which no Waterford team has won. They face the might of Kilkenny CBS and yet De La Salle have already proven their ability by delivering a first Dr Harty Cup title to the college, and the first to Waterford since Mount Sion in 1953.
It was no fluke either as they beat the famed St Flannan's of Ennis, arguably hurling's most talented nursery. For Derek McGrath, the De La Salle coach, along with Dermot Dooley, the breakthrough this year has been incredibly satisfying and yet not entirely unexpected.
"I wouldn't say we're very surprised to be in the final," says McGrath, "but of course winning the Harty Cup for the first time was a massive achievement. But two years ago we beat St Flannan's in the under-15 final, so this team has been talked up a good bit since then. So they've always been a very promising group, but they've also put in a phenomenal effort this season, doing everything they can to make it happen this year. It really became an obsession, and we very nearly took our eye off the ball against Castlecomer in the All-Ireland semi-final. But in ways winning the Harty Cup was like the end of the mission for us. With 17 teams competing every year it really does take a hell of a lot to win it.
"To be honest, it's just not as big in the other provinces, but winning the Harty Cup is huge. Now we're in the All-Ireland final we'll be doing our best to win it. The funny thing is we've had to contradict ourselves a little in the some of the motivational speeches. Up to now it was all about winning the Harty Cup. Now it's all about winning the All-Ireland."
McGrath's personal satisfaction is also huge in that during the last eight years teaching at the college he has lost six Munster finals at various grades. De La Salle has always had great hurling pedigree, despite being better known in some quarters as the alma mater of soccer internationals Jim Beglin and John O'Shea. This year's team has found the right combination of players at the right time, starting with Ballygunner's Stephen Power, who hit all 2-7 of their total in the Harty Cup final.
"Of course that's always a worry when you have only one player scoring like that," adds McGrath, "but I believe if a player gets a free he should be allowed to take it, and that's been the case with him.
"Hurling has always been very strong in the school but I suppose we've always been the bridesmaids. And it is great to see success like this with Waterford teams, because everyone is on a high. I know some Waterford teams still have a reputation for caving in on the big match day, but by winning the Harty Cup this team has already proved that's not the case with them."
With Sunday's game providing one of the curtain raisers to the football league final they'll also get to experience Croke Park: "We were up there on Monday, just to get some sort of feel for the place. It is a fantastic opportunity for the players. We'll be lucky if five or six of this team get to play there again, that's just the reality of it."
