Garryowen Win All Ireland Cup For Second Time

Munster’s domination of the Ulster Bank Bateman Cup continued at Templeville Road, when Garryowen defeated Ballymnena in the final to lift the tophy for the second dtime following their success in 2007.

Ballymena 6, Garryowen 24.
Last week it was the home club St. Mary’s who were celebrating at Templeville Road their second league title, but a week later it was the turn of ODM Munster Senior Cup winners Garryowen to celebrate after a deserved victory over Division IB side Ballymena.

Garryowen opened the scoring with a try from scrum half Neil Cronin after twenty four minutes, but the sin binning of both Declan Lavery and Corey Hircock before half time saw Luke Marshall kick two penalties for the Ulster Cup winners for a 6-5 interval lead.

However skipper Paul Neville playing his final game for Garryowen lifted his side in the seond half ast they totally dominated and added three tries without reply for a deserved victory.

Alan Gaughan got through for tries on forty six and sixty minutes and winger Ronan O’Mahony added a fourth with Declan Cusack converting two.

Scorers Ballymena: Luke Marshall 2 pens.
Garryowen: Alan Gaughan 2 tries, Neil Cronin, Ronan O'Mahony tries, Declan Cusack 2 cons.

Ballymena: Rodger McBurney; Alasdair Frazer, Ricky Andrew, Luke Marshall, Caolann Fitzpatrick; Martin Irwin, Blane McIlroy; Callum Black, John Andrew, Simon Shawe; Darrell O'Kane, Joel Andrew; Stephen Mulholland, Paul Pritchard (capt), Ross Hackney.
Replacements: Andrew Warwick for John Andrew (12 mins), Adrian Hamilton for Mulholland (25), Alan Smyth for McIlroy, Richard Aingworth for Fitzpatrick, Ian Vance for McBurney, Steven Dickey for Hamilton (all 72).
Garryowen: Lorcan Bourke; Alan Gaughan, Corey Hircock, Declan Cusack, Ronan O'Mahony; Fergal Lawlor, Neil Cronin; JP Cooney, James Rael, Declan Lavery; Frank McKenna, David Sherry; Paul Neville (capt), Kieran O'Gorman, Lemeki Vaipulu.
Replacements: Alan McMahon for Rael (28-30 mins, blood sub; 73), Peter O'Shea for Vaipulu (40+1-50, temp sub), Peter O'Shea for Lavery (50), Shane Buckley for Neville (47), Anthony Kavanagh for O'Gorman (51), Declan Lavery for O'Shea (55), Conor Hartigan for McKenna, Ian Hanly for Gaughan (both 68), James McInerney for Cusack (76).
Referee: Eanna O'Dowd (IRFU)