Fifty years may have passed since that great win, but one thing is still very clear and that is that hurling and the GAA are still very much part of the fabric of this east Limerick village.
Over many years they have produced some great hurlers, but too often they have failed to take the big step and win a senior hurling title.
Despite this they have been one of the leading clubs in Limerick at underage level and maybe now that work could well be starting to pay off.
Last week at the Gaelic Grounds they caused a major shock when they took the scalp of a much-fancied Kilmallock.
The hurling championship has yet to take off in terms of quality, but this latest win by Doon will help set the ball rolling because we could do with some good club hurling.
Doon won this game because they wanted it more, they were prepared to work for the entire game and it was clear from an early stage that every player took responsibility, something that cannot be said for Kilmallock.

Good work ethic
To win big championship games you need to have a very good work ethic and in this regard it was Doon who set the pace of the game.
For long stages Kilmallock were unable to match either the craft or passion of Doon.
I have seen so many great players wear the red of Doon, good, honest hurling men who always gave of their all no matter what grade they played.
This latest win will do wonders for their confidence because they have the sort of players who are very well suited to playing good fast opening hurling.
What I liked most about them in their win over Kilmallock was that they never once dropped their heads.
When Kilmallock got that goal deep in the second half other teams might well have wilted, but instead Doon kept their focus and set about closing out the game.

Promised so much
Doon have promised so much in the past and have not always delivered that promise, they now have a very good bunch of players who have a good command of the skills of the game and that will stand to them as this championship progresses.
They made some changes to their team since they lost to Na Piarsaigh and at this stage it seems to have worked.
James O' Brien was promoted from their junior team and on the evidence of his display at centre-forward he has the steel and skill to do a very good job for them.
Doon placed Denis Moloney at centre-back and he always had the better of Bryan O' Sullivan who failed to get into the game.
His striking was poor and it was no surprise to see him being taken off.

Standard in first half very poor
The standard in the opening half was very poor and Doon, with a fresh breeze at their backs, should have been further ahead at the break.
Eoin Ryan gave Kilmallock a lifeline with his goal, but after that Edward Kiely closed up shop and made sure he wouldn't play a telling part for the rest of game.
Roger Maher and David Stapleton worked very hard in the Doon half-back line and made sure of some very good early ball going into the forwards.

Michael Ryan
Some weeks ago I wrote about the Limerick under-21 set up and how some players were poorly treated.
Michael Ryan was one such player, but he gave his answer on the field in this game when he hit some smashing points.
This man has great skill and finished the game with 1- 5 from play.
He made life very difficult for Liam Hurley with his fast turn matched by a super first touch.
This is the sort of guy that we should have in our senior hurling squad, a player who has the ability to take the next step.
Of course he will have much to learn, but with time he has the qualities to make it at the highest level.
Michael McKenna also did well from play and placed balls with a tally of nine points.

Keep their feet on the ground
Doon will need to keep their feet on the ground because they will have harder tests ahead, but if they can focus on the hurling and not some of the sideshows then they will be a match for most teams.
For years now we have been expecting so much from Kilmallock, this current crop of players have won so much at underage level that many, both within the club and outside, have waited for them to end the barren spell at senior level.
Alas that has not happened.
When it comes to skill and nice touches many of the players have it, but it now looks like they have lost the stomach when it comes to winning big games.
I am sure this week that their manager Peter Finn will have got some stick for losing with this team.
He, of course, will be the easy target, but the time has now come for the Kilmallock players to have a very good look at themselves.
Of the team that played against Doon only Barry Hennessey, Gavin O'Mahony and Graeme Mulcahy produced the sort of hurling that's needed at this level.
At one stage during the year Kilmallock had eight players with the Limerick senior setup - that would suggest that they have the necessary qualities to survive at this level or would it?
I would say that many of them would have been better off training and playing matches with Peter Finn.

Kilmallock have no leaders
This current Kilmallock team have no leaders and regardless of who they have training them, until they first start playing with honesty and give 100 per cent, they will find it very hard to win a senior hurling crown.
When I think of the many great players that this club produced and the service that they gave to Limerick hurling I find it hard to believe that they have gone back so much.
In recent times it appears that the club is not as united as it once was, one group wanted to go one way and another group in a different direction.
I have no great knowledge of either side, but would it not be time for both sides to move on? Yes, people are entitled to have the high moral ground, but all the while what's most important is dying around them. The main focus must be to have the Kilmallock club back where it once was.
Forget the past and look to the future because with that will come great days again.
Players can blame management and administrators may sit on the fence, but with a common goal Kilmallock will rise again.

Shane Hourigan
Before I finish with this game I must mention Shane Hourigan, the match referee for this game.
Not for the first time Hourigan showed that he has the craft to referee at the highest level.
He handled the game using common sense and that's always the best skill a referee can have.

Best game this year
The very best game in this year's hurling championship was played at Ballyagran Sunday evening between Croom and Granagh-Ballingarry.
The opening half was close with Croom having the better of the exchanges.
The second half was played with real passion and heart by both teams.
This was helped by the choice of venue as the large crowd enjoyed every puck of the second half.
Croom had a four-point lead at the break, but the second half saw the best of Granagh-Ballingarry.

Donal O'Grady
Donal O'Grady drove his team on with some great play. Likewise David Clancy and the great Seamus Stapleton, who is now in the twilight of his career, but with Croom lobbing in high ball it was Stapleton who came out like a good dog from trap six.
In fairness to Croom they had some fine performances from Mark O' Riordan, Steven Cahill, Peter Lawlor and Conor Allis who looks like he could play at a higher level.
As the light faded it was Allis who put over the last free in injury time to make sure that this game will need another day to see who will go into the quarter-finals.

Ballyagran - a top venue
Ballyagran is now one of the top venues in the county for games.
This club has a super venue and most of all it is very well looked after by some very hard working club people.
Others could take a leaf from this club - you won't go to this field and find County Board officials sweeping out the goal and no flags on the field.
Games need atmosphere and that's one thing you will get with a game in Ballyagran.
Keep up the good work!

Mike Meade
Finally, one of the top referees in the county has decided not to make himself available to the South Board.
Mike Meade, I believe, informed the board last week and I am sure there must be a story behind this.
Mr. Meade has served this board for such a long time and it's not right that a referee of his calibre should be put in this position.