Rathkeale defeated by Kilshannig in the Munster club football championship

RATHKEALE'S Munster intermediate football championship campaign fell at the first hurdle as the Limerick champions suffered their first defeat of the year in a 2-12 to 1-9 loss to Cork’s Kilshannig in Glantane this Sunday afternoon.

Despite a late surge, the west Limerick men were second best throughout the game, exiting the Munster championship at the quarter-final stage. Despite that however, they have senior Limerick football to look forward to in 2025 following their 0-11 to 0-7 victory over Galbally last weekend to secure a famous victory in Ballyagran.

Barry Coleman got the West Limerick men off to the perfect start as he nailed a superb point from distance after just seventy-two seconds. However, that was the only time in the contest where Rathkeale held the scoring advantage.

What followed was a period of utter dominance from the North Cork side, scoring 1-5 from play through four different scorers without response. 

Full forward Éanna O’Hanlon kicked Kilshannig’s first point of the game in the fifth minute. This was followed in the eleventh minute by a quick-fire brace of points from Tom Cunningham and Diarmuid O’Sullivan to have the scoreboard reading 0-4 to 0-1.

Thirty seconds later Diarmuid O’Sullivan burst through on goal and rifled his shot low to the back of the net while Éanna O’Hanlon followed up with another kicked point meaning that the Limerick champions trailed by seven at the quarter-hour mark, 1-5 to 0-1.

Andrew White kicked two placed balls for Rathkeale before Cillian and Éanna O’Hanlon rattled over a point each. Ciaran O’Sullivan scored the point of the half as he raised a white flag from a seemingly impossible angle for the Cork men.

Mickey Morrissey raised a fourth white flag for Rathkeale in the half’s final action as the sides when in at the break separated by seven at 1-8 to 0-4.

Following the restart, a Mickey Morrissey point sandwiched between Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Éanna O’Hanlon white flags saw the scoreboard read 1-10 to 0-5 by the fortieth minute.

In the 45th minute, White and Morrissey raised two further white flags for the Limerick men before Daragh O’Sullivan netted Kilshannig’s second goal to put nine between the sides.

Éanna O’Hanlon squared it to O’Sullivan who coolly fisted the ball into the open net. Substitute Kieran Twomey kicked two further points from play as Andrew White nailed another placed ball for the Limerick champions.

A late Rathkeale surge saw fullback Bryan Meade score a spectacular goal two minutes from time before Andrew Meade kicked the game and Rathkeale’s final score.

Kilshannig can now look forward to taking on Kerry champions Austin Stacks in a fortnight's time in the Munster semi-final. Meanwhile, Rathkeale will look forward to playing in the senior ranks of Limerick football in 2025.

SCORERS: Kilshannig: Diarmuid O’Sullivan 1-2, Éanna O’Hanlon 0-4,  Daragh O’Sullivan 1-0, Tom Cunningham and Kieran Twomey 0-2 each, Ciaran O’Sullivan and Cillian O’Hanlon (free) 0-1 each. Rathkeale: Andrew White 0-4 (4frees), Mickey Morrissey 0-3, Bryan Meade 1-0, Barry Coleman and Andrew Meade 0-1 each. 

KILSHANNIG: Gavin Creedon, Conor Murphy, Eoghan Burke, Cillian O’Connell, Shane O’Connell, Colm O’Shea, Eoin Healy, Bill Curtin, Killian O’Hanlon, Tom Cunningham, Ciaran O’Sullivan, Alan O’Connell, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Éanna O’Hanlon, Daragh O’Sullivan. Subs: Kieran Twomey for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (41mins), Shane Murphy for Cillian O’Connell (42mins), Mike Twomey for Eoin Healy (47mins), Jimmy Hanlon for Éanna O’Hanlon (48mins), Paddy Walsh for Colm O’Shea (52mins).

RATHKEALE: Mark White, Michael Sheehan, Bryan Meade, Paudie Mulcaire, Adam Shanagher, Jack Hennessy, Dean Maune, Tommy Dillane, Barry Coleman, Niall Sheahan, Andrew Meade, Eoin O’Donnell, Andrew White, Mickey Morrissey, Patrick Wilmott. Subs: Evan Barrett for Michael Sheehan 52, Ryan Stapleton for Patrick Wilmott 52.

REFEREE: Eoin Morrissey (Waterford).