Doon senior hurling selector Dinny Moloney: 'We're under no illusions of how tough this county final is going to be'

DOON senior hurling selector Dinny Moloney has had a long association with the East Limerick club over the years, both as a player and a coach.Moloney is currently a primary school teacher in Doon CBS. He revealed that there is huge excitement building in Doon ahead of this weekend's county final.

“We don’t get to too many finals, anytime you get to a final you try and embrace it. There's great fun around the village, even in the schools we had the Leader out and they were taking pictures of all the kids, it's great for the community again,” Dinny Moloney told Leader Sport.

Moloney is part of the Doon senior hurling backroom team alongside Tom Murphy and Paul Keane. The former Doon hurler describes team manager Derek McGrath as a ‘hurling nerd’.

“I'm learning loads, Derek McGrath is a top class man. He is great with the players, a hurling nerd he calls himself and we all see that now, he is constantly watching matches. Paul is excellent at what he does, he's been involved with a few teams in the past, he has a wealth of experience. I know Tom a long time, I played under Tom and I help Tom out with underage teams in Doon, it's great to be involved with all those fellas.”

After lifting their first county title last year, Moloney doesn't believe a whole lot has changed in Doon but he believes the players have bought into what the Waterford native is trying to do.

“We've always had a good underage structure, a lot of them are coming through now, I think we are just reaping the rewards of that. It takes a special man to blend them all together and get everyone thinking in the same wavelength and I think that's what Derek has done.

“The players have bought into what he is trying to do for us and he just has such good way about him. Derek could give a negative comment to you, but he would say it in such a way that you would go away smiling.”

It has been a successful 2025 for Doon with their minor side winning the premier minor hurling title earlier this year.
Doon's second team take on Knockaderry in the premier junior ‘A’ hurling final this Saturday afternoon in Kilmallock at 3pm.
Moloney is expecting a tough battle from Na Piarsaigh in this weekend's county final.

“We're really looking forward to Sunday and hopefully we will get over the line. It will be very tough, obviously Na Piarsaigh are a top class opposition, they have been since 2010. I've been on the receiving end of a couple of those hidings, hopefully it will be a tight game and we might come out the right side,” added the Doon senior hurling selector. 

Doon defeated Ballybrown, Patrickswell and Ahane and played out two draws with Na Piarsaigh and Kilmallock in Group One of the SHC. The county champions produced a strong last quarter against Ballybrown to win out by thirteen points.

“We performed well in the group stages, probably not as well as we have hoped at times. That's just the standard that is in Limerick at the moment, when you are playing the likes of Na Piarsaigh, Kilmallock, Ahane, Patrikcswell and Ballybrown every week. There's no easy games there, every game is tough and has to be fought for.”

Sunday will mark Doon's sixth county final appearance.

“We don't get here every year, it's going to be a Titanic battle. We are under no illusions of how tough this is going to be,” said Moloney