WATCH: Cormac O'Donovan backs Ardscoil Ris momentum ahead of All-Ireland Croke Cup final

ARDSCOIL RIS coach Cormac O'Donovan is hoping his side have saved their best till last ahead of their All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Championship final this St Patricks Day.

The Limerick city side play St Kierans of Kilkenny in the Croke Cup U19 final this March 17 in Croke Park at 4pm - live on TG4.

O'Donovan, along with fellow teachers Niall Moran and Paul Flanagan are hoping their players can finally get their hands on silverware.

"They have taken a lot of tough days over the last six years here in the school but that shows the resilience of them - they keep on coming back hungrier for more. We've gained momentum over the last series of games and we have six played now and they seem to get a little bit stronger each day so if we can keep that momentum going then fingers crossed it will all come to fruition on the day," outlined O'Donovan.

On Thursday Ardscoil Ris bid to win a first ever Croke Cup title for the school in a fourth final appearance since their break through year of 2010.

For many in this Thursday's panel, they have already suffered U14 Rice Cup (May, 2018), U16 1/2 Dean Ryan Cup (October 2019) and U19 Harty Cup (February 2022) finals losses - all by less than four points. Shane O'Brien, Vince Harrington, Niall O’Farrell, Brian O’Keeffe and Jack Golden started all those finals and remain part of the current 39-man panel, which has representatives from 18 clubs.

Ahead of Thursday's final, coach Cormac O'Donovan spoke with Jerome O'Connell of the Limerick Leader.