London club Robert Emmetts have written a special place for themselves in GAA history by winning the All-Ireland IHC club crown. Emmetts deservedly took the All-Ireland intermediate club hurling championship by virtue of a superb 1-14 to 0-8 victory over Galway outfit Killimordaly at Croke Park on Sunday March 11. It may have been a cloudy afternoon at GAA HQ, but the Exiles produced a dazzling display to brighten up the occasion and bring a rare national title across the Irish Sea. Cork man John Quinlan contributed eight points to the winning tally, while Dublin's Sean McLoughlin delivered an outstanding hour at full back. The first six points of the match were shared and Emmets moved ahead with a Quinlan free before midfielder Tadgh O'Callaghan extended the advantage following an acrobatic double save from Killimordaly custodian Paul Kilkenny. The keeper did superbly to deny first Quinlan and then Jim Ryan but was powerless to prevent the latter from drilling a shot to the net in the 21st minute as the Londoners took control. Despite a pointed free from Clement Earls, the Connacht champions trailed by 1-8 to 0-4 at the interval. The losers could only manage to double their overall tally upon the restart, while the more industrious London representatives tagged on six more points to prevail by nine. ROBERT EMMETTS - C Buckley; L Mannix, S McLoughlin, C Ó Murchu; B Foley, F McMahon, J Dillon; T O'Callaghan 0-3, E Carey; O Kennedy 0-1, J Ryan 1-1, B Keane; S Quinn, J Quinlan 0-8 (5f), S Quinn, M Trayor. Subs: S Kelly 0-1 for B Keane (37), P Jordan for S Quinn (56), P McArdle for M Trayor (60), B Hennebry for C Ó Murchu (60), A Maloney for L Mannix (60). KILLIMORDALY - P Kilkenny; JP O'Halloran, I Creaven, J Daly; Conor Daly, S Hanlon, N Earls; P Madden, F Duane; T Madden, A Lawless, N Earls 0-3 (2f, 1 '65'); C Earls 0-4 (4f), E Ryan 0-1 (1f), G Earls. Subs: M Corcoran for C Earls (38), S Spellman for Conor Daly (50), Cathal Daly for N Earls (52), J Whyte for S Hanlon (60). REF - E Morris (Dublin) Tweet

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