Kilkenny dethrone Clare to set-up All-Ireland MHC final date with Tipp

June 16, 2024

Kilkenny's Kevin Buggy celebrates after scoring a late point against Clare ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Kilkenny will play Tipperary in the All-Ireland minor hurling championship final for the first time in 22 years after overcoming holders Clare in a cracker in Thurles this afternoon.

It took extra time to separate the sides at FBD Semple Stadium, where it finished 2-23 to 2-20 in the Cats’ favour as they reached their county’s first All-Ireland decider in the minor grade in four years.

Clare’s dream start to this game saw them bagging two goals in the opening six minutes via Conor Ralph and Paul Rodgers before Jake Mullen (0-13) struck a penalty wide for Kilkenny.

Conor Holohan would get a goal back for the Leinster side, but it was the Banner lads that went in at the break leading by 2-6 to 1-4 before seeing their advantage slip away by the end of third quarter.

Mullen’s frees helped to get it level for the Cats and they’d storm into the lead when Ollie O’Donovan lashed in their second goal in the 47th minute.

Trailing by four with six minutes left in normal time, Clare responded like champions by to get it level again before falling behind injury-time to a Kevin Buggy point and then forcing extra time with the last puck from Rodgers.

Kilkenny landed the first four points of the added periods and another from Mullen at the start of the second-half made it a five-point game, leaving Clare with too much of a mountain to try and scale in the end, as Niall Bergin's lads now get set to face Tipp in two weeks' time. 


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