Drumshanbo rise to old heights to almost shock favourites

Last week, it was a very humble Drumshanbo VS that headed to Ballinagare, Roscommon for the National senior semi-final. They faced St. Brigids, Loughrea, with all the facts against them. 

Brigids were the holders, with virtually their whole team from last year. They had won all seven games without dropping a set. This included a thrashing of early favourites Carrickmacross 25-15 25-14 and a drubbing of Drumshanbo 25-14 25-6, Drumshanbo’s biggest senior defeat in over 30 years.

But, sensationally, for most of two hours, Drumshanbo matched these high flyers with the best display by the school since the end of COVD lockdown.

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When Brigids went into an early 5-2 lead in set, we thought here it goes again! But no, straight away the rot stopped. Ruairí Grier started to redirect the severest of serves and Pádraig Keane began to hit in his most spectacular fashion. 

Ian Keegan, Brigid's captain,  had singularly pulverised Drumshanbo 8-0 in the previous start. 

Now, from the start, he was blocked and blocked. The score was level five times to 11-11. Again, we thought the miracle was over as wiley Brigids sneaked to 16-11. But Daniel O’Loughlin was showing all the skills of his uncle Cathal 30 years before as he twisted balls around the Brigids block. 

Indeed it was Drumshanbo who were the more exciting in attack. They fought to 22-23 but defensively solid Brigids tipped the set.

Drumshanbo raced into a 5-1 lead in the second set on Cian Dennis’s serve. They led 7-2 and 13-9 before the sheer variety of placements from Brigids brought them back level at 13-13. But O’Loughlin served them to 16-13 and Karl Winters  dominated the front with a host of block and spike winners. It was by far his best game ever. 

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After leading 20-18. Brigids still whizzed by. Jack Keaney had come on and was involved in great team combinations. He hit an impossible spike, that only he could do, and another winner but Loughrea’s experience again sneaked them through.

The chance seemed to be over as Brigids raced 4-0 ahead in the third. Again Drumshanbo came back to level at 6-6. Dennis ran everywhere to set high ball as all spikers rained constant attacks on the Galway school. 

At 9-9 Cian McCormack went to serve. Through a Brigids time-out, and all types of tricks, they failed to take him out until 16-9. Drumshanbo held leads of 18-13 and 20-15 as McCormack was everywhere as a setter directing the ball. Cormac Rynn was back to his best, blocking and spiking winners. 

Still the champions would not lie down and climbed to 21-22. It took two spikes from O’Loughlin to take the first set in the championship from the holders.

Drumshanbo now dared to dream and led 5-3 in the fourth set. But the length of the rallies and superb serving pushed them down 5-8 and 6-12. 

The end was a dog fight. Drumshanbo broke the Brigids serve again and again but Brigids kept also breaking theirs. Jason Lynch came on and played just as superbly as the rest, hitting two great winners. But Drumshanbo were just not as inch perfect in their passing and were not pressing just as hard. A new wind saw the champions through in the end.

Drumshanbo finish on the best of notes

Still it was easily the best Drumshanbo display since Covid and they can, temporarily at least, claim to be number 2 in the nation. Mary Barrett, Brigid's coach, thought Grier “superb” and Drumshanbo easily the best they had played all season. Grier was at the heart of nearly every rally.

Panel: (Serves in brackets): Adam Casey, Daniel O’Loughlin (11), Cian McCormack (8), Jack Keaney, Padraig Keane (10), Cian Dennis (17), Cormac Rynn (10), Ruairí Grier (libero), Darragh Lee, Jason Lynch, Karl Winters (9), Conor McLoughlin, Nathan Mahon & Aidan Dowler