Sunday July 19th 2026. Commercials have just defeated St Brendan's 3-23 to 1-17 in the 2nd match of Group 1 of the PTSB Junior C Hurling Championship in Dawson Park Rathcoole, played in front of a large crowd, mainly from Limerick and Galway, who decided to take in this match before heading to Croke Park ahead of the All Ireland Hurling Final between the two counties later that afternoon.

As this writer made his way out of Rathcoole that morning, if someone told me that St Brendan's would be in the Final, I would have replied, "Do you mean the Relegation Final?" And if that someone responded, "No, that Actual Championship Final!" I would have replied "Lookit man, give your head a wobble!" As I left to cycle to The Saggart Luas stop.

In the intervening three months, Camogie Coach Adrian 'Cry Before Dawn' Morrissey came in, set up new structures and brought fresh thinking to the team. The Result? Victories over Faughs, Na Gaeil Oga, St Sylvester’s and two weeks ago, Pobal Parnell, to set up another visit to Dawson Park in Rathcoole and a match up against Commercials, in the Final of the PTSB Junior C Hurling Championship Final.

Despite the wet underfoot conditions, the match was played on a nice sunny morning as the huge crowd from the home side made its way to Dawson Park, there was also a good crowd from St Brendan's featuring a platter of former players from the last 20 years.

Shortly before 11am, all the talking stopped and the game was on.

It was the home side who got the opening score 90 seconds in the contest when a St Brendan's sideline ball was won by Commercials and had a long distance shot over the bar, then got a second point from a turnover. 

It took The Dark Force six minutes to register the first score with a point from Pa Carey, who made amends from a previous move when a hand pass towards Tom 'Cian Lynch' Kiely was not connected and cleared, But Carey was on hand with the point. 

Commercials hit another long distance point, but Kiely was on hand to convert a 65 after an initial shot was batted down and went over the end line.

10 minutes into the Final and the sides were level, 3 points each after a free in from Neon Leon Broderick. Eoghan ‘Quinn Roux’ Fallon won the next Commercials puck out with a super catch, 5 meter solo run and puc over the bar to give St Brendan’s the lead for the first time, 4 points to 3.

The home side, aided by a big crowd, leveled the contest with more long distance shooting. Despite shooting a wide, Michael ‘Offaly Good’ Culleton turned supplier to Fallon who went on to hit a second point from play and the lead again. But yet again, Commercials equalized with a close range free in. 5 points each, 15 minutes gone.

Commercials where throwing everything including the kitchen sink at St Brendan’s who were responding quite well and despite the home side taking the lead momentarily. Fergus ‘Fulham’ O’Regan, Michael ‘Bruno Fernandes’ Harte and Mark ‘The Edge’ Kinsella were alert to clear shots hitting the top of the upright, one such clearance found its way to Matthew ‘The Scholar’ McGlynn and the sixth point to level, what has truly been, a ding dong contest.

Broderick gave St Brendan’s the lead with a point from a sideline cut, it could easily be a two pointer, but that rule will come into force in 2027. Commercials levelled the contest again, 7 points each with a close range free in, then retook the lead with another long distance free in after Rob ‘Shane Lowry’ O’Hanrahan overcarried and ensured a two point half time lead with another long distance shot from open play.

Half Time Score Commercials 0-9 St Brendan’s 0-7, but still all to play for.

After drinking the onsite coffee house dry with multiple Americano’s, Brian ‘Jamie Vardy’ Dolan scooped the slioter that was lost by Fallon, won by Dolan to pass to Fallon and the opening score of the second half for St Brendan’s. After seeing multiple Commercials shots scored from long distance, The Wexican Oisin Carley emulated the home sides forward by scoring long distance himself to level the contest for the umpteenth time, 9 points each.

Commercials however did hit long distance points in the second half, their 10th was willed on over the bar by the huge crowd who were beginning to raise their voices. Both sides were guilty of missing key shots, such is the high stakes nature of Championship Finals, but still traded points after Broderick kept his side in the contest with a free in after Pa ‘The Eighties’ O’Dowd was tripped when winning possession after a scramble.

15 minutes to go and Commercials led 0-12 to 0-11. Fallon scored the 11th point after collecting a long ball off Eoin ‘Corky’ Corcoran. Commercials were in possession when Pa Carey forced his marker over the sideline but play continued despite the player in possession being two meters over the side line. Adrian Morrissey was still protesting to the referee when The Wexican Oisin Carley won a turnover, passed to Fallon and finally onto Michael ‘Offaly Good’ Culleton who got in a good position to shoot and bury the slioter into the back of the net for a massive St Brendan’s goal and an Offaly Good goal at that too! Two points up, 1-11 to 0-12 and Morrissey was instantly calmer.

Can St Brendan’s hold on and win the Championship?

Not if you were one of the hundreds of Commericials supporters who began to raise their voices and carry their team home with more long distance shooting producing points.

Broderick put St Brendan’s two up with 9 minutes to go with a free in. Fergus O’Regan produced another point blank save and clearance from O’Hanrahan, but the home side did hit another point to put one between the sides.

Once again Commercials levelled the contest with another long-distance point and suddenly began feeding off the large support when with three minutes to go, they finally beat O’Regan for goal and now were three points up, 1-15 to 1-12, cue loads of tea, coffee and hot chocolate, maybe something stronger than that, flying onto the pitch and some hitting this writer for good measure.

Commercials got the four-point buffer as the contest went into injury time, both Broderick and O’Dowd had chipped in free in’s into the small square, but the home side responded with multiple clearances.

A final free in from Broderick was caught midflight by Commercials who puc’d he slioter all the way to the Naas Road as Commercials celebrate winning the PTSB Junior C Hurling Championship.

But for St Brendan’s, whilst gutted in defeat, the manner the team pulled together after the loss here last July was nothing short of something else, to pull out huge victories and just to get to the final in the first place is a true testament of character and the super coaching of Adrian Morrissey, and with some players are moving on, there’s hope for a better 2027 season.

Final Score from Dawson Park Rathcoole, Commercials 1-16 St Brendan’s 1-12.