McCarthy scores 14 points to lead Inagh-Kilnamona past Glen Rovers
The Clare side defeated the Cork champions by seven points in a Munster quarter-final, with a 10-4 wide count in their favor.
By Samuel Peterson ·
Aidan McCarthy scored 14 points to lead Inagh-Kilnamona to a seven-point victory over Glen Rovers in the Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final on Sunday. The Clare team won 1-21 to 1-14 at Páirc Uí Rinn, securing a semi-final berth against Thurles Sarsfields.
McCarthy, the team captain, finished with 0-14, including four points from play. The scoreline reflected a lopsided contest, with Inagh-Kilnamona posting a wide count of 10-4 compared to Glen Rovers. A total of 2,890 spectators attended the match. This result follows the Clare side's victory in the Canon Hamilton Cup three weeks earlier.
Glen Rovers, the reigning Cork county champions, had a shorter preparation period. Manager Eugene Cullinan noted that his team needed the three weeks to recover from their title win celebration. He stated that the advantage in preparation time allowed his players to drive their points home early in the game. The quick turnaround for the Cork side was acknowledged by both teams as a factor in the performance gap.
A notable pre-match change for Glen Rovers involved the inclusion of 17-year-old Michael Tadhg Brosnan at centre forward. Brosnan, who played for Cork minors in 2025 and the Under-20s this year, replaced the injured Micheál Mullins. He was eligible for the Munster championship under different age rules than the Cork county competition. His presence added height to the Glen attack, though he contributed only one point.
The Clare team controlled the opening exchange, taking 10 of the first 11 shots of the match and converting seven of those attempts. McCarthy scored the first four points of the game. Fred Hegarty and Conner Hegarty added further points, with the latter capitalizing on a defensive error. The intensity of the Clare tackling limited the Glen options, preventing them from stringing together consecutive scores in the first half.
Glen Rovers reduced the deficit in the second half, with Patrick Horgan scoring multiple points from free throws. Horgan finished with 1-8, including six from frees. Lee Quilligan added two points for the visitors. The second half featured a high volume of free shots, which dictated the flow of play. Inagh-Kilnamona maintained their lead through strong defense and key scoring from David Fitzgerald and McCarthy.
Glen Rovers manager Tomás Mulcahy praised the Clare side's work rate and hunger. He acknowledged that his team could not match the intensity displayed by Inagh-Kilnamona. Mulcahy also called for the removal of a rule preventing under-18s from playing senior club hurling in Cork. He argued that the age restriction is unique to their county and that players like Brosnan should be protected and allowed to compete at the highest level.
Source: The Irish Times
