No Portumna, but it'll be a huge occasion for Senior and Minor County finalists

By JIM CARNEY FOR the first time in eight years, no Portumna in the County Cup S.H.C. final at Pearse Stadium next Sunday, but that won't take from the sense of occasion or the importance of the prize at stake when Clarinbridge and Loughrea cross sticks for the Clash of the Ash at 2.30. With winter time coming in at midnight on Saturday, the Hurling Board has decided on a 12.30 start for the County Minor Championship final between Athenry and Gort; it'll be a huge occasion for all those lads, too, and how refreshing it is to see Athenry coming again, for their seniors have been out of the spotlight for too long, considering the fantastic pleasure they gave us all in the late '90s and into the new millennium. Three times All-Ireland Club champions, remember, on top of their glory run in Galway, through minor, under-21 and senior. They will never be forgotten but now it's up to their minors to start an exciting new chapter in the St Mary's, Athenry hurling story. It's as far back as 2002 when Galway last had a County Cup final without Portumna. That year, it was Athenry 1-16 Sarsfields 1-7 â€â€ Sars, from Bullaun and New Inn, what giants of hurling they were too, and hopefully they will also come back strong in the not too distant future. From 2003 to 2009 it was mostly about Portumna, 5-19 to 1-12 winners over Loughrea last year, but Loughrea had caught them on the hop back in 2006 (1-13 to 0-5), just as Athenry had denied in the 2004 final (0-15 to 0-13). But Portumna have their place well written in hurling history: seven consecutive appearances in the County Cup final, five titles in those seven years, allied to four County Leagues and three All-Ireland Club Championship titles in four years. Perhaps they'll hit back next year, but for now Clarinbridge and Loughrea take centre-stage and all credit to them. The 'Bridge, with those stalwart brothers Alan and Mark Kerins still playing great hurling, were much too good for the emerging youthful force from Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry in the first of the recent semi-finals, winning by 2-16 to 1-11. Micheál Donoghue's Clarinbridge team led 1-12 to 0-4 at half-time and were not troubled to book their ticket to the County final. Loughrea, of course, had to go to a replay before seeing off a fading Portumna challenge. On the second day in Athenry, it finished 1-16 to 1-14 but in general play it was a much wider gap than two points and there was no doubt about the outcome. Clarinbridge are the surprise finalists, reviving memories of their last day in the County decider, when they shocked Athenry at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe in 2001, by one priceless point, 0-18 to 2-11. What a year that was, too, for Galway senior teams: John O'Mahony's footballers gave one of the all-time great exhibitions in their second-half rout of Seán Boylan's Meath in the All-Ireland final; while it was heartbreak for Noel Lane's hurlers who came agonisingly close to toppling Tipperary in the All-Ireland hurling final. Galway nearly did the big double. Alan Kerins, a hero for Clarinbridge that year, won his County medal, and an All-Ireland football medal, as a sub late in the final against Meath. He was denied his hurling medal by Tipp. He was a couple of scores away from doing a 'Teddy McCarthy' on it. This week Alan Kerins is back in the big time. So too, of course, are two other footballers from the glory days of the O'Mahony era: Martin McNamara and Seán Óg de Paor, who have joined the management team being assembled by Tomás Ó Flatharta. Best of luck to them all, and that includes Alan Kerins.