Battling to gain the bragging rights in Kilkenny

Emmet Riordanon the rivalry between the Kilkenny schools who face off today in the semi-finals of the Leinster Schools senior league

IT IS doubtful if any school rivalry can come close to breeding a generation of great hurlers such as the one enjoyed between St Kieran's College and Kilkenny CBS in the Marble City.

St Kieran's may be the undoubted kings when it comes to providing a nursery for senior Kilkenny players over the years, with a past-pupil list that reads like a who's who of hurling greats.

Twelve of this year's starting All-Ireland-winning side attended the school, while hurling luminaries such as Eddie Keher, Brian Cody, DJ Carey, Henry Shefflin, Cha Fitzpatrick, Eoin and Philly Larkin have all passed through the institution.

Throw in the fact that GAA president Nickey Brennan was also a student and it sums up the input the school has had in Ireland's national sport.

In recent years though it's been near neighbours CBS that have held the upper hand in the city, making it to the last three Leinster deciders, winning the title in 2006. They would go on to make the All-Ireland decider only to lose by a point to Waterford side De La Salle.

CBS teacher and former St Kieran's student Ger Morrissey coached the side to that Leinster title and has seen changes in the balance of power in recent times.

"We are somewhat in the shadow of St Kieran's College, it's quite unbelievable what they have achieved. Sometimes the rivalry is couched in terms of David versus Goliath, but in the last couple of years weve achieved an amount of success.

"We've had a group of boys who have come together and made waves in Leinster. There's been an up swell in enthusiasm in the CBS which is great as there has always been a great tradition of hurling here in James Street."

On their way to the Leinster title in 2006, Morrissey's CBS side got one over on his old school in the semi-final, winning 2-7 to 0-7 at Nowlan Park. It was their first title since 1983, a year when Morrissey was part of the St Kieran's side that lost to CBS as they claimed glory.

For a school with a record 16 All-Ireland titles to its name, the last few years have represented a barren spell for St Kieran's. The closing of the boarding school, that brought in such talents as Tipperarys Eoin Kelly in the past, has affected them somewhat and helped level the playing field.

St Kieran's assistant principal Adrian Finan acknowledges that the competitive nature of the rivalries that exist with not just CBS, but schools like Castlecomer and Callan, have benefitted the game in the county.

"That rivalry exists across the board at underage level in Kilkenny, it's the same thing in the clubs. Last week our under-16 team beat Castlecomer in the Leinster Final in a cracking match at Nowlan Park. We were lucky to win it as we got two late goals. So there's a great rivalry between the secondary schools."

Tom Hogan coached the school to the last All-Ireland title back in 2004, and after taking a break is back overseeing the latest crop of players at St Kieran's, along with Philip Walsh.

Finan is hopeful that the senior team's fortunes can take a turn upwards, despite the youthful nature of the side.

"We have a young team this year, it goes in cycles a bit. We'd be looking to do as well as we can this year but we wouldn't be putting too much pressure on the lads.

"In saying that, we've often found that the years we won All-Irelands were often the years we didn't really expect them. Maybe they came a year early and when they were up to the age of the Leaving Cert, sometimes it didn't actually happen for one reason or another. If that happens this year we'll be thrilled."

A good gauge of where the two schools stand will come today when they face off in the semi-finals of the Leinster Schools senior league, with the winners facing Dublin South in the decider.

"It will reveal a little bit about the stage of development with regards to the Kieran's team," admits Morrissey. "They're achieving great results at juvenile level, they won a junior title only last week."

Today's winners will take bragging rights into Christmas, but it's the bigger prizes on offer in the New Year that will be foremost in the minds of these two great rivals.

'For a school with a record 16 All-Ireland titles to its name, the last few years have represented a barren spell for St Kierans. The closing of the boarding school, that brought in such talents as Tipperarys Eoin Kelly in the past, has affected them somewhat and helped level the playing field.