Cuala open PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship campaign with win over St Judes

CUALA 3-28

ST JUDE’S 0-15

Donal O’Shea, Liam Murphy and Jamie Conroy were all in fine form at O’Toole Park on Thursday evening as Cuala opened their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 2 campaign with a convincing win over St Jude’s.

Between them, the above-mentioned triumvirate amassed a combined tally of 3-21 – which helped to ensure the Dalkey outfit sent out an early statement of intent for the 2026 top-tier competition. Diarmuid McLoughlin and Callum Graham battled to good effect for St Jude’s, but the Templeogue-based side will now look to bounce back from this defeat when they face neighbours Faughs in the next round of the group on Saturday week (July 25).

It was actually Jude’s who were the brighter of the two teams initially with full-forward Conor Nolan and McLoughlin both finding the target during the early exchanges. While the midfield duo of Jack Twomey and O’Shea subsequently got Cuala up and running, their fellow southsiders once again regained control as a result of Nolan and McLoughlin doubling their personal hauls.

Yet O’Shea (who has represented his native Galway at minor, U20 and senior level in the past) was becoming more prominent and fired over a brace of points from distance in quick succession to restore parity to the action. Murphy also split the posts in response to scores at the opposite end from Graham and Declan O’Connor, before Nolan knocked over a long-range free to leave Jude’s in front on a margin of 0-7 to 0-6 approaching the first-quarter mark.

However, Conroy was on hand to swiftly cancel out this slender lead and spark a significant period of dominance from Cuala in the process. Supplementing a pointed free of his own moments earlier, Murphy clinically fired a low shot to the Jude’s net on 18 minutes.

This was a major confidence boost for the eight-time champions and with four scores on the bounce by O’Shea being followed by a point from full-back Eoghan O’Callaghan, Cuala were now very much in the driving seat.

Sean Wynne finally interrupted this scoring sequence with a Jude’s point, only for Murphy to underline his side’s credentials by claiming a second goal in between white flag efforts by his inside partner Conall O’Toole. Jude’s did end the half with strong contributions from McLoughlin and Eoin McCallion, but Cuala were more than content to bring a 2-16 to 0-10 cushion into the break.

This had the two-time All-Ireland senior champions in pole position to secure the maximum reward from this fixture and they kept the scoreboard ticking over on the resumption through the sticks of O’Toole and Murphy.

Even though Darragh Malone and McLoughlin fired back with successive points for Jude’s, Cuala continued to impress. After the increasingly-prominent Conroy chipped over a 0-2 salvo, O’Shea was ideally placed to pull a loose ball to the net from close-range on the stroke of 40 minutes.

This already had them on the cusp of an opening day victory, but they nevertheless enhanced their cushion by slotting over unanswered points from Conroy, Murphy and O’Shea.

Jude’s were doing their utmost to reduce the gap between the teams with substitute Cathal Martin (free) and the industrious Graham finding the range either side of a Cuala point from former Dublin hurler David Treacy.

Cuala were eager to keep pushing on in the closing stages, however, as O’Shea, Diarmuid O Floinn and Murphy all bag excellent scores as the final whistle approached. While Graham went on to register his third point of the game, Conroy brought his closing tally to 0-5 deep into stoppage-time.

This completed an impressive evening at the office for Cuala, who will now be looking to build on this performance when they face Lucan Sarsfields at Parnell Park in the second round of Group 2 on July 25.

Scorers – Cuala: D O’Shea 1-10 (0-8f), L Murphy 2-6 (0-4f), J Conroy 0-5, C O’Toole 0-3, E O’Callaghan, D O Floinn, J Twomey, D Treacy 0-1 each. St Jude’s: D McLoughlin 0-4, C Nolan 0-3 (3f), C Graham 0-3, C Martin 0-1 (f), S Wynne, E McCallion, D Malone, D O’Connor 0-1 each.

Cuala: S Brennan; S Roche, E O’Callaghan, C Groarke; D O Floinn, S Moran, J Malone; D O’Shea, J Twomey; G O’Toole, C Sheanon, J Conroy; C O’Toole, C Cronin, L Murphy. Subs: A English for Twomey (40), D Treacy for G O’Toole (44), C Spain for Cronin (46), A Sheeran for Moran (54).

St Jude’s: M Hartnett; S Wynne, G McManus, A Kerrigan; E McCallion, D Sutcliffe, J Nugent; D McLoughlin, J McManus; D Malone, D O’Connor, J Carty; C Graham, C Nolan, O Costello. Subs: C Martin for Nolan (48), P Fitzgerald for McCallion (56).

Referee: Fergal McDonagh (Round Tower Clondalkin).