Kilmacud Crokes claim win over Erins Isle in PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship

PTSB DUBLIN SENIOR 1 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 1

KILMACUD CROKES 1-23

ERIN’S ISLE 2-12

By Daire Walsh

Kilmacud Crokes produced a strong performance against Erin’s Isle at O’Toole Park on Saturday evening to make it three wins from three in Group 1 of the PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship for 2026.

Already in a strong position after leading by three points at the break, Crokes proceeded to outscore their opponents 0-10 to 0-5 on the resumption and maintain their 100% record in this year’s competition. Ronan Hayes led the way with 11 points to his name, but he had plenty of support on a day when eight different players got themselves on the Kilmacud scoresheet.

After opening their campaign with a defeat to defending champions Na Fianna, this game represented Isles’ second defeat of the 2026 championship. Yet the Finglas men did get the better of St Vincent’s at Parnell Park on July 24 and can take plenty of positives from this fixture heading into their duel with Naomh Barrog at the end of the month.

Crokes were somewhat hamstrung for this contest with Tom Stakelum, Mark Grogan, Dara Purcell and Alex Considine all marked absent on the day. However, they were able to draft quality players into their starting line-up in the form of Cormac Keys, Bill O’Carroll, Alex Hatt and Gearóid Flannery.

Erin’s Isle initially held a slender advantage with points from Nathan Fitzgerald and Jamie Perry either side of a Hayes free, but Crokes soon settled into a familiar attacking rhythm. In the space of five minutes, Caolan Conway, Finnian Donohue, Oisin O’Rorke (two) and Hayes all found the range to move the Stillorgan outfit four points clear during a fast-paced opening.

Cian O’Hare eventually fired back for Erin’s Isle and despite conceding additional scores to Hatt, O’Rorke and Flannery, the northsiders offered themselves a new lease of life on 14 minutes when centre half-forward Fitzgerald fired to the net after a sharp turn.

This came as something of a blow for Crokes at the time and while Flannery split the posts on the first-quarter mark, another 10 minutes would pass before the seven-time senior champions added to their tally. During this particular juncture, wing-forward Ollie Gaffney knocked over a brace of frees to leave Erin’s Isle just two points adrift.

In fact, after Hayes and O’Hare traded points, Isles suddenly edged in front in the 28th minute when a long delivery from Conor Donohoe appeared to be doubled to the net by full-forward Micheal Donohoe.

This threw down the gauntlet to Crokes, but they responded with a clinically-struck goal of their own from Hatt almost immediately. This major was supplemented by points from Fergal Whitely and Conway in advance of a Luke Lowndes effort for Isles, which ensured the southsiders’ half-time cushion stood at 1-13 to 2-7.

Having begun so sharply, this emphatic end to the opening period would have helped Crokes to regain their confidence levels. The introduction of three half-time substitutes (including Dublin senior hurler Brendan Kenny) also provided them with fresh legs and with Hayes registering a brace of points from inside his own half, they appeared primed to extend their winning run.

Yet there was still some work to be done and after Gaffney got his side up and running in the second half with a free, Isles duo O’Hare and Lowndes both raised white flags to match the efforts of Conal Ó Riain and Hayes for Crokes.

The gap remained at four points with 12 minutes left to play following further swapped scores between Hayes and Isles substitute Jack Clerkin, but this was Crokes’ cue to push on and gain the maximum return from this encounter.

Very much operating at the top of his game, Hayes added four more points to his already-impressive personal haul – including a superb strike from play after the attacker had won the ball cleanly in the air.

Conway also added his third score of the game during this period and despite Micheal Donohoe converting a late free that was tipped over the crossbar by custodian Eddie Gibbons, Kilmacud Crokes emerged as commanding winners of this game.

Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: R Hayes 0-11 (7f), A Hatt 1-1, C Conway, O O’Rorke 0-3 each, G Flannery 0-2, F Whitely, F Donohue, C Ó Riain 0-1 each. Erin’s Isle: M Donohoe 1-1 (0-1f), N Fitzgerald 1-1, O Gaffney 0-3 (3f), C O’Hare 0-3, L Lowndes 0-2, J Perry, J Clerkin 0-1 each.

Kilmacud Crokes: E Gibbons; B Sheehy, P Linehan, D Geraghty; C Keys, B O’Carroll, C Ó Cathasaigh; B Hayes, C Conway; F Whitely, R Hayes, F Donohue; A Hatt, O O’Rorke, G Flannery. Subs: D Lucey for Linehan, B Kenny for O’Rorke, C Ó Riain for Flannery (all h-t), C Mac Gabhann for Keys (50).

Erin’s Isle: A Langan; D Gorman, L Finnegan, D Hanlon; F Carroll, C Donohoe, J Perry; R Fitzpatrick, L Lowndes; C Berigan, N Fitzgerald, O Gaffney; E Carney, M Donohoe, C O’Hare. Subs: J Clerkin for Carney (40), G Farrell for O’Hare (55), E King for Berigan (61).

Referee: Danny Harrington (Naomh Mearnog).