Seven-goal Russel leads Killadooley to victory
Killadooley NS were crowned Division 1 Shield Hurling champions at the Cumann na mBunscol finals in Laois Hire O'Moore Park Photo: Alf Harvey.
Killadooley NS 9-6
Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix 3-5
KILLADOOLEY NS won the Division 1 Hurling Shield, beating Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix in O’Moore Park on Wednesday morning in the 2025 Hurling and Camogie Cumann na mBunscol curtain-raiser. Oliver Russell was the star man for Killadooley, scoring a phenomenal 7-4.
Rory Thompson gave Abbeyleix and early lead before Fionn Hyland played in Daniel Kenna who slipped the sliotar into the net for the day’s opening goal. A free and a 45 from Russell got Killadooley up and running, but a long-range free at the other end from Hyland went through a sea of bodies and into the net.
Russell and Hyland traded frees before the pair each found space in front of goal to raise a green flag at either end in quick succession. Russell was lethal from placed balls and hit the net a second time, again from a free.
A third goal moments later gave Russel a hat-trick – all from frees – before raising a fourth consecutive green flag, this time from play. He knocked over one last free to leave Killadooley eight points up at half time, leading 4-4 to 3-2.
Will Fitzpatrick was excellent in the second half and extended Killadooley’s lead, scoring 1-2 shortly after the restart, followed by another pair of Russell goals - both frees – before a goal from play completed his second-half hat-trick.
Fionn Hyland landed a pair of frees for Abbeyleix midway through the half but Killadooley had goal number nine soon after when Conor Carroll opened his account with a lovely strike. Hyland pointed late on but it did not change the result as Killadooley left O’Moore Park with the Division 1 Shield.
Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix: Fionn Hyland 2-4 (5-4fs), Daniel Kenna 1-0, Rory Thompson 0-1.
Killadooley NS: Oliver Russell 7-4 (5-4fs), Will Fitzpatrick 1-2, Conor Carroll 1-0.
Senan Bowe Whelan; John Coss, Seán Kealy, Seán Ryan, Oliver Russell, Will Fitzpatrick, Oisín Nangle, Mossie Moynan, Conor Carroll.
Subs: Conor Patterson, James Phelan, Ben Pearson, Cian Bergin, Denis Coss, Riley Fitzpatrick, Conor Keegan, Lee McCartney, Tommy Kelly, Luke Phelan, James Ryan, Adam Stanley
: Kieran Clancy; Iarlaith Fitzpatrick, Liam Noone, Finn O’Connell, Seán Gaughan Hall, James Hartford, Fionn Hyland, Rory Thompson, Daniel Kenna.
Subs: Ciaran Brady.
