Mount Leinster Rangers 1-19 St Mullins 0-16
Mount Leinster Rangers are the 2025 Carlow senior hurling champions, seeing off last year's title holders, St Mullins 1-19 to 0-16 in Netwatch Cullen Park.
In what was the third consecutive meeting of the clubs in the championship final, the Borris team got off to a great start but had to withstand a pulsating second-half rally from St Mullins before pulling away to claim their victory.
The eventual winners started strongly with Donagh Murphy flashing over two points while Chris Nolan was on the end of a quick exchange of passes to find the top right-hand corner of the net.
Nine minutes in, they led 1-06 to 0-01 with Colm Kavanagh scoring the solitary St Mullins point.
Rangers had chances to extend the lead but they registered a number of wides.
Their opponents fed off those let offs and with Marty Kavanagh scoring four points from placed balls, the Rangers lead was down to 1-10 to 0-09 at the interval.
They kept their noses in front in the early stages of the second half but when the St Mullins full-back, Paul Doyle, scored two points from play to level matters at the end of the third quarter it looked as if the reigning champions were in the ascendancy.
The eventual winners dug deep and Chris Nolan scored two frees and a 65.
His brother, Jon, and Ted Joyce also raised white flags to cement what was a sweet victory after they had surrendered their title to the same opposition after a replay last year.
Mount Leinster Rangers: Frank Foley; Michael Doyle, Tony Lawlor, Sean Joyce; Richard Coady, Kevin McDonald, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Tim Brennan; Ruairi Murphy, Jon Nolan (0-02), Donagh Murphy (0-04); Chris Nolan (1-10, 0-07f, 65), Eddie Byrne, Ted Joyce (0-03).
Subs: Dean Tobin for R Murphy (38), Evan Kealy for Coady (44), Michael Malone for S Joyce (60).
St Mullins: Seamus Murphy; Paidi O'Shea, Paul Doyle (0-02), Ciaran Harris; Ger Coady, Paudie Kehoe, James Doyle (Drummond); Eamonn O’Shea, James Doyle (Dranagh) (0-01); Jack Kavanagh (0-01), Conor Kehoe, John Doyle (0-01); Colm Kavanagh (0-01), Marty Kavanagh (0-07, 0-06f, 65), Paddy Boland (0-03).
Subs: Oisin Boland for E O’Shea (44), Oisin Ryan for C Kavanagh (56), Laurence Brennan for J Doyle (Drummond 59).
Referee: David Hickey (Fenagh).
