Old Leighlin are the Carlow Senior Football champions for the fifth time after edging Rathvilly in a thrilling final that went right to the wire.
The sides were level deep into injury time when Cathal Coughlan stepped up to land the winning score, sealing a 1-11 to 0-13 victory.
Coughlan, who was part of Old Leighlin’s last championship success 12 years ago, reflected on the moment and what it means to bring the title back to the village.
“They just kept backing off and backing off and it opened up.
It was now or never. I would have been young on the first one.
We had a great group of lads there – Pat Hickey and John Hayden – that would have soldiered for years.
Myself, Seamus and David Bambrick still here now, so it’s nice to have come full circle.
It’s a long time between drinks, as they say, at 12 years.
It’s just lovely to be bringing it back out, like a small little area – very, very proud village, great people in it – and yeah, we’ll enjoy this one.”
It’s a fifth senior crown for Old Leighlin and their first since 2012 — a remarkable return to the summit for one of Carlow’s most storied clubs.
You can listen back to all the post-match reaction and the full live commentary now on KCLR’s Big Game Live podcast.
In the Junior Football Championship Final, Fighting Cocks claimed the title with a 2-11 to 1-12 win over Leighlinbridge after another closely fought contest.
