Lisdowney’s journey in the AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship came to an end on Sunday, as they were defeated by Wexford’s Rathnure in a hard-fought final.
The game finished Lisdowney 1-16 to Rathnure’s 0-24, marking the culmination of the season for the Kilkenny club and a first Leinster crown for Rathnure.
Speaking to KCLR after the match, Lisdowney manager Trevor Fletcher reflected on what has been a transformative year for the club, despite the disappointment of the Leinster final loss.
“That’s what’s really great about a small community,” Fletcher said. “It revolves around the GAA. And for these bunch of boys there, they’re bitterly disappointing for the parish too”
Lisdowney, crowned Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling champions earlier in the year, had a stellar campaign leading up to the provincial final. Their ability to grind out victories is something Fletcher believes will serve them well in the years to come.
“They know themselves that there’s more in them, and I suppose the biggest thing we said to the boys inside today now is how we learn and bottle that pain from today’s performance. We won a lot of tight matches this year. I thought they were really good resilience-wise this year, and they battled hard. And so that’ll stand for them next year when we’re going to go to the senior championship,” he said.
Fletcher acknowledged the disappointment felt by the team and supporters but emphasized the importance of perspective.
“We win together, we lose together. So we are county champions, so getting to the provincial final’s a good year.
As Lisdowney look ahead to competing in the Kilkenny senior championship next year, the sense of pride in their accomplishments remains intact.
