Ruairi Og fanatic and hurling Aficionado Colum Thompson put pen to paper after seing his beloved Cushendall suffer another narrow defeat in an All Ireland Club semi-final

The quote in the headline came from former Clare legend Anthony Daly after Limerick’s epic last gasp victory against the Banner, way back in 1996

That is the feeling being suffered by Cushendall people this evening. Within touching distance of an All Ireland Final against St. Thomas’s to yet again having our dreams shattered at the semi-final stage. Sport can be cruel. When Joe McLaughlin blasted to the Gaels net in the fourth minute to put Cushendall six points ahead an upset looked very definitely on the cards. In the early exchanges Cushendall were sensational. The ferocious tackling, the hard running and the accuracy had the Kilkenny and Leinster champions on the ropes. Eoghan Campbell rifled over two unbelievable points from distance and Paddy Burke got another. The bookies prediction and the pre match script was being systematically torn to shreds. But purple patches don’t last for ever and as is the Kilkenny way O Loughlin Gaels came roaring back. A Luke Hogan piledriver was brilliantly saved by Dall keeper Conor McAlister but the ball broke to Sean Bolger who scrambled home to leave just one point between the sides in the 26th minute. Five minutes earlier Ed McQuillan cursed his luck when following a great solo run his shot at goal agonisingly hit the post and was cleared. Fine margins. Cushendall responded well to the concession of the goal and forced their way into a three point lead by half time 1-10 to 1-7.

O Loughlin Gaels started the second half with real intent and in the twinkling of an eye they had levelled the game thanks to two points from Mark Bergin and one from Eoin O’ Shea. It was end to end stuff but by the 55th minute the Kilkenny men had worked themselves into a two point lead.

Joe McLaughlin got inside Mikey Butler to fire over a super point to again put the minimum between the teams. Cushendall had chances but several snatched efforts drifted wide when scores looked on. As the seconds ticked away it was frantic stuff but in the second minute of injury time Dall captain Neil McManus found space and from fully 80 yards into the breeze he dissected the uprights to bring his team level. Navan was rocking, The Dall supporters were in full voice at the end of a scintillating hour of hurling. Stephen Murphy pocked the ball out, it was hell for leather around the middle of the park but the ball fell to wing back David Fogarty who sent a sublime strike like an arrow through the Dall uprights and through the Dall hearts as well. We prayed for another minute and another chance and it came but Neil McManus’s effort fell inches wide of the left hand post. Final score O Loughlin Gaels 1-17 Cushendall 1-16.

It was utterly heartbreaking. Another gut-wrenching loss at the semi final stage. Cushendall folks won’t need reminding that since 1996 we have now lost to Wolfe Tones by a point, St. Joseph’s after a replay, De La Salle after extra time, St. Thomas’s by a point and now to O Loughlin Gaels by a point as well. That is our crown of thorns and we have to wear it. People will tell you that you get out of life what you put into it. Don’t listen to them, if that were the case then Neil McManus’s last gasp effort would have sailed over the bar. The next time in the white hot heat of championship hurling we are a point down and need a score I want Neil McManus on the ball. It was cruel too on Paddy Burke who played out of his skin adding to his reputation as one of the top defenders in the game. And what a debut season for Joe McLaughlin. Still a teenager but a player who has registered plenty of championship goals and critical scores, what a future he has if he wants it. Today he took a current All Star Mikey Butler for a goal and a point.

I hope our players realise how proud we are of them and how much winning The Antrim and Ulster Championship means to all of us and it is a fitting tribute to our greatest ever member, The legendary Wee John McKillop who we lost earlier in the year. The 2023 season is over for Cushendall, this one will sting for a while but just like purple patches the darkness doesn’t last long. No more can be asked of a team than to give it everything. Cushendall did that today and there is no shame in defeat as long as you dust yourself down and go again. Before we know it we’ll be standing in Ballycastle or Dunloy or Loughgiel watching matches in the May sunshine, running our eye over our own team and the opposition in anticipation of the championship starting again.

The final line of The Great Gatsby reads “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Simply for me….. we go again.