The 2001 Munster club final was an unforgettable occasion for current Ballygunner boss Darragh O'Sullivan.
His brother Billy captained the Gunners to their first provincial title after beating Blackrock 2-14 to 0-12 at Semple Stadium. Four O'Sullivan siblings were part of that team (Rory, Billy, Darragh and Patrick) while his father Pat was part of the backroom team. It was their third final appearance after losing out in 1996 and 1999.
"We thought that our chance was gone to be honest with you. The age profile was on the way up; I was one of the younger ones. It was great to get there but we probably did a bit too much celebrating after it! We got caught in the All Ireland semi final. It was a fabulous day for us; it was one of my best memories in sport."
Paul Flynn's clinching goal sticks in his mind. "I'll never forget the scenes after the match and coming back to the Cove Bar. The most vivid memory I have is Paul Flynn's goal. I remember Nicky Carroll running in onto the field. He was like a sixteenth man that day giving Paul the water!"
As @ballygunnerHc take on Borris-lleigh in the @AIB_GAA @MunsterGAA Club Hurling Final this weekend; GAANOW Rewind takes a trip back to 2001 when Ballygunner overcame Blackrock to be crowned Munster Club champions! pic.twitter.com/WlywWDAWNz
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 19, 2019
The class of 2019 are bidding for back to back Munster titles against Borris-Ileigh on Sunday, a feat no other Waterford club has accomplished. "It's nearly twenty years since St Joseph's did it in Munster so it would be a huge achievement for this group of players."
Listen back to interviews with Darragh O'Sullivan and Shane Stapleton from Friday's Lár Na Páirce.
https://www.spreaker.com/user/11231943/larnapaircenov22part1
https://www.spreaker.com/user/11231943/shanestapleton
