CHAMPIONS! Kilcavan blow Ballyfin away to become a Senior club for the first time

Kilcavan are the 2026 Laois Shopping Centre Intermediate Football champions for the first time in the club’s history, meaning they’ll play in the Senior Football Championship for the first time ever in 2027.

It’s been a remarkable few years with the club having only won the Junior ‘A’ title in 2024.

There was a great crowd inside Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Saturday as both clubs went in search of a place in the Senior Football Championship for 2027. Ballyfin were looking to make an immediate return, while Kilcavan went in search of becoming a senior club for the first time in the club’s history.

Ballyfin played with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half and it was their talisman, Sean Moore, who opened the scoring after two minutes when he pointed a free from outside the arc. Darragh Prendergast then had half a goal chance as he caught Ciaran Quinn’s attempted shot before turning and taking a shot, but Tristan Hunt blocked the ball out for a 45.

Kilcavan’s first score came courtesy of midfielder Aaron Tarpey with eight minutes played. His side went two points ahead shortly as Cian Ryle scored a free after he was fouled and then he pointed a second free, which was brought closer by referee Clifford Ward for back chat from Ballyfin.

Darragh Connolly fisted the ball between the posts to draw the sides level and then Ballyfin went ahead thanks to a point from James Moore. Kilcavan’s next score would see a green flag get raised as a Ryle 45 was kept alive and batted back into the square where captain Ronan Gorry was on hand to bundle the ball over the line. Another showing of indiscipline from Ballyfin cost them two points as Clifford Ward brought the ball forward and Ryle kicked the ball over the bar from outside the arc.

James Finn got a two-pointer of his own in return to cut Kilcavan’s lead to two points. Rory Lalor’s first score of the game put the Gorry goal between them, approaching half-time. However, Adam Connolly kicked a two-pointer to cut Kilcavan’s half-time lead to a single point, Kilcavan 1-6, Ballyfin 0-8.

Kilcavan, now playing with the wind, kicked the first two scores of the half courtesy of Ian Dunne and Ryle (two-pointer). James Moore got Ballyfin up and running in the second half, but Kilcavan kept increasing their lead with the breeze. Darragh Hughes raised a white flag before Ryle kicked his second two-pointer of the evening to put them seven points up and coasting towards the title.

Ryle put Kilcavan even further ahead with another free, with Ballyfin having scored just one point in the second half. Kilcavan ended up running away with the game as they finished with six more points in the last few minutes. Adam Hunt, Rory Lalor, Robert Hunt and Ian Dunne scored with Rory Lalor finishing the game with a two-pointer to spark wild celebrations in Portlaoise.

Kilcavan will now go forward and represent Laois in the Leinster Club Championship when they face the Wicklow champions on October 31.

FINAL SCORE

Kilcavan 1-19

Ballyfin 0-9

SCORERS- Kilcavan: Cian Ryle 0-9 (two two-point frees, one two-pointer, 0-3 frees), Rory Lalor 0-4 (one two-pointer), Ronan Gorry 1-0, Ian Dunne 0-2, Robert Hunt, Aaron Tarpey, Darragh Hughes and Adam Hunt 0-1 each. Ballyfin: Sean Moore (two-point free), James Finn (two-pointer), James Moore and Adam Connolly (two-pointer) 0-2 each, Darragh Connolly 0-1.

BALLYFIN: Eoin Connolly, Conall Rowney, Allan Connolly, Sam O'Loughlin; Conor Cleary, James Finn, Ciaran Quinn; Darragh Connolly, Adam Connolly; Shane Connolly, David Connolly, Ronan Carroll; James Moore, Seán Moore, Darragh Prendergast. Subs: Ciaran Culleton for O’Loughlin (36 mins), Eanna Lyons for S Connolly (41 mins), Michael Maloney for Carroll (56 mins)

KILCAVAN: Killian Doyle; Tristan Hunt, Michael Birmingham, Michael Hyland; Robert Hunt, Evan Hunt, Niall Lalor; Aaron Tarpey, Darragh Hughes; Ian Dunne, Cian Ryle, Ronan Gorry; Rory Lalor, Sean Lalor, Adam Hunt. Subs: Gearoid Tracey for Ryle (58 mins), Paul Bolton for T Hunt (59 mins), Ben O’Keefe for Dunne, Darragh McEvoy for S Lalor and Derek O’Connell for Hughes.

Referee: Clifford Ward (Portarlington)