Kilbrittain 1-19 Dohenys 0-09

Monday June 29th Clona Milk U21 Hurling Championship Click here for more match photos >> Kilbrittain started their 2026, U21 hurling, championship campaign with a decisive win over Dunmanway's Dohenys outfit last night in Enniskeane. A heavy shower just before the match began saw slippery conditions dictate the opening ten minutes, with both sides finding it hard to control the ball. However, both teams adjusted quickly and went at the game with aplomb.

Kilbrittain U21 Hurling Quarterfinal Championship Team vs. Dohenys 2026. Back Row (L-R): Luke Griffin, Niall Egan, CJ Bryan, Loughlin O'Donnell, Cillian Harrington, Darragh Crowley, Fionn Ustianowski, Ronan Crowley (C). Front Row (L-R): Adam Desmond, Adam Griffin, Owen MacCarthy, Cillian Madden, Tom Hogan, John Ryan, Cathal Callaghan, Diarmuid O'Donoghue, Ronan Sheehy, Shaye Ustianowski and Brian Kelleher.

While Kilbrittain made the initial push upfield it was Doheny's who came out of the first five minutes with an edge over possession, chancing two wides and earning two points via center forward Euan Lehane. While Doheny's were making tracks, Kilbrittain's defence line were finding their groove, marshalled by the dependable Diarmuid O'Donoghue at centerback. When Kilbrittain's half back line settled, it began feeding ball directly to the half forward line. The first three wides were simply unlucky; as Loughlin O'Donnell had expertly found Ronan Sheehy, Ronan Crowley - this year's captain - picked out Brian Kelleher and then O'Donoghue found Crowley yet all three narrowly missed the uprights. The barrage of strikes on the Doheny end however was heralding a turn of the tide.

Captain Ronan Crowley breaks away from his mark in Monday's quarter final match against Doheny's. Wing back Cathal O'Callaghan brought the next ball to Crowley in midfield who passed off to Kelleher for a fine point 30 meters from goal, putting Kilbrittain on the scoreboard, before O'Callaghan delivered the next won puck out up to Luke Griffin who used his strength to get past his man and drive the next point over the bar. Then O'Donnell and Fionn Ustianowski (Fusti) paired up to bring the ball to Griffin again, for a fine point from the wing, putting Kilbrittain ahead of Dohenys 0-03 to 0-02 with just under ten minutes gone.

Cillian Madden moves to strike the ball. Dohenys were being harried around the right wing, where Shaye Ustianowski (Shusti) in particular was putting in a lot of hard work securing ball for the black and amber. Any Doheny player marked by Shusti found him just unshakeable on the wing. His next offload to O'Donnell found Cillian Madden in the forward line. Doing well to avoid his mark, he passed on to Kelleher who just grazed the post. Dohenys were feeling the heat but to their credit they soldiered on. Wing back Eanna Hayes capitalised on his next opportunity to level the sides 0-03 apiece. But moments later a foul on Madden saw captain Crowley step up to the mark and dutifully point it over the bar. A wide and another free followed for Dohenys with Lehane converting to keep the teams neck and neck, but as both sides entered the second quarter of the match, Kilbrittain found themselves gelling as a team.

Centerback Diarmuid O'Donoghue snaps the ball away from Doheny's forwards. Crafty Fusti did well to win the puck out and brought the ball to Crowley. The villageman opened up the chest and showed his strength, barrelling through two Dohenys men and, rounding them, he raced off through centre field. He was resolute with his pointed effort and drove Kilbrittain ahead 0-05 to 0-04. From there, for the next ten minutes, Kilbrittain would push on in earnest. The team looked focused, as they each did their part. The backline were being pressed by Dohenys but held the line. Adam Desmond was in control of his mark at corner back. Adam Griffin was commanding in the air, reaching high to win inbound balls. Steadfast O'Donoghue was everywhere in the backline, ready and willing to get stuck in and win ball for the black and amber. Tom Hogan and Niall Egan were getting stuck in and the ball rarely got past them.

Adam Griffin secures possession in the backline. Madden in the forward line popped the next ball off his shoulder to Crowley for a spicy point from 40 metres out, before Crowley took control of another ball in midfield, feeding Sheehy in the corner, who let fly through the uprights, making it 0-07 to 0-04, but Kilbrittain weren't done yet. Hogan showed excellent perseverance to tail a loose ball and, while harried by his mark, he kept possession to get the ball to eager Shusti up the wing. With some creativity he offloaded the ball to strong full forward Griffin, who was playing deeper around centre forward. He rifled another point over the bar.

Fionn Ustianowski makes a break through midfield. O'Donnell along the right wing could've and should've lost the ball a few times in the next few minutes as Dohenys tried their best to dispossess him, but with an incredible touch and some excellent stickwork he managed each time to retain the ball and get it out of danger. Meanwhile, Griffin came into his own, showing power and leadership around the half forward line.

Full forward Luke Griffin evades Doheny's fullback Matthew Hurley.

A masterful sequence led to the only goal of the match a few minutes before half time, when Griffin raced toward goal from midfield. Challenged hard by the Doheny back line, he went down, but play went on. Madden collected the loose ball and fired it across the square to the ever watchful and ready Sheehy, who connected hard with the ball on the ground and smashed it into the net for a resounding clap from the banks. A minute later, Crowley excellently caught the ball in the air in midfield before firing it back up to Sheehy for another point to close out the first half 1-09 to 0-04. HALFTIME: Kilbrittain 1-09 Dohenys 0-04

Kilbrittain's Diarmuid O'Donoghue races in to make a block Four of Dohenys' remaining five points in this half would come from frees. Lehane was on point for one upon the resumption, before Kilbrittain took off again. A free from Crowley and two confident points from Griffin saw Kilbrittain stretch ahead. Griffin did very well. Indeed, many others did very well. The match showed off this black and amber team's penchant for hooking and dispossessing, perhaps something to become a trademark of this side. Crowley especially, O'Donoghue, O'Donnell, Madden, Hogan and both Ustianowskis did well here.

Ronan Crowley drives a ball to the other corner with a neat sideline cut. Dohenys succeeded in popping over their next free before Crowley added his own down the other end and then orchestrated the next point through Fusti and Madden, who rifled over. Another point in here saw Kilbrittain streak ahead, although we missed the scorer. Kilbrittain led at this stage 1-15 to 0-06. But Dohenys were still battling, to their credit. Wing forward Nathan McCarthy rifled their next through the uprights before Fusti caught the ball high in the air and fed Crowley for a long range point at his ease, the likes of which we've come to expect from the reliable villageman. Dohenys finished out their scoring with eight-odd-minutes to go, with two more frees, then Crowley popped another free over the bar down the other end.

Ronan Sheehy lets fly in the second half. As the clock ticked on, Kilbrittain seemed to develop a certain ferocity. When another team would've slowed, Kilbrittain drove it on, under the influence of determined Captain Crowley. Cillian Harrington had entered the fray and, teaming up with Griffin and Madden, the trio attacked the Doheny defence lines with vigour, the latter setting Griffin up for his 6th point from play of the day. The additional fresh legs of Darragh Crowley for his brother, who had done his bit for the day, and CJ Bryan for Hogan, who had protected his patch well also, saw Kilbrittain race into the final minutes. Dohenys were pushing too, with late runs on goal drawing two saves from Owen McCarthy in goal. But it was Kilbrittain's win, fair and square, with a high scoreline and some great teamwork and skill on display throughout. A final free awarded to the black and amber saw Kelleher step up to the mark, sans Crowley on the field. A big one, he struck it true down the pitch, flying high over the bar.

Brian Kelleher takes the last free of the day and drives it high through the uprights. Kilbrittain have won the quarter final of the 2026 championship and a bright future beckons. They'll play St. Colum's next, who got a bye into the semi-final. That match's date, time and venue is to be decided. On the other quarter-final side, Clonakilty will play Ahan Gaels now set for July 17th, as per the caraberygaa.ie (was July 4th), in Ahiohill, at 8pm. The winners of that will meet Kilbree, who have their bye into the semi-final. For now, Kilbrittain should be proud of their performance, knowing however that more of it is needed. A strong team ethic will get them through a lot, and the signs of it are there. The last time Kilbrittain won an U21 championship was in 2022. Captain Crowley was fresh faced in that one; now, four years later, he's back for more at the helm of a good band of others, and they could very well go all the way. Teams and scorers at end of page.

LOOKBACK: Four years ago, in 2022, Kilbrittain won it's last the U21B Hurling Championship. Three of that team are on the current team, Ronan Crowley, Fionn Ustianowski and Owen McCarthy. The Southern Star's fateful article title at the time was "Kilbrittain aim to build on U21 win" indeed seven of that team started all if not most of the adult Premier Junior campaign matches that saw Kilbrittain advance as far as the All Ireland Junior Club Championships which they won last year, and all others bar one were on the panel throughout the season. Perhaps we'll have as many from this years U21 team joining the 2022 outfit in another four years to take Kilbrittain - by then - from the Intermediate Premier Championship to Senior... just putting it out there. We've every belief in the potential of our lads - they've gone all the way before, they'll keep going #AllTheWay.

Kilbrittain's U21B Hurling Championship Winning Team 2022: Back Row (L-R): Darragh Considine, Owen McCarthy, Fionn Ustianowski, Conor Hogan, Mikolaj Kalitka, Charlie Kenny, Mark O'Shea, Ronan Crowley and Seán Sexton. Front Row (L-R): Séamus O'Sullivan, Gavin Kenny, Keith Hunt, Éoin O'Neill, Mark Hickey, Colm Sheehan and Conor Ustianowski.

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Gallery of Southern Star snapshots.

Scorers: B.Kelleher (0-01)(0-01F), L.Griffin (0-06) R.Crowley (0-03F)(0-04), R. Sheehy (1-01), C.Madden (0-01) Kilbrittain Team: Owen MacCarthy, Adam Desmond, Adam Griffin, Tom Hogan (CJ Bryan), Cathal Callaghan, Diarmuid O'Donoghue, Niall Egan, Loughlin O'Donnell, Fionn Ustianowski (Sub: Cillian Harrington), Shaye Ustianowski, Brian Kelleher, Ronan Crowley (C) (Sub: Darragh Crowley), Ronan Sheehy, Cillian Madden, Luke Griffin. Subs: John Ryan, Eoghan Daly and Daniel Dollard. Dohenys Team: Éoin Lynch, Callum O'Regan, Matthew Hurley, Jack Hurley, Niall Owens, Jamie Dullea, Eanna Hayes, Shane Barry, Óige Walsh, Shane O'Connell, Euan Lehane, Nathan McCarthy, Paudie Crowley, Seán Murphy, Seán Galvin.