History re-written in a bizarre article

THE NAOMH Eanna hurlers have been lauded for their brilliant breakthrough, and rightly so, but it’s a shame that some of those queueing up to bestow praise seem to be intent on re-writing history.

There was a glaring example last week when AIB, sponsors of the club championships, released an interview with defender

Eoin Conroy.

Everything was going fine until near the end when the journalist made the astonishing claim that Oulart-The Ballagh are the only Wexford team to have won a provincial Senior hurling title.

This glaring error was quickly seized upon by several Slaneyside readers who took to social media to voice their disgust.

It was a gross insult to Rathnure, winners of six Leinster championships between 1971 and 1998, and to Buffers Alley, who collected the honours in 1985, 1988 and 1992. Of course, the Alley went on to claim the county’s sole All-Ireland title in 1989, but all of that seemed to be lost on the author of that bizarre article.

Staying with Naomh Eanna, we feel that the claim that they were only a Junior club six years ago also requires clarity.

Technically, it’s true, given that they lost the Leinster Junior semi-final to Thomastown of Kilkenny by 1-24 to 0-10 in 2012.

However, that was the first year of the county Intermediate ‘A’ championship, and it was decreed that the Wexford winners would be entitled to play at Junior level in the province, something that prevails to this day.

Therefore, the important distinction to be made is that Naomh Eanna were never Junior within the county itself.

They lost an Intermediate play-off to determine status for the new structures to Blackwater in 2011, and that’s how they ended up in Intermediate ‘A’, winning it at the first attempt versus Marshalstown-Castledockrell.

By the way, their trainer, Willie Cleary, was a mentor with the Ireland Under-21 panel that played Scotland in a hurling-shinty international in Abbotstown on Saturday, with Damien Reck of Oylegate-Glenbrien in action.

Meanwhile, two brothers could yet end up meeting in the AIB Leinster Club final, given that Malachy Travers - older sibling of

Brendan and ex-Gorey stalwart - came on for Ballyboden St. Enda’s in their victory in the Dublin decider versus Kilmacud Crokes.