Familiar Ground, Fresh Stakes as St Flannan’s and Nenagh CBS Renew Harty Rivalry
There is something fitting about the road that has led St Flannan’s College back to the TUS Dr Harty Cup final. For the second season running, their campaign has been defined by drawn group games, Tipperary opposition and a final-day rematch that feels as much about growth as it does silverware.
Last year, a group-stage stalemate with Thurles CBS was followed by heartbreak in the decider. This time, Flannan’s opened their campaign with a draw against Tipperary opposition once more and now face another familiar foe, Nenagh CBS, in Saturday’s final at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg (1pm).
Ahead of this Saturday’s Harty Cup final between @CBSNenagh and St. Flannan’s College, Tipp FM’s @PCarrollSport sat down for a chat with Nenagh captain Eoghan Doughan…
Saturday’s game at 1pm is live on Tipp FM with thanks to REA Eoin Dillon, Nenagh pic.twitter.com/PKB0jr0Z2p
— Tipp FM Sport (@TippFMSport) January 28, 2026
The prize is significant on both sides. Nenagh are bidding to keep Tipperary’s grip on the competition intact and deliver a fourth consecutive Harty Cup title to the Premier County. Flannan’s, meanwhile, are chasing their first crown since 2020 and a 23rd title overall, armed with the lessons of last year’s defeat rather than weighed down by it.
That experience is embodied by joint-captain Harry Doherty. Last season’s top scorer has once again been central to Flannan’s run, amassing 3-34 in this year’s competition, and believes the pain of losing to Thurles has hardened the Ennis side rather than scarred them.
Last year, he admits, the occasion itself took its toll. This time, the mindset is different.
The Clarecastle forward points to the team’s composure under pressure as evidence of that growth. Flannan’s have trailed heavily in several key games this season – by ten points against Nenagh in October, seven against Our Lady’s, Templemore, and five against St Joseph’s, Tulla – yet they arrive at the final unbeaten.
Rather than panic, they have trusted their systems and each other.
That collective resilience will be tested to its limit by a Nenagh CBS side steeped in experience and belief. The North Tipperary school lifted their breakthrough Harty Cup at this same venue in 2024 and return with a core group that knows exactly what the occasion demands.
Eoghan Doughan, now captain, has been outstanding throughout the campaign, contributing 4-39 en route to the final. Alongside him, Austin Duff remains a major threat, while the influence of last year’s winning captain, Darragh McCarthy, continues to loom large despite his move into Donach O’Donnell’s backroom team.
For Nenagh, continuity has been a strength rather than a comfort blanket. Several members of the current panel were part of that 2024 triumph, and O’Donnell believes the balance between experience and depth is stronger again this year.
The manager highlights the competition for places across a 43-man panel, with extensive game time shared throughout the campaign. It is a luxury that allows Nenagh to tailor their bench to different challenges – a factor that proved decisive when they dethroned reigning champions Thurles CBS in a sold-out semi-final in Templederry.
Flannan’s manager Brendan Bugler has been aware of the quality in his group for some time. Long before this run, he saw signs of something special when the year-group was split into two teams for the Clare schools competition, both of which ended up meeting in the county final after beating all other opposition.
That potential has now translated onto the Munster stage, but Bugler is clear-eyed about the task facing his side.
Nenagh, he notes, boast a significant number of players already exposed to adult hurling at club level – experience that can accelerate development and sharpen decision-making under pressure. Flannan’s have fewer players with that background, making Saturday their most demanding test yet.
To lift the cup, Bugler believes nothing less than a full, relentless performance will suffice.
All the ingredients are in place for a compelling final: recent history, contrasting journeys, proven scorers, and two squads that know each other inside out. Familiarity, however, rarely dulls a rivalry at this level. If anything, it sharpens it.
On Saturday afternoon in Ennis, one side will add another chapter to their growing legacy. The other will finally turn hard-earned lessons into silverware.
TUS Dr Harty Cup Final
St Flannan’s College, Ennis v Nenagh CBS
📍 Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg
🕐 Saturday, January 31st – 1pm
