Longford senior hurlers make strong winning start in the championship

After a strong league campaign and earning promotion to Division 3 of the Allianz National Hurling League, Longford began their 2026 Lory Meagher Cup title charge in style with a commanding victory over Lancashire in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday in miserable weather conditions. 

Longford 5-21

Lancashire 1-6

Diarmuid Cahill’s charges cruised to a 27 point victory to lay down a marker in this year’s Tier 5 hurling competition in the quest to qualify for the final at Croke Park with the impressive Reubem Murray clocking up a total of 1-13.  

Longford led on a scoreline of 0-7 to 0-2 with 15 minutes gone on the clock, with sharp shooter Reuben contributing 6 of those scores (5 frees) and Maitiu O’Donoghue getting the other Longford point.

 Lancashire then struck for the first of six goals in this game through full forward Peter Boylan after a dangerous ball from Luke Corbett landed in the Longford square to close  the gap back to 4 but Longford skipper Murray swiftly converted another 3 frees to patch up the damage of the goal that was conceded. 

Then Longford struck for a goal of their own on the stroke of half-time. Micheál Mulcahy picked up a breaking ball at midfield and drove at the Lancashire defence. Space opened up for Niall Hawes who received the handpass from Mulcahy and he fired the ball past Lancashire net minder Ryan McCarthy to send Longford into the break with a 7 point lead on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-3. 

The Longford dominance stepped up another gear on the changeover as Ronan Courtney, Maitiu O’Donoghue and Reuben Murray all found the posts from play to give Longford some clear breathing space with 40 minutes gone.

 Moments later Ronan Courtney raised another green flag for Longford to widen the gap to 13 points. Longford didn’t take the foot off the pedal as captain Murray converted another two frees along with a Martin Farrell free from defence that found its way over the bar.

Lancashire’s Padraic Burke scored 2 frees to bring his tally to 0-5 and Lancashire’s final tally to 1-6 with 15 minutes still to play. It went from bad to worse for the exiles. 

 Johnny Casey’s effort at a point dropped short and went straight into the net and 10 minutes later substitute Paddy Lynam was fouled inside the square and a penalty was awarded which was struck home by Reuben Murray to put the final nail in the Lancashire coffin. 

A huge victory for Longford who travel to Birmingham to take on Warwickshire next Sunday 19th April and will hope to register another win. 

Longford: Johnny Maher (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin); Kealan Cox (Longford Slashers), Sean Lancaster (Castlepollard, Westmeath), Ciaran McNally (Wolfe Tones Mostrim); James Connell (Wolfe Tones), Martin Farrell (Blackrock, Limerick, 0-1, free), Johnny Casey (Longford Slashers, 1-0); Reuben Murray (Longford Slashers, 1-13, goal from penalty, 11 frees), Adam Quinn (Wolfe Tones); Micheál Mulcahy (Longford Slashers, 0-1), Ronan Courtney (Wolfe Tones, 1-2), Maitiu O’Donoghue (Wolfe Tones, 0-2); Sean Tiernan (Longford Slashers), Dan Crossan (Clonguish, 1-0), Niall Hawes (Longford Slashers, 1-1).

Subs used: Paddy Lynam (St Oliver Plunketts, Westmeath, 0-1) for A Quinn (43 mins); Evan Tully (Wolfe Tones) for C McNally (48 mins); Harry Mulvihill (Longford Slashers) for S Tiernan (51 mins); Daire Regan (Longford Slashers) for J Casey and Stephen Murray (Longford Slashers) for R Courtney (62 mins).

Lancashire: Ryan McCarthy, Brian Slattery, Eoghan Kelly, Adrian Doyle, Luke Corbett, Shane Nugent, Darren McNamara, Andrew Shannahan, Jamie McFadyen, Ethan Costello (0-1), Paul McDonald, Darren Grealish, Conor Murphy, Peter Boylan (1-0), Padraic Burke  (0-5, 4 frees, one 65).

Subs used: James Doyle for P Boylan (half-time), Patrick Dwane for L Corbett and Tiarnan McKavanagh for A Doyle (45 mins), Ciaran Digan for P McDonald (50 mins), Eamonn Lawlor for A Shannahan (59 mins).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Tipperary).