Clare's Diarmaid Nash created history at Kingscourt, Co Cavan on Saturday as he became the first player to bring the All-Ireland senior singles title back to the Banner county since the legendary Pat Kirby in 1980.
Left-hander Nash played brilliantly to defeat hot favourite, four-time winner Robbie McCarthy of Westmeath, in a nailbiting tiebreaker.
The Tuamgraney clubman was magnificent in the first set, winning 21-8 with a career-best display of two-handed offense, but McCarthy found his range and raced into a 19-7 lead in game two.
Nash continued to battle and rallied to reach 17. And although he was held there, he carried the momentum into the tiebreaker, tearing into a 6-0 lead. Mullingar’s McCarthy cut the gap but could never get in front and on his second attempt at game ball, Nash closed it out with a pass shot for a famous win.
Nash (31) had previously lost finals to McCarthy in 2014 and 2019 but the former Clare underage hurler was not to be denied on this occasion and delivered a masterful performance in the first senior 40x20 final played in three years due to pandemic-related restrictions.
Earlier, Cork's Catriona Casey defeated her great rival Martin McMahon (Limerick) 21-18, 21-15 in the women's senior singles final.
McMahon was hampered by a back injury but Casey’s play was flawless as she served superbly and retrieved the explosive Treaty star’s best attacking efforts.
Clodagh Munroe (Tyrone) and Cormac Finn (Sligo) won the minor singles finals, both in tiebreakers.
