2000 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final
The 2000 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship final was a hurling match played at Croke Park on 17 March 2000 to determine the winners of the 1999–00 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship, the 30th season of the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship, a tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for the champion clubs of the four provinces of Ireland. The final was contested by Athenry of Galway and St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield of Clare, with Athenry winning by 0-16 to 0-12.[1]
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| Event | 1999–00 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship | ||||||
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| Date | 17 March 2000 | ||||||
| Venue | Croke Park, Dublin | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Brian Higgins | ||||||
| Referee | Michael Wadding (Waterford) | ||||||
| Attendance | 31,965 | ||||||
The All-Ireland final was the second championship meeting between Athenry and St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield. It remains their last clash in the All-Ireland series. Both sides were hoping to win their second All-Ireland title.
St. Joseph's surged into an early four-point lead, however, there was little excitement in what was, up to then, a lack-lustre, mistake-ridden battle that was being decided by the free-taking prowess of Seánie McMahon and Eugene Cloonan. Athenry captain Joe Rabbitte scored their first point from play and kick-started their resurgence. With 10 minutes left to the break, they scored four unanswered points to draw level at 0-9 apiece. An off-the-ball incident involving Greg Baker and Kenneth Kennedy after 25 minutes also noticeably upped the ante and Ollie Baker was lucky to escape with a yellow card from referee Michael Wadding for a retaliatory swing which caught the linesman's attention.
Within 12 minutes of the second half, Athenry had taken a three-point lead. Cloonan finally beat Donal Cahill to score a point from play, while Donal Moran scored an excellent point after being set up by wing-back Brian Higgins. Andrew Whelan pulled the deficit back to two points for St. Joseph's after 44 minutes. The tide then visibly swung towards Athenry when Rabbitte flicked a ball to David Donoghue who shortened his grip before sending over a point from an almost impossible angle. With six minutes left, the Claremen still trailed by only two points. Athenry went three points clear again following a great score from Cloonan. Pat Higgins burst down the left wing, hand-passed off to Cloonan before he kicked over a point. With two minutes left, they got another break when Higgins won a contentious penalty when many thought he was fouled outside the area, if fouled at all. Cloonan opted for a point to put four between the sides. Jamesie O'Connor replied with a free within a minute, but Cloonan's next point, his ninth of the game, put the result beyond doubt.
Athenry's victory secured their second All-Ireland title. They joined a selection of teams in joint third position on the all-time roll of honour.
Due to the identical nature of the colour of their jerseys a change was necessary. Athenry wore a modified white strip of Connacht while St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield wore the blue of Munster.
Match
Details
Athenry  | 0-16 - 0-12 |  |
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| E Cloonan 0-9 (5f, 1 penalty), B Hanley 0-3 (1f), D Moran 0-2, J Rabbitte, D Donohue 0-1 each. | S McMahon 0-6 (4f,2 '65s), J O'Connor 0-3 (1f), D Hoey, O Baker and A Whelan 0-1 each. |
        Athenry
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   St. Joseph's
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References
- "Athenry's hungry heroes hit back to claim crown". Irish Independent. 18 March 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2015.