Mount Leinster Rangers retained their Carlow Senior Hurling Championship title with an eight-point victory over St Mullins on Sunday.
The win - 0-24 to 0-16- sealed the club's tenth county title in 15 years.
Two of their points were scored by 18-year-old midfielder Fiachra Fitzpatrick, who was playing in his first senior final.
"I was well-warned in the build-up not to get caught up in things, distractions," he told RTÉ Radio 1 after the game.
"We thought there would be a parade, but there was no parade - stuff like that.
"There's loads of experience in the group. They had me well-warned, helped me keep my feet on the ground."
The MLR full-forward line of Chris Nolan, Denis Murphy and Jon Nolan contributed 16 points to their side's total.
"It was drilled into us from the start of the year that if we get it into Chris, Jon, and Denis, there was no stopping them," said Fitzpatrick.
"Chris was outstanding again, Jon and Denis were floating around. We're just blessed to have lads like that inside. They'd win any ball. We're just told, 'Let it in, and they'll win it'."
19 September 2021; Mount Leinster Rangers players with the cup after the Carlow Senior Hurling Championship final victory over St Mullins at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Fitzpatrick, who completed his Leaving Cert earlier this year, will be heading to college at DCU, while there is also the matter of the Leinster Club Hurling Championship. Mount Leinster Rangers won the Leinster title in 2013, and went on to play in that season's All-Ireland final where they lost to Portumna.
"We're going to relish it now," he said.
"We can't wait.
"We have football championship coming up. It will be tricky to balance it. We'll get the head down, enjoy the celebrations, but we'll go again, and we're hungry for more."
Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
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