Jarlath Burns Praises Waterford Minor Hero Who Scored 0-11 'On One Leg'

Waterford stormed to a fourth-ever Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling on Saturday evening, overcoming their fellow Munster rivals Clare 1-18 to 0-11 in dire conditions in Semple Stadium.

Having met and gone toe-to-toe some weeks ago in the Munster SHC, Saturday's national decider looked set to be fiercely contested all over. Ultimately, however, the Déise proved much too strong for Clare on the day, with a Cormac Spain-inspired performance rightly earning them the Irish Press Cup.

On a day when the Déise were simply far superior to their opposition, one young man stood out from the rest: Cormac Spain. Not for the first time in this campaign, Spain proved integral to all but a handful of the Déise's scores, masterfully directing his side to a famous win in Tipperary.

There had been much worry early on in the clash, when Spain suffered an early injury, and uncertainty loomed about whether he would continue. Hobbling or not, however, the injury-plagued Waterford man would not only continue but deliver one of the great minor performances in recent years, claiming 0-11 of Waterford's 1-18 himself.

As he earned on Saturday, and over the length of this campaign, his performance was met with the highest of praise, including that of GAA President Jarlath Burns, who seemed awe-stricken by his final showing.

READ ALSO: 'A Journey I’m So Grateful For': Dessie Farrell Says Emotional Goodbye To Dublin Job READ ALSO: Jim McGuinness Distances Himself And Players From Donegal Statement Criticising GAA

Speaking as he prepared to hand over the Irish Press Cup to Waterford captain James Comeford, the Uachhtaran delivered a rousing speech, singling out Spain for particular praise.

2025 is a year where dreamers know if they believe hard, play hard, and work hard, their dreams can come true. It's a year when...this wonderful sea of Blue and White in front of me ae the 2025 All-Ireland Champions.

I know you won't mind me singling out the efforts of Cormac Spain who got injured at the start of this game, but still managed on one leg to score eleven points.

Epic scenes as the Waterford minors lift the Irish Press Cup for the fourth time in the county's history.

A day to remember for Waterford hurling.@ElectricIreland #ThisIsMajor pic.twitter.com/KIGnUg4u3J

— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) June 29, 2025

Burns' praise was met with raucous cries of agreement from the swathes of Waterford fans who had turned the hallowed turf of Semple Stadium into a sea of blue and white to celebrate what was just the county's fourth ever All-Ireland.

The GAA president also paid tribute to both captain James Comeford and the Waterford management, who, despite failing to win a match in their first season and winning just a single game in their second season, have claimed the 2025 All-Ireland title - statements that like their partners were met with wild celebrations from the Waterford fans.

They had shown up in the most dramatic of numbers to celebrate alongside their winning youngsters, hoisting the victors up amid the blue smoke and celebrating what will rightly go down as a great day in the county.

While their journey in the senior competition may have ended prematurely, the future of hurling is certainly strong in the county.