Dublin North look likely to wiin another juvenile 'A' hurling title.

LEADING by just 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time, having played with the strong breeze, Dublin North looked to have left traditional giants St Kieran's well poised to lift yet another Leinster Colleges Juvenile 'A' hurling title in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow last Friday.

The gritty Kilkenny boys had hassled and harried the fancied Dubs -- 5-17 to 5-7 victors over Kilkenny CBS in the semi-final at the same venue the previous Monday -- into 10 first-half wides. Kieran's also struck for the last two scores of the opening period, the second a brilliant individual point by centre half-forward Mikey Drennan who completed an incisive run with a delightful strike off the stick without handling.

As Dublin North had led 0-5 to 0-0 at the end of the first quarter, Kieran's had to be reasonably content with the half-time situation, a situation helped considerably by two brilliant saves by goalkeeper Noel Kehoe to prevent Ciaran Kilkenny, the Dublin dangerman, finding the net.

However, Kilkenny was not to be denied much longer. A smashing hurler and excellent athlete, he was the star of the Castleknock team which won Division 1 of the Feile na nGael in Kilkenny last year and the No 11 really turned on the style in the second half, crashing home three magnificent goals inside 18 minutes of the restart to give added momentum to the Dublin hurling revolution.

The first goal came in the 34th minute when Kilkenny, from a 20m free slightly to the left of the posts, drilled a low shot to the net, full-forward Conor McHugh having been fouled after gathered a lobbing ball from the scorer.

Two minutes later, after Dermot Cody had fired home a cracking Kieran's goal following good work by Aidan Cleere and David Burke, the Dublin ace struck again. He was fouled on the run at halfway, full-back Willie Madden landing the resultant free in the square where Kilkenny caught, turned and dispatched a low left hand shot to the net.

In the 48th minute, after a Paul Winters clearance broke kindly to Kilkenny on the 65m line, he lifted and ran, tipped the ball over a defenders head, collected again and from inside the 13m line stuck another low shot in the net.

With the score at 3-10 to 1-7 in Dublin North's favour, it was effectively game over, though Kieran's, mindful of coming from eight points in arrears early in the second half of their semi-final against Dublin South, kept plugging away. A terrific 50th- minute goal by Mickey Drennan, who cut in from the left and rifled a rocket-like shot into the scoreboard end rigging gave the boys in the famed black-and-white hoops hope.

Six minutes later Kieran's won a penalty which, if goaled, would have reduced the margin to four with as many minutes to go but Mikey Drennan's rising shot was deflected over the bar.

And by who? Yes, the tall Ciaran Kilkenny! The Castleknock caman wielder scored an astonishing 3-6, 2-3 from play, all scores of superb quality. The No 11, apart from those scores and that save, was deeply involved in the action.

Mind you, the Dubs were not a one-man show and their mid-field pairing of Eoghan Quin and Cormac Costello were classy hurlers while warrior full-back Willie Madden, live-wire full forward Conor McHugh and versatile No 15 Conor Cuggy, who switched from corner-forward to corner-back and who thrived in his defensive role, were other stars for the Dublin Blues whose ability to carry the ball into the wind was a crucial factor in securing an historic first title.

St Kieran's outstanding hurler was also wearing No 11 and Mikey Drennan, apart from scoring 1-5, 1-2 from play, hurled a lot of ball, the James Stephens clubman dropping back late in proceedings to effect a couple of rousing clearances.

No 5 Aidan Cleere was excellent in the air, caught a few great balls while the game might have been over before half-time but for the agile goalkeeping of agile Noel Kehoe.

SCORERS -- Dublin North: Ciaran Kilkenny 3-6 (1-3f), Conor Goff 1-0, Cormac Costello, Conor McHugh, Graham White 0-2 each, Conor Cuggy (f), Denis Forde 0-1 each. St Kieran's, Kilkenny: Mikey Drennan 1-5 (0-2f, 0-1 '65'), Michael Donnelly 0-4 (0-3f), Dermot Cody 1-0.

DUBLIN NORTH: Darren Greene; Mark O'Dea, Willie Madden, Sean McLennan; Andrew Harte, Paul Winters, Conor O'Hore; Eoghan Quinn, Cormac Costello; Graham White, Ciaran Kilkenny, Denis Forde; Adam Rooney, Conor McHugh, Conor Cuggy. Subs: Aaron Carolan for Harte, Conor Goff for Rooney.

ST KIERAN'S: Noel Kehoe; Killian Treacy, Cormac Wafer, Eoin Gough; Aidan Cleere, Daniel O'Neill, Tim Brennan; Thomas O'Hanrahan, Eoin O'Connor; David Burke, Mikey Drennan, Enda Morrissey; Dermot Cody, Billy Leyden, Michael Donnelly. Subs: Kieran Prendergast for Leyden, Jack Collins for O'Hanrahan, Emmet Byrne for O'Connor.

REFEREE: Pat Moran (Laois)

- Leo McGough