Roche central to the Dean Ryan Success forced his way onto the Dr Harty Cup starting side of 2016/17. The College avenged Semi Final heartbreak from the year prior 2015/16, and would reach the penultimate stage after a 1-08 to 0-07 defeat of fierce rivals Midleton CBS in the Semi Final stages. This all the more impressive as St Colman’s would win a trilogy of encounters over the Imokilly hurling nursery at Senior level that year after a first round Harty Cup win 2-15 to 1-14 was followed up by a Dr O’ Callaghan Cup Final loss 0-11 to 0-10. A huge achievement with that Midleton CBS outfit the defending Rice Cup, White Cup and Dean Ryan Cup winners never losing in Munster up to Harty level and tipped as favourites for the Harty title that year. Roche lined out at wingback on a young St Colman’s outfit boasting 4 transition year students in the starting 15 in the Dr Harty Cup Final which fell short to Our Ladys Templemore on a scoreline of 2-22 to 1-06.
