The visit to junior could be a short one
November 30, 2009Rathkenny defeated Drumconrath in the intermediate final in 2006, but any hopes they might have been entertaining of going one better the following year were dashed when champions to be Donaghmore/Ashbourne eliminated them at the quarter-final hurdle. And it got a great deal worse last year when they failed to win a game in their group, before they got the better of Ballivor in a preliminary relegation play-off.
That great servant of the club Peter O'Halloran was the Drumconrath manager this year when they fielded a much changed team containing many young players. They were drawn in group A of the championship which also included Dunderry, Na Fianna, Gaeil Colmcille, St Michael's and Carnaross. It was a tricky looking section and that's exactly how it turned out.
Drumconrath scored three goals in their first championship outing against Dunderry, but they were still beaten by nine points at Donore. Leighton Irwin, directly from a '45' which deceived the opposing defence, and Jamie Myles scored first half goals for O'Halloran's team, but they still trailed by 2-1 to 1-7 at the interval.
Points from Myles and Terry Skelly at the start of the second half cut the deficit to the minimum, but Dunderry took over and a third goal from Christopher Tighe was no more that a consolation score for Drumconrath who were adrift by 3-3 to 1-18 at the final whistle.
Moynalty provided the setting for a second round meeting with Carnaross who bounced back from an earlier defeat against St Michael's by recording a 1-13 to 1-10 victory. Carnaross led by 1-7 to 1-3 at the break, but Drumconrath started the second half well and cut the gap to a couple of points. There was three in it at the end as it finished 1-13 to 1-10.
When a heavy defeat followed next time out against Na Fianna at Dunderry, Drumconrath knew they were in real trouble. They scored first, but found themselves adrift by 0-3 to 1-7 at the interval, and a tally of two points in the second period was a very disappointing return. Dean Henrick scored a goal in each half for the Enfield/Baconstown combination who won by 2-12 to 0-5.
St Michael's survived the dismissal of midfielder John Barry O'Reilly late in the first half to record a narrow 1-12 to 1-10 victory over Drumconrath in the fourth round at Meath Hill. The Carlanstown/Kilbeg combination led by 1-7 to 0-7 at half-time, but a Kevin Dardis goal early in the second period had Drumconrath level.
They were unable to push ahead, but were only two points in arrears after the impressive Alan Byrne slotted over a free four minutes from the end. Daithi Regan hadn't started for St Michael's because he sustained an injury in the warm-up, but he scored the insurance point following his introduction as they won by two.
Drumconrath completed a very difficult group campaign with a fifth straight defeat, this time against Gaeil Colmcille at Syddan. The concession of 'soft' goals proved disastrous and two of them came in the first period, at the end of which the Kells men led by 2-5 to 0-2. There was an improvement in the second period, but a third goal was leaked near the end as the town team won by 3-11 to 0-7.
Pointless at the bottom of the section, Drumconrath would have one opportunity to secure their intermediate status. Castletown and Clann na nGael occupied the basement position in the other groups and when they met in the first play-off it was the Athboy/An Ghaeltacht combination which came out on top to ensure their survival.
It meant that Drumconrath and Castletown would go head to head at Pairc Tailteann in late October, with the winner staying in the intermediate ranks and the loser dropping down to junior. Sadly for Drumconrath they were demoted after 13 seasons in the middle grade after they were beaten by 2-3 to 0-12.
Castletown scored the first two points, but Drumconrath responded well when Alan Byrne slotted over two frees to bring them back to parity after eight minutes. However, Castletown took over and led by 0-9 to 0-2 at half-time, before extending their advantage to 0-11 to 0-2 by the 41st minute.
To put it mildly, Drumconrath were in deep trouble, but they refused to throw in the towel and a goal from Larry Fay gave them some hope. Castletown's lead stood at 0-12 to 1-3 by the 48th minute, but with Terry Skelly doing all in his power to drive them on from midfield Drumconrath battled away.
But they had far too much to do, though they did bring the deficit back to three points when Byrne netted from a penalty after Derek Duff had been fouled. Over five minutes of injury time were played and when the final whistle eventually sounded Drumconrath had to face up to the reality that they were back in the junior ranks.
Ronan McGahan trained the Drumconrath team this year and is "a primary school teacher by day and coach teams by night". He made his Junior Championship debut with the club back in 1989 against St Vincent's when he had just turned 17.
He vividly recalls Drumconrath's defeat to Duleek in the 1995 junior final, but the following year they bounced back and won the title with a final victory over neighbours Meath Hill.
"I played all the way up to the semi-final in 1996, but I had gotten an opportunity to go to America to play soccer and coach," Ronan said. "I headed off in June, but came back for the semi-final against St Brigid's and came on as a substitute. I didn't get to play in the final. It was disappointing, but that's the way it goes. That was my first time in America at 23 or 24. It was a wonderful experience, too good to turn down."
Thirteen years later he witnessed Drumconrath slip back down to the junior ranks, but he remains hopeful for the future.
"We were very disappointed to lose our intermediate status," he added. "We are a small club, but we have our pride. With retirements and injuries we lost 14 players who played intermediate football last year, including myself. I played in the Junior D Championship and in Division 5 of the B League this year.
"We were realistic at the start of the year. We knew we were going to struggle after losing the spine of the team. But it fast-forwarded the process of introducing young players into the team, like Keith McConnon who made his intermediate debut at 16.
"It was great for him and three or four others that we had no other option but to play them. It will stand to them next year. It was a year of gaining valuable experience for them and that's a positive thing.
"We had a golden period in Drumconrath, but a lot of those lads are gone now. Our job is to bring on the next generation. It's about keeping the team going. The show must go on and I would be positive for the future. We will have a couple of fallow years, but we will be competitive again at junior level. I believe we will see good times again in the next five or six years."
Drumconrath went through the group campaign without winning a game, but Ronan was very pleased with the attitude of the players.
"When you're getting beaten by 10 or 12 points it can be hard to keep it going," he said. "But I would have to say that there was great commitment, despite our problems. The commitment of the young players was very encouraging to see."
At the end of the group campaign Drumconrath knew they had just one chance to secure survival in the intermediate grade, against a Castletown team which might well have ended up in the business end of the championship, rather than the relegation play-offs. They lost to Clann na nGael in an initial play-off, so that left a do or die confrontation with Drumconrath.
"We turned in a spirited performance against Castletown," Ronan added. "It was disappointing to lose, but they were the best team on the night. They had been unlucky in the group and were in the final in 2007. They also did very well in Division 3 of the league this year.
"We didn't perform well on the night. We played a series of challenge games on the run-up to the Castletown match and they went well. The signs were good, but on the night we didn't get a good start. They got too far ahead of us. We got only five scores and three of them were frees. You move on. We will lick our wounds and regroup.
"On the positive side we held onto our Division 3 status in the league. Ironically, we beat Longwood who won the Junior Championship and drew with Oldcastle and Kilmainhamwood who contested the intermediate final. It gives us something to build on."
13 - unlucky for some
So after just 10 days shy of 13 years, Drumconrath's proud red jerseys will be in the pot for the JFC in 2010. Drums, struggling massively from a serious haemorrhage of players over last 10 months, finally succumbed and got back to where it all started. No less than fourteen players who lined out in the IFC in 2008 where unavailable for varying reason to the squad in 2009 and in real terms no club could survive that. Fourteen you missing, surely it could not be so, just for the doubters here goes - Brian Flanagan, Wesley Byrne, Graham Tighe, John McDermott and Sean McMahon did not play in 2009.
Kevin Flanagan, Pete McMahon, Austin Hickey, Paul Carey and Ronan McGahan retired from the first team and played with juniors. Paul Tighe played two games in IFC 2008 and went to Australia, Patrick Carolan went to New Zealand, Thomas Carolan played two IFC games in 2008 but due to work and family commitments retired, while Wayne Reilly transferred to Louth.
Add to that Leighton Irwin, who was suspended for the IFC Relegation match, and you have 15 players that would give most Intermediate teams a game.
Such is life in a small rural village but we had a great 13 years.
Life in Intermediate started when on 2-November 1996 we defeated our parish brethren Meath Hill 1-10 to 0-10. At the time it was the final win that meant more, as finally we came out from under the shadows. Meath Hill had been far the stronger club in the previous decades and had enjoyed life at Intermediate after winning the JFC in 1980. 1995 had shown signs of Drumconrath picking up the mantle when beating a Meath Hill side in Round 1 of the JFC, who had looked for regarding in an effort to lift their fortunes after having found life in Intermediate too tough in the previous few years. That first round win in Syddan started off a run that eventually saw Drumconrath contest the JFC Final only to go under to Duleek. 1996 was different and 33 years of Junior A, B and Division 3 FC where forgotten and Drumconrath people with a new young team intact where ready to give Intermediate football a go.
1997 rolled in with Peter Fitzpatrick still on board and our introduction to life in the higher grades could not have been any tougher with the visit of Skyrne in a League match in February. Trevor Giles, John McDermott and all. It was a late Giles 45 which went in off a post secured a draw for our senior opposition. Two weeks later Tommy Dowd and Dunderry rolled into town and although they beat us it was a far cry to be playing the likes of these than what Drumconrath had been used too in the past.
Our first IFC match was in Rathkenny against the mighty Dunshaughlin as they started too on a very eventful journey that eventually led them to Keegan Cup glory and victory in the Leinster Club Championship. Drums had them worried and led by 6 points at the break with Leighton Irwin netting and John Carey accounting for 4 points, but Carey had gone off with a broken ankle and this disrupted Drums momentum and Dunshaughlin won by 3 points. Round 2 was against a Monalty side then well established at Intermediate level. Sean Reilly was sent off early on and when Cathal Byrne got the line also with 25 minutes to go it looked bad but Drumconrath rallied and led by 2 with time almost up only for Moynalty to notch two late points and a draw. Round 3 saw our first win at Intermediate level as we held Ballivor scoreless in the 1st half in Dunderry and won on a 0-12 to 1-4 score line. An easy win over Syddan in Meath Hill and then over Donaghmore/Ashbourne saw us in a tie with" the Moores" and a playoff in Slane where two early goals for them looked like trouble but two late points from substitute Padraig McMahon edged us through to a quarter final with Castletown. A great battle with our near neighbours ended in a 0-9 apiece draw and back to Syddan for a replay. All these games bore fruit as both Cathal Byrne and James Hickey went off injured as Drums won out on a 1-11 to 1-8 score line. Duleek in Navan was the prize in the semi-final and despite scoring 0-14 we lost by a point with our old foes notching 2-9. Dunshaughlin went on to beat them in the IFC Final but Drums could look back on their bow at Intermediate with a degree of satisfaction. A third place Finish in the All County Division 2 A League also was something to be proud of.
Full Steam ahead for 1998 was the cry as Fitzer moved on and while Charlie Redmond was muted, Gerry Gough took on the task of trying to lead Drumconrath to Senior football A mid table finish in the A League and defeat by 1 point by Skyrne in a Feis Cup Quarter Final gave us a basis to launch an attack on the Mattie McDonnell. Again Moynalty caused us problems and the IFC match in Carlanstown which ended in a draw but our now customary defeat of Syddan [the 5th in a row in 2 years] along with the gathering of points from St Brigid's and a sweet 11 point win over Duleek along with draw a with St Colmcille's and a win over St Patrick's, which was probably one of the best IFC wins by the club as the Stamullen men where laden with talent. This game in Walterstown was a real ding dong affair on Independence Day the 4th July, 0-16 to 0-13. The Team that day was for the record was: Kevin Carry; Cathal Byrne, Pete McMahon, Austin Hickey; Derek Flanagan, Kevin Flanagan, Paul Carey; James Hickey[0-3], Paddy Reilly[0-1]; Ollie McMahon[0-3], John Carey[0-3], Wayne Reilly[0-3]; Alan Byrne, Shane Byrne[0-1], Paudi McMahon[0-2]. Subs - Wayne Sherlock for A Byrne [inj] and Peter Tighe for A Hickey[inj].
A draw was recorded in the last round with Rathkenny when Wayne Sherlock got Red carded after 20 minutes. A win here would have put us straight into the semi-final but the draw gave us a playoff with the Rathkenny men to see who would top the Group. Rathkenny where duly dispatched and Drums marched on to a semi final meeting with Blackhall Gaels.
Eleven pointed frees from Mark Ferris sawn a draw match 1-10 to 0-13. Blackhall won the replay 1-12 to 0-11 and while we led 0-7 to 0-2 coming to the break a decisive 1-1 by Blackhall was crucial. Three early Drumconrath points had things looking good but we did not score again until the 55th minute when Shane Byrne levelled the game. Four late Blackhall points saw them on their way to Senior Football as they beat the Pats in the final. Drumconrath played 10 Championship games in 1998 winning 5 drawing 4 and losing just 1 but this loss was heart breaking as after this Drums slipped from the challenging radar for a number of years.
Emigration hit hard in 1999 and with Paddy Reilly, James Hickey, Pete McMahon, Kevin Flanagan, Paul Carey and Wayne Sherlock all away while long term injuries to Cathal Byrne and Kevin Carry really put pressure on the panel. Jody Clarke was drafted in to Manage and a first Round win over the eventually relegated St Ultans (this was the first year compulsory relegation was introduced) was vital as Castletown brushed us a side in Round 2. A super win in Pairc Tailteann was a bright spark in an otherwise poor year in the IFC when we beat St Colmcilles 0-19 to 1-7 with a very young team. This gave us hope but we lost the next 4 IFC games and this win in the end ensured we avoided the Relegation quagmire.
Amazingly we for the second year in a row despite having so many lads away we managed to finish third the Division 2 of the A League behind Senior clubs Gaeil Colmcille and Carnaross, both incidentally which we had defeated in the League. They drew their last round game which put them 3 points ahead of us so our last game was never played as we could not catch either that that stage.
2000 With Jody still at the helm we had renewed hope as most of the lads returned although Wayne Reilly departed to the US and James Hickey's shoulder injury saw him retire. History was made when in the first completive game of the new Millennium in Meath, Drumconrath defeated Trim in Gibbstown in the A League Division 2. Indeed another great run in the League saw us for the 3rd year in a row finish 3rd in Division 2. A Victory over Senescalstown and a draw with Moynalvey in early August left us with 1 game to play proudly on top of the Division 2 with 16 points from 10 games. Twelve weeks past before the last round was fixed as on the 3rd of November a late goal agaist the run of play gave St Colmcilles a one point win with our nearest challengers' Dunderry and Kilmainhamwood both on 15 points received walkovers in their last round and over took us to contest the League final which the 'Wood won. Wins over Moynalty, St Michaels and a draw with Carnaross left us mid table in the IFC.
2001 with Peter Fitzpatrick back in harness saw wins over Rathkenny, Moynalvey and Moynalty not enough to make the playoffs as Blackhall beat Ballivor to go back up Senior. We finished in 4th spot in Division 2 as O'Mahonys and Donaghmore/Ashbourne met in the League Final.
2002 was our toughest year yet as a draw in Round 1 of the A League with Castletown was the only points we gathered and so where relegated back to Division 3. Vinny McCoy was the manager and while we ran a few teams close in the IFC notably Carnaross in Round 1 with Austin Hickey outstanding and Rathkenny in a later Round our only win was a good one as with Wayne Reilly home on holidays we defeated Castletown in Pairc Tailteann on the under card to the Leinster Championship game between Kildare and Louth. This was proof again that when Drumconrath got their act together they could match any team in the grade and dented Castletown's Championship aspirations. We still finished bottom of the group and faced Moynalvey in a Relegation Final to save our selves from Junior football. Austin Hickey was brought from Scotland while Wayne Sherlock was home from London and although we did not have Wayne Reilly still in America we with a great 1st half performance beat Moynalvy 1-12 to 1-9 with Alan Byrne notching 1-6 and Pete McMahon putting in a fine performance in scoring 3 points from the " forty". All in sundry decided there and then that we would do our best not to be in such a position again in the near future and while we had such talent at our disposal Drumconrath would do all they could to try and be competing in the "other Intermediate Final".
2003 with George Clarke on board was an improvement and with 4 out of 8 teams in each division making the Quarter Finals of the IFC Drumconrath felt we had a good chance. Wayne Reilly and Austin Hickey where still unavailable and an 11 point 1st round win over Rathkenny gave us great hope but losses to Na Finnna and Curraha cast doubts but a great 4th round win over Syddan in Nobber 1-10 to 1-8, now back in Intermediate after a brief sojourn in Senior, seemed to put us back in the race. But narrow defeats by O'Mahonys, Castletown and Drumree saw us finish outside the top 4. A mid table finish in the Division 3 of the League was another disappointment.
In 2004 George Clarke continued at the helm and we got 2003 Junior Champions and neighbours Nobber in Round 1 of the IFC. We felt we where well prepared but got well beaten but 3 wins on the trot over Carnaross, Curraha and Drumree gave Drumconrath hope but defeats by Ballivor and eventual winners Wolfe Tones left us with what we thought was a win or bust game against Na Fianna. We won that day in Bective and Na Finnaa went out but the result of the Carnaross/ Ballivor match went against us and we went out on score difference. Ultimately our heavy defeat by Nobber came back to haunt us. A week later we defeated Nobber in the League but a last round loss to Ballivor meant we had Division 3 football to look forward to again.
2005 and Paddy Martin from Donaghmoyne arrived and he brought new training regimes and a new outlook to all things GAA in Drumconrath. A land slide victory over Drumree in round 1 and a draw with Castletown in Round 2 seemed to auger well and a 3rd Round win over Oldcastle and we really felt we had a great chance of qualifying. A 4th Round draw with Donaghmore saw us undefeated but 3 straight losses to old foes Ballivor then Carnaross and finally Nobber by a single point saw us miss out again on a top 4 spot but renewed hope as we felt we where getting close to making a break through and if we could make the playoffs we would trouble any team we might meet.
In 2006 an in house approach was taken to training with manager Peter O'Halloran starting it off and then Ronan McGahan arriving in early April to take over the physical end of things. After an abortive start when a serious injury to a Na Fianna player caused the abandonment of our 1st round game we defeated the south Meath men in the refixed game. Shorn of a number of players for Round 2 with Paddy Reilly and Austin Hickey injured and Wayne Reilly suspended when getting a red card when playing for Meath, Donaghmore/Ashbourne beat us in Round 2. A late goal from Mairtin Doran seen Ballivor snatch a draw but Round 4 seen Castletown beat us in Nobber. A good 5th round win over Carnaross and a another win over Gaeil Colmcille set us up for our usual Round 7 do or die game this time v Dunderry. Drumconrath played well and won easily and strangely had we lost we still would have gone through but the winning feeling was a good one. Meanwhile we blazed a trail in the League with 7 wins out of 7 including one over Nobber. Donaghmore beat us to end our winning run as Wayne Reilly made his return and Jody Clarke was brought in to freshen things up. Wins over Moynalvey and Gaeil Colmcille had us in the League final and back in Division 2.
When Drumconrath beat St Colmcilles in the IFC quarter hope was high and the news that Donaghmore fell at the same stage having beaten us twice in League and Championship augured well. A semi Final win over Oldcastle when Wayne Reilly pointed in the last minute from the terrace sideline had Drumconrath in the Intermediate Final for the 1st time ever and football fever gripped the Village. A single point loss to Rathkenny as we just never played to form was a major disappointment and two weeks later the same side beat us again by a point after extra time in the League Final compounded the feeling. The Drumconrath team and subs that played that was for the record;
Drumconrath - S. Kane; B. Flanagan, T. Carolan, K. Flanagan; J. Myles, Pete McMahon, T. Skelly (1-0); A. Hickey (1-0), W. Reilly (0-1); A. Byrne (0-2,), O. McMahon, S. Crosby; P. Reilly, L. Irwin (0-2), Padraig McMahon. Subs - Paul Tighe (0-1) for Crosby, S. Reilly for O. McMahon, Peter Tighe for Padraig McMahon.Paul Carey, Ronan McGahon, Shane Byrne, Paddy Carolan, John Lynch, Alan Dunne, Niall Carolan, Garry Tighe, Brian Hanratty, Michael Og Gallagher and Bernard McMahon
2007 and Mattie McCabe appeared and disappeared almost as quick as Drumconrath folk had high hopes as our team had failed by a single pointing the IFC Final and with James Hickey back after 8 years along with Wesley Byrne, Derek Duff and minor Peter McEvoy stepping up to the Intermediate, it was felt we had a stronger panel and would push very close for honours as playing out of Division 2 was also another plus. Colmcilles got revenge and beat us in Round 1.Our now customary win over Syddan with Derek Duff and Wayne Reilly both goaling seemed to get things back on track. A win over Dunderry with Martin Wall now in charge set us up for a last round game with Ratoath. This was a major disappointment and many feel was untimely the cause of glory that year. We were coasting but a late quarter rally by Ratoath gave them a 3 point win but we still qualified and went on to meet Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the Quarter Final. A 6 point loss was our lot as "The Moores" went on to win the Championship. Six wins in the League kept us in Division 2 but time was not on our side as the closeness of Senior Football in 2006 seemed far away.
2008 and from a place of challenging for Intermediate honours we found ourselves losing all 4 games in the Championship. Our 1st round loss to Ballinlough started the ball rolling in the wrong way. A relegation playoff with over Ballivor as Pete McMahon lined out in his 81st Intermediate Championship match was our only win for the whole year as we also got relegated in the League also.
And so too 2009 and 5 straight IFC losses with a massively changed squad as Castletown condemned us to Junior Football for 2010. We managed to stay up in the League. We feel the future is bright with four minors lining out in that Relegation Final and only 3 players over 25. We hope that soon the proud red Drumconrath jersey will compete at Intermediate level again in the near future as we know nothing will be easy in the lower grade we hope the it wont take us 33 years again to get to where we feel we belong.
Twelve Great Memories of our 13 year stint in Intermediate. [In no particular order]
1. 2006 Semi Final Beating Oldcastle
2. 1998 Beating St Patricks in Walterstown
3. The drawn game & winning the replay with Castletown in 1998 Quarter Final.
4. Our record of 4 wins out of 6 against Syddan in IFC 1997,1998, 2003, 2007
5. Beating Ballivor in 1997 our 1st win in Intermediate.
6. Contesting the IFC Final lv Rathkenny in 2006
7. Winning the Relegation battle with Moynalvey in 2002
8. Beating Dunderry in 2006 to ensure a Quarter Final spot that year
9. The 1998 drawn Semi Final v Blackhall Gaels
10. The 1997 Semi Final loss to Duleek 0-14 to 2-9 in Navan
11. The 1999 win in Pairc Tailteann over St Colmcilles 0-19 to 1-7
12. Our win in 2002 in Pairc Tailteann over Castletown 0-9 to 0-8
Drumconrath/Meath Hill Underage 2009
It was an eventful year at Underage for our club and the results of the last Census when we were one of only two Parishes in the county to suffer a drop in population is beginning to become more noticeable. Not long ago we where able to keep our squads separate with no U12 players involved at U14 etc but this no longer the case as now maybe almost half our teams who had players that play in both grades.
Juvenile
U10
The U10s competed well and for the first time in a number of years made the Syddan U10 Division 1 final but went under to Seneschalstown. Meanwhile in our own Farrell Cup, now in its 8th year and involving 12 North Meath Clubs, Carnaross won it for the 3rd year in a row while our own lads and lassies narrowly defeated Nobber in the Division 3 Final.
U12
Once again competed well in Div 4 North of the Spring League and in the Summer Shield but gathered no Silverware and lost to Moynalty in the revitalised Ciaran Crosby Cup.
U13
Found it hard to get a team and lost all games in the U-13 League.
U14
Plenty of Football and made three semi-finals - in the Spring League we were beaten by Blackhall Gaels, in the Knock Out competition lost to St Cuthbert's and Skyrne knocked us out in the Summer League again at the semi-final stage. Both Ian Malone and Conor O'Halloran wore the Meath jersey with pride and both did the Club proud.
Minor
U15
Enjoyed the new format of summer time football and we had great tussles with Bru na Boinne and our neighbours Killeary Emmets before narrowly winning both games and topping our Group. We defeated Ballivor in the Quarter Final and a narrow one point victory over Carnaross in a semi final saw a final day in Ballinlough where a very strong Clonard side easily brushed us aside.
U16
A heavy defeat to Clonard in Round 1 was our only defeat as we beat Ballinlough and Oldcastle and got walkovers from Kildalkey and St Michaels. A great performance in winning a semi-final with victory over Ballinlough and we looked forward eagerly to a final meeting with Clonard, confident that recent victories would ensure a close game but sadly a wait which can be counted in months not weeks took the gloss from the achievement and while we got to play in Pairc Tailteann we were slow out of the blocks and lost by 7 points.
Really more games are needed at this age group as it is an important age to ensure teenagers keep an interest in football.
U17
As we wait a final appearance against Nobber or Clonard at the moment having enjoyed victories over Wolfe Tones and Blackhall and a draw with our old friends in Moynalty. Hopefully this will be played soon as the year is slipping by.
Minor
Clonard [that name seems to come up a lot] beat us in the Championship Semi Final in the spring while their Neighbours Ballinabrackey pipped us in the League Semi Final Replay. Another long wait did little for team morale as both adult clubs need our 17s and Minor to ensure teams are fielded and vey little collective training can be organised. Tweet
