Strictly Shamrocks: Casey and Tye are the Dancing Masters …

We promised more than a fundraiser and that was exactly we delivered as Strictly Shamrocks in association with our main sponsor The Fence provided a spectacular night of quality entertainment with brilliant dancing from all fourteen combinations. When the dancing was all done, and all the calculations completed, Casey McDermott and Tye Adamson, two dancers who represented the club's senior teams in the days leading up to the show, were the worthiest of winners edging out Shannon Daly and Gerry Mulligan; Helen Hassett and Ray Purcell finished in third place with Ciara Maguire and Tom Moore in third place. For now, the Mullingar Shamrocks Club would like to issue a general word of thanks to all those who helped to make the night one of the most outstanding night in the club's history. A more specific thank you will be compiled later.

Congratulations Anna

Congratulations to Anna Jones who captained the Westmeath LGF Minor team to victory over Offlay in a spectacular Leinster Minor LGF Shield Final and to panellists Sarah Geoghegan, Carla Gibney and Catherine Tubridy. Likewise to Rory O'Sullivan-Sexton, Mark Flynn and Brian Farrell who were members of the Mullingar RFC Under-16 Leinster title winning team that defeated Tullow 35-31.

Ladies Gaelic Football, Div.1 League: Mullingar Shamrocks 5-11 Garrycastle 2-9

Mullingar Shamrocks senior LGF continued with their good form with this eleven point victory against Garrycastle. The visitors began impressively and opened the scoring with a point from play and had an opportunity to add to this total when referee Jim Rock awarded a penalty conceded to prevent a certain goal. However, Aoife Connolly's strike was superbly saved by Lauren McCormack in the Shamrocks goal; this was the first of many fine saves made by Lauren who brings great assurance to the position with her safe handling and good ball-kicking skills. She is also well capable of making the spectacular save as Aoife Connolly discovered with her penalty kick. Shamrocks, with an all-new half-back line with Susanne Buckley making her senior debut, gradually gained the upper-hand and points from Gemma Kerrigan, Anna Jones, Emma Morris and Karen Hegarty edged Shamrocks into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead. A brilliant save by the Garrycastle keeper prevented an Anna Jones goal but when Mullingar Shamrocks were awarded a penalty Anna, who gave another powerful display, stepped-up and dispatched the ball to the Garrycastle net with considerable finesse. An Emma Morris shot crashed off the crossbar but Casey McDermott shot a great Shamrocks point after Anna Jones began the move deep in the Shamrocks defence with a superb turnover that also involved Melek Fagan in some great play (1-5 to 0-2). Shamrocks added 1-3 before the interval with Emma Morris netting and adding a point from a free, Karen Hegarty also pointed before Gemma Kerrigan, who had a great match, pointed to conclude the first-half scoring. One who didn't feature on the score sheet in this half was Carole Finch who was virtually unbeatable and won every ball that arrived in her vicinity and in the process became the creator-in-chief for her fellow forwards in what was a great display of unselfish play.

Mullingar Shamrocks outscored the wind-assisted Garrycastle 1-2 to 0-3 during the opening ten minutes of the second-half with Michelle Buckley and Carole Finch scoring points before Carole also added a goal which was created by a superb Anna Jones mid-field catch. A second Garrycastle penalty was superbly netted by Aoife Connolly who was creating problems for Shamrocks at this stage but a Gemma Kerrigan point steadied matters (3-11 to 1-8). Carole Finch's deployment as sweeper also helped to shore-up the defence. There was better to come: Anna Jones gained possession from a Garrycastle restart surged through the centre before passing to Clara Thornton who dispatched the ball to the net. Aoife Connolly responded with another goal before some great work by Gemma Kerrigan provided another goal-scoring opportunity for Clara Thornton. Clara made no mistake and scored her second goal, the final score of the evening. Overall, a great victory for Shamrocks, one achieved by great defending, great team work and commitment, some great passages of combined play that were completed by landing the important scores and a ferocious work-rate made possible by the team's excellent levels of fitness.

These qualities will be tested once again on Friday night when The Downs roll into Springfield.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Lauren McCormack; Melek Fagan, Chloe Swarbrigg, Lorna Morris (Carla Gibney): Niamh Kennedy, Tara Fagan, Susanne Buckley; Michelle Buckley (0-1) [Sarah Geoghegan] and Anna Jones (1-1); Gemma Kerrigan (0-3), Emma Morris (1-2), Áine Melody; Casey McDermott (0-1) [Clara Thornton 2-0], Karen Hegarty (0-2), Carole Finch (1-1).

 

ACL Div.4: Mullingar Shamrocks 6-14 Milltownpass 1-8.

Milltownpass were seriously under-strength for this ACL Div. 4 match which acted as a curtain-raiser for the LGF Div.1 League match. Milltownpass began with thirteen players and suffered the consequences and trailed at half-time by 3-11 to 0-2. Tye Adamson helping himself to a hat-trick of goals and Ross Corroon pointing two 45s were worthy of note. In the second-half Milltown were more effective and Robbie Boyle was forced to make some good saves but there was also the matter of a Milltownpass 45 that floated unhindered to the roof of the net. Being a goalkeeper is never easy. Ross Corroon, Ciaran Curley and Paddy Joyce were the second-half goal scorers.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Robbie Boyle; Ciaran Murphy, Marc Eivers, Eamonn Breslin; Mark Butler, Ross Corroon (1-3), Paddy Joyce (1-0); Nathan Smyth (0-1) & David Coyne; Matthew Maslin, Tye Adamson (3-1) [Tom Farrell], Ciarán Curley (1-6); Seán Wylie (0-1), Gary Corroon (0-1), James Grogan (0-1).

ACL Div.1: Mullingar Shamrocks 0-10 Tyrrellspass 0-9

Mullingar Shamrocks recorded their third successive league victory in Springfield on Tuesday night with a last-minute point scored by Tye Adamson securing the points and Shamrocks place in the ACL Div.1 for another season. This was New Age football as defence-in-depth, mass tackling careful approach-play and recycled possession dominated. The result justifies the means and gradually Mullingar Shamrocks are becoming harder to beat. And not before time.

Tyrrellspass held a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead with Aaron O'Brien, Kieran Geraghty, Denis Glennon and Nigel Harte scoring some good points for the visitors. Kilian Daly had Shamrocks first score and ten minutes later Paddy Joyce added a point after a surging run by Kieran Gavin created the scoring opportunity. Donal O'Donoghue added a third point after Killian, Tye and Paddy Joyce combined; Shamrocks fourth point came from the boot of Brendan O'Reilly with Kieran Gavin again the creator-in-chief. Kieran Geraghty was first on the score sheet after the interval to extend the Tyrrellspass lead (0-7 to 0-4) before Tye Adamson and Paddy Joyce with a spectacular long-range effort recued the gap to the minimum. Dónal O'Donoghue screwed one over with the left boot to level matters and Alan Cashman, who celebrated his birthday with a fine all-round display, marked the important milestone with the lead point for Shamrocks. Tyrrellspass were still competitive and patient and added two points to regain the lead (0-9 to 0-8). Paddy Joyce (having his best season in several years) equalised with his third point from wing-back before Tye Adamson launched a skyscraper of a shot from an impossible angle after what proved to be Tyrrellspass' last attack. It was the kind of an attempt that would lead to a severe scolding from any manager had the attempt failed but on this occasion the ball dropped from the high heavens and over the Tyrrellspass crossbar for the victory and the league points.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Philly Shaw; Eddie Moore (Marc Eivers), Efe Siode, David Coyne; Aaron Purcell, Kieran Gavin, Paddy Joyce (0-3); Killian Daly (0-1) and Alan Cashman (0-1); Micheál Curley (Nathan Smyth), Dónal O' Donoghue (0-2), Dillon Matthews; Brendan O'Reilly (0-1), Ciarán Curley, Tye Adamson (0-2).

 

LGF Div.1 Mullingar Shamrocks 3-17 The Downs 2-5

The final score indicates a most comprehensive victory for Mullingar Shamrocks and so it was but there was little indication that this might be the end-result in the early stages of the game. The Downs were totally dominant in the opening quarter and carved open the Shamrocks defence on a number of occasions. They also dominated the individual exchanges and the broken play. However, they failed to transform this dominance into scores by some poor shooting but the Shamrocks defenders never stopped applying the pressure also. As a result after ten minutes of control The Downs had only a single Ellen Taite point to show for their efforts. Gradually the Shamrocks women began to dominate and points from Gemma Kerrigan and Emma Morris secured a lead that was never relinquished. Carole Finch continued her form of the Gerrycastle match and was winning ball, laying it off and creating scoring opportunities. Áine Melody forced a good save from The Downs keeper and was fouled when she collected the rebound. Anna Jones tucked away the resultant penalty and Clara Thornton added a fine long range point(1-3 to 0-2) Ellen Taite had her second point but midfielders Anna Jones and Gemma Kerrigan combined to send Karen Hegarty through for Shamrocks second goal. Before the final whistle Karen had compiled a personal total of 1-7. Emma Morris pointed, Clara Thornton and Carole Finch combined to set-up Karen Hegarty for her first point before Karen showed some individual flair to land her second point of the half. Ellen Tate scored her third and at the interval Mullingar Shamrocks held a 2-6 to 0-3 lead.

In the opening 5 minutes of the second half some great passages of combined play ended with three Shamrocks points from Karen Hegarty (0-2) and Emma Morris who is quickly returning to her best form. Ellen Tate scored her fourth point of the evening and Leanne Duncan goaled to restore some semblance of balance to the scoreboard (2-9 to 1-4). Shamrocks added eight more points (Karen Hegarty 0-3 including a rare left footed effort, Emma Morris 0-2 and single efforts by Gemma Kerrigan, Carole Finch and Clara Thornton) before the final whistle. The point scoring sequence was interrupted by a second Leeanne Duncan goal before Anna Jones had the final score and her second goal, a great individual effort that ended with an unstoppable shot blasted to the net by the industrious midfielder.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Liveta Lazvauskaite; Melek Fagan, Chloe Swarbrigg, Lorna Morris (Shóna McNicholas): Niamh Kennedy (Susanna Buckley), Niamh Spellman, Tara Fagan; Gemma Kerrigan (0-2) and Anna Jones (2-0) [Carla Gibney]; Casey McDermott (Sofie Hegarty), Emma Morris (0-5), Áine Melody (Michelle Buckley) ; Clara Thornton (0-2) [Sarah Gegohegan], Karen Hegarty (1-7), Carole Finch (0-1) [Faye Walsh].

Fixtures

ACL Div.5: Mullingar Shamrocks v Shandonagh, Friday, 18 May, Shandonagh, 7.30

ACL Div.1: Mullingar Shamrocks v Rosemount, Saturday, 19 May, Rosemount, 7.30

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