Football 

The senior regional league game between Aodh Ruadh and Saint Eunan's last Saturday was postponed, so attention now turns to Saturday's Intermediate Championship quarter-final in Father Tierney Park. Naomh Muire are the visitors to Ballyshannon with throw-in at 12 noon as the sides face off for a place in the IFC last four. Donegal County Board are in charge of this event and, unfortunately, as with all adult fixtures, spectators will not be admitted to this game. The County Board will be live-streaming the game and access will be available to purchase priced €3 at www.donegalgaa.ie later this week. 

 

We also ask that members note the regulations concerning access to underage games. Only one parent per player is permitted to attend games or training, and unfortunately no additional children are allowed entry. We appreciate your understanding in what are very difficult and trying circumstances for all concerned. Aodh Ruadh take no pleasure in enforcing these rules. However, the health of our community is always our foremost priority. Other clubs may not apply these regulations rigorously, however the Aodh Ruadh club believe they are being implemented for the long term good of our community and to help halt the spread of coronavirus. We want to help the GAA family show Government that we take our responsibilities seriously. Bear with us, and hopefully with strict compliance we will be able to have supporters back in our grounds sooner rather than later. 

 

It was much improved display last Tuesday from our reserves, but unfortunately the end result was another defeat. It was Glenfin who grabbed the opening score of the game a couple of minutes in. However, Jamie McDonald answered that with a point on nine minutes, before Eoin Doherty put Aodh Ruadh into an early lead with a fine score. Just before the water break Doherty turned provider, fielding a long ball in from Jamie McDonald before fisting across the face of goal for Harry Howarth to palm home. Shortly after the intermission Damian Houston finished a good move to the net in reply following a quickly taken free kick to bring the visitors back to within a point of the Ernesiders. Aodh Ruadh came back with a well worked move of their own from a placed ball by Niall Murray, Donagh McIntyre coming up on the end of things to pop over. A Glenfin free cut the hosts' lead to a point again as the teams turned around. Aodh Ruadh started the second half in sprightly fashion with Harry Howarth keeping the ball alive for a score finished off the left boot by Jamie McDonald to make it 1-4 to 1-2. It was advantage Glenfin in the 36th minute though as Kyle O'Mara finished a breakaway move to the back of the net. That was followed up seconds later by a Shane McGinity green flag which handed the impetus to the visitors in no uncertain fashion. Eoin Doherty perhaps could have levelled matters shortly after, but his shot blazed over rather than under the bar. Jamie McDonald did trim the deficit back to two points with a lofted point after some patient Ballyshannon build-up play. However, after the second half water break Glenfin's cause received a huge boost when Jamie McDonald and Donagh McIntyre were both dismissed on black cards. A free for the visitors then opened up a one goal gap between the sides once more as time ran down. With four minutes remaining Eoin Doherty was chopped down on his way through and Odhran McGarrigle tapped over the free to set up an exciting finish. Donagh McIntyre did have a chance to put his name up in lights with a late goal, but he couldn't keep his shot down and had to be satisfied with just a point. Unfortunately Aodh Ruadh couldn't fashion the scores needed for a share of the points or a win in the time remaining and it was visitors who emerged victorious, Aodh Ruadh 1-9 Glenfin 3-4 the final score. Best for Aodh Ruadh on the night were Michael Ward in the defence, Paddy Gillespie and Gary Carty in the half back line, Niall Murray who got on a lot of ball in the middle third, and Harry Howarth, Jamie McDonald and Eoin Doherty who were all lively in the attack. Best wishes to Ryan McKenna for a speedy recovery after sustaining an injury following a beautifully executed block towards the end of the game. The Aodh Ruadh starting team was Karl O'Brien; Michael Ward, Calum O'Halloran, Dan Warnock; Ryan McKenna, Paddy Gillespie, Gary Carty; Kerry Ryan, Donagh McIntyre; Ryan Granaghan, Darren Gethins, Niall Murray, Jamie McDonald; Eoin Doherty, Harry Howarth. Substitutes: Odhran McGarrigle, Ciaran Slevin, Tiernan Flood Dolan. 

 

Our minors came out on the wrong side of a 4-14 to 2-10 scoreline in Donegal town last Wednesday. The squad has been badly hit by injuries to key players, and in that context the team battled well throughout with every member of the panel getting good game time. We had stand out performances from Damian Weber and Aaron Neilan, while Harry Howarth was lively as always and Kyle McCaffrey scored 1-1 off the bench. All our players made a great contribution to what was an excellent team performance against a very strong Four Masters team who made the most of all their opportunities. The squad are now awaiting word on their next opponent with games to still remaining to be played in the Northern section. 

 

Under 16 training continues on Wednesdays and Mondays at 4.30pm in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.  

  

It was a tough day at the office for our under 14s in Tir Chonaill Park last Tuesday. Despite their best efforts they were overwhelmed by a strong Four Masters outfit who ran out 7-18 to 0-3 winners. The lads now face Saint Naul's on Tuesday evening in the Regional Shield final. Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh is the venue with throw-in at 6.15pm.

  

The under 12s had two great games against Pettigo and Grange on Saturday morning. The full squad of 30 players got a good run out and it very enjoyable day for all with a lot of good football on show. Thanks to Diarmaid McInerney and Shane Toolan for refereeing. We have the short trip to Bundoran this Saturday morning. Training continues on Tuesdays at 7pm in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.

  

The under 10s had two outings over the last week. On Thursday evening Naomh Bríd were the visitors, contesting two very enjoyable games. Then on Saturday morning we hosted three teams from Letterkenny Gaels in Father Tierney Park with strong performances in all three games. This week training continues on Tuesday at 5.45pm. On Thursday evening we are scheduled to host Melvin Gaels at 6pm in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh and to conclude another busy week the squad will face off against Four Masters on Saturday morning. Damian and Niall will share Saturday morning details in the team WhatsApp group once confirmed.    

   

The under 8s will be training as normal this Friday from 6.15pm to 7.15pm. On Saturday afternoon we will be hosting Saint Naul's under 8s in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. Times and details to be confirmed, and will be sent to parents and guardians through the WhatsApp group.   

     

Under 6 training continues this Friday on the top field in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh at 6pm. 

 

Aodh Ruadh Academy 

There will be a rescheduled academy meeting on Monday 7th September, at 7pm, outdoors in the stand of Father Tierney Park. All underage managers are asked to attend. All coaches and mentors within the club are also invited and encouraged to attend. This will be followed by the monthly Bord na nÓg meeting at 7.30pm. 

      

Ladies 

Senior ladies training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8pm to 9pm. 

 

The minor county final between Aodh Ruadh and Saint Naul's has been confirmed for Saturday 12th September. Training for minors and under 16s continues on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm. 

 

The under 14s had their final training session of the year on Monday, but they will be bringing the curtain down on the season with a flourish this weekend. They are staging the Joe Roper Memorial Cup this Saturday in a blitz style format in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh with the action getting under way at 4pm.

 

The under 12s made it two wins from two after an evenly contested clash with Naomh Bríd / Pettigo last Saturday. An early goal from Megan Murphy helped Aodh Ruadh into an early lead and two more from Niamh Duffy helped extend the advantage. The visitors continued to give as good as they got over the course of the game, but further scores from Hannah Downey, Emily McNamee, Faye Gillespie, Lucy Byrne, Ciara Larkin and Rachel Gillespie ensured Aodh Ruadh took the points. Rebecca Downey was once again very strong between the posts with Katie McGowan and Áine Neilan continuing to forge an impressive defensive partnership. Elsewhere Nessa Warren was fantastic in the middle third, while Cora McGowan McGinley, Saoirse Gallagher, Caitlin McGuinness and Sarah O'Brien all had excellent outings. The under 12s are back in action this week when a strong Saint Naul's side are the guests in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh this Saturday at 11am. Training continues this week Tuesday at 7pm.  

  

The under 10 ladies train on Wednesdays at 7pm at the top field in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. The under 8 ladies train on Wednesdays at 6pm at the top field in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.   

   

Hurling  

It was pretty much one way traffic as Aodh Ruadh booked their place in the Junior Hurling Championship semi-finals with a convincing 16 point win over a brave Saint Eunan's II outfit. The homesters opened the scoring four minutes in with a point from Martin Larkin and from there to the half-time break they were dominant in every area of the pitch. Rory Cullen raced in for goals in the sixth and ninth minutes and Stephen Connolly pointed to give Aodh Ruadh a 2-2 cushion before Saint Eunan's managed to hit their only point of the first half 11 minutes in. Further points from Rory Cullen (3), Martin Larkin and Ciaran Kilgannon (3) had the Ernesiders 2-8 to 0-1 to the good at the interval. The third quarter continued in a similar vein with Mark Larkin, Ryan Ayres, Eugene Drummond, Adam Rami and Cian Duffy all on target. John Rooney ran his bench in the final quarter and Saint Eunan's got some deserved scores for their endeavour. Aodh Ruadh continued to add to their tally though and scores from Brendan Gillespie, Brian Patton and Rory Cullen saw it end 2-17 to 0-7. Aodh Ruadh had excellent performances from every man who took to the pitch. Keeper Ryan O'Brien was very cool with any ball that came his way. The Ramis, Ciaran and Adam, were rock-like in a defence well-marshalled by Jack Matthews. Brendan Gillespie, Eugene Drummond and Conor McNeely gave the hosts a great platform in the middle third. In the attack Rory Cullen, Martin Larkin and Ciaran Kilgannon had a real field day. We have a full match report, pictures and a link to the live stream for this game up on aodhruadh.org. Our thanks to Maurice McLaughlin and Thomas Gallagher who did a great job of calling the action on Sunday. 

 

The Aodh Ruadh under 16s enjoyed a good win over Saint Eunan's last Thursday, an Aaron Horan goal helping the lads to a 1-17 to 1-12 victory. This was a feisty, well contested affair and the Letterkenny lads pushed the Ernesiders every inch of the way. It was only in the final quarter when Aodh Ruadh started to put some distance between the sides and secure the victory. We have a great gallery of images from this game live on aodhruadh.org. 

 

The under 12s beat Manorhamilton in a challenge on Sunday afternoon. This was a great team performance, with every man from goalkeeper out playing his part and winning their individual battles. Special mention to Dylan Owens who made his first appearance on an Aodh Ruadh hurling team. 

 

In fixtures news this week our under 14s play Dungloe / Gaoth Dobhair in the county semi-final on Thursday, while the minors are up against Buncrana in Killygordon on the same evening. Best of luck to both sides.

 

Training schedule

With some teams coming to the end of their competitions, changes to training and coaching arrangements should be notified to Tom Daly as there is constant pressure for slots due to the high volume of activity across the codes and age groups.

 

Tournaments

Units of the club with plans for tournaments need to finalise their plans a soon as possible. Given the current high level of activity on all of our pitches on week evenings, it is likely that Saturday and Sundays offer the best option for running these competitions. An early start, say 4pm may also work, on some evenings. Since last week we have been able to allocate times and dates for both the Colman Kerr Memorial Tournament and the Joe Roper Memorial Tournament. We would like to agree times and dates for other local tournaments before it gets too late in the season, so please contact Tom Daly to make any arrangements.

 

Health and Safety notice

The Park / Development Committee has commenced work to bring forward a further phase of spectator terracing on the Town side of Father Tierney Park and to further advance pre-construction works for the laying of a new playing surface on Father Tierney Park in the second quarter of 2021. These current works will continue over the coming months and will involve heavy transport moving in and out of the grounds and heavy machinery working within the grounds. All are asked to observe site safety notices and avoid entering the works area.

 

Golf Classic proves swinging success 

The Aodh Ruadh gold classic took place last Friday and was a very enjoyable and successful event with over 50 teams participating on the day. Due to coronavirus restrictions we did not have an official presentation. All winners have been contacted already, but a special congratulations to the overall winners on the day, Jimmy Gethins, Christy Barry, Dave Ruane and Gary Morris. Thank you to all involved and who helped out with organising the Classic. To our main sponsor Daikin and Northern Refrigeration Services, especially Gerald McGloin, and all our tee and team sponsors. Thank you for your continued support to our club in these uncertain times. To the small band involved in the background over the last few weeks, thank you so much. Philip McLoone Diarmaid McInerney, Donagh McInerney Diarmaid Keon, and John Meade. To Bundoran Golf Club for being so easy to work with throughout the organisation of this event. To Bundoran Golf Club Captain Donagh Keon, David Robinson, Matthew and Mason. Also to our past chairman Terence McShea and team for the great shape the course was in. To all club members and players who played. It was great to see so many out and it added so much to the atmosphere and fun. To all the Realt na Mara players and members who played and supported us. Big thanks to Ronan Matthews who took some great photos on the day, everyone was looking very natural. Thanks to Peter Gallagher, Johnny Gallagher and John Meade for set up and help. Thanks to Sean Crawford and Jim Gavigan for doing the cards. Thanks to Eva Breen Brosnan for helping on the day with photos and booking in people. Thanks also to Barry Sweeny, Michael Naughton and Michael McMahon, our three local councillors for their support. Very little gets done without the hard work in back ground. Without Lisa McTernan, Sabrina Brosnan and their continued hard work and dedication this fundraising would never happen. 

The full results of the Classic were as follows: 

1st Dave Ruane, Gary Morris, Christy Barry and Jimmy Gethins - 89pts. 

2nd Pauric O'Flaherty, Fiachra O'Flaherty, Ferdia O'Flaherty and Cian Doherty - 93pts. 

3rd Pauric Murphy, Michael Condron, Jim McCafferty and Seamie Granaghan - 93pts. 

4th Maurice McLaughlin, Jamie Brennan, Stephen McLaughlin and Thomas Gallagher - 90pts. 

5th Darragh Crawford, Mark Crawford, Peter Muldoon and Daniel Breslin - 90pts. 

6th Niall Carr, Cian McEniff, Peter McIntyre and Timmy Govorov - 90pts. 

7th D McDermott, Gerry O'Brien, Martin McLaughlin and Declan Green - 89pts. 

8th Patrick Owens, Peter McGowan, Darragh Owens and Eamon Owens - 89pts. 

9th Barry McLaughlin, Aiden Murray, David Dolan and Niall Murray - 86pts. 

10 Liam McLaughlin, Brian McLaughlin, Maurice McLaughlin and Douglas Faughnan - 86pts. 

Nearest the pin. Ladies, Paula McCann. Men, Daniel Breslin. 

Longest drive. Ladies, Rebecca Moore. Men, Ferdia O'Flaherty. 

  

Back to school 

We would like to wish all those heading back to school this week all the very best of luck. Special good wishes go to all those starting school for the first time, and those making the move from primary to secondary. It is always a nervy and exciting time, and never more so than in the midst of the current pandemic. However, we know our local schools and all their staff have worked hard to make the return as easy and enjoyable as possible. We hope you all have an awesome year. 

 

Donations for Danny 

Further to Sunday's successful Dander for Danny McLoone in Glenties last Sunday, Aodh Ruadh are collecting a €1 per player at training this week, with the club matching all contributions. Danny is a member of the Naomh Conaill under 8s and a son of Johnny and Geraldine McLoone. Danny has been diagnosed with Leukemia and is currently undergoing treatment. Your support would be much appreciated. 

  

Aodh Ruadh lotto 

There was no winner of last week's Aodh Ruadh Lotto jackpot of €3,700. The winning numbers drawn were 1, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 14. In the lucky dip a Donegal GAA House Draw ticket valued at €100 went to Bríd Campbell. The next draw is for a jackpot of €3,800 on Sunday at 8pm. Tickets are available in Kernan's Spar and Pearse O'Neill's. You can play also play the lotto online. Log onto klubfunder.com and then search for and select Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon. You have to be in it to win it!     

      

The lotto team for McCosker’s Centra on Saturday is: SENIOR HURLERS.     

      

You can receive the club notes by e-mail every Tuesday morning. To subscribe, enter your details on the website, www.aodhruadh.org, or e-mail your request to [email protected].     

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