Football  

Aodh Ruadh make their long-awaited return to senior championship this Sunday. Four Masters will be the opposition for both our seniors and reserves. The seniors take on the Donegal town men in Tir Chonaill Park on Sunday at 2pm, with that game being followed by the reserves at 3.30pm. We wish Barry Ward, Peter Gallagher and both squads all the very best in their preparations.

   

The minors recorded a good result on Friday evening with a fancied Termon side prevailing by the bare minimum in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. It finished 1-5 to 0-9 in favour of the visitors after a hard fought contest. This Friday squad travel to take on Glenties in the penultimate game of their championship programme. Throw in will be at 6.15pm.

 

The Aodh Ruadh under 15s put in a magnificent display against a very strong Naomh Conaill outfit in Ballyshannon last Tuesday. It finished 1-16 to 2-7 in favour of the visitors, but it could have been a lot closer if the Ernesiders had managed to convert a couple of their late goal chances. Corey Sheridan continues to impress between the posts, and Jun Hui Lin at full back was very secure. The two Doogan cousins, Liam and Eoin, worked their socks off right through in a rearguard which had plenty on their plate with a Glenties side riding high in the league. In the centre of the park Tommy Clyne carried a lot of good ball and made some excellent penetrating runs. Darragh Summerville had an eye-catching shift at midfield, while Oran Gillespie covered every inch of the pitch. In the final third Ted O'Donnell, Barry Campbell and Dara McGloin all made the most of any chances that came their way. The boys next match will be away to Killybegs on Tuesday evening.

 

Under 9 training continues as normal on Friday evening from 6.15pm to 7.25pm. The final game of the season is fixed for Saturday at home to Ardara. Throw-in is at 11.30am. It would be good to see as much support up as possible. Again, we would like to extend our best wishes to the boys who are making their First Holy Communion this Saturday. 

  

Hurling  

Aodh Ruadh brushed aside the challenge of Four Masters in their championship clash on Friday evening as it finished 5-22 to 0-9 in Tir Chonaill Park. Aodh Ruadh simply had too much firepower for the Donegal town outfit to handle. Oisin and Senan Rooney bossed the game throughout and three first half goals helped ensure the tie was all but over at the interval. The best of those three pointers was a spectacular individual effort from Stephen Connolly, with Oisin Rooney also striking for a brace as half-time approached. It was 3-13 to 0-4 as the teams switched ends, but Ballyshannon didn't take the foot off the accelerator. With Gareth Sheerin in immaculate form from dead ball, Aodh Ruadh continued to stretch their advantage. Further goals from Patrick Cassidy and Martin Larkin further gilded an excellent all-round display from the Ernesiders. The Aodh Ruadh team and scorers were as follows: Ryan O’Brien; Conor Kennedy, Jack Matthews, Peter Horan; Adam Rami, Damien Cleary, Caelan Drummond; Senan Rooney (0-5), Conor McNeely; Gareth Sheerin (0-10, 8f), Oisin Rooney (2-4), Stephen Connolly (1-2), Patrick Cassidy (1-0), Martin Larkin (1-1), Ciaran Kelly. Subs: Daniel Downey for Pat Cassidy (51), Rory Cullen for Oisin Rooney (56). The round robin stages of the championship are due to conclude this Friday, with the visit of Letterkenny Gaels to Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh for a 6.30pm throw-in.

 

The under 17s hurlers had a local derby against Erne Gaels last Tuesday night in the Táin Óg league. It was a cracking encounter with the lead changing several times before Aodh Ruadh came out on top by a single point,  with Aaron Cullen outstanding in at full forward. At the final whistle the scores were 2-17 to 4-10.

 

On Thursday night the squad took on table toppers Saint Eunan's at Convoy in another close encounter. As the old saying goes goals win games and this proved to be the case on Thursday with Eunan's raising two crucial green flags. As hard as Aodh Ruadh tried they could not breach the Eunan's net, losing on a scoreline of 2-8 to 0-11. Aaron Cullen up front and Ryan Keenaghan at full back were excellent, but man of the match was Aaron Neilan who was outstanding at centre back. The team's last game of the league takes place this Wednesday night against Carndonagh in Convoy. A win for Aodh Ruadh would set up a league final against Saint Eunan's.

 

Our under 15s travelled to Sligo Centre of Excellence in Scarden for their Táin Óg final last weekend. Unfortunately, our opponents, Western Gaels from Sligo, were a superior outfit, and by the first water break they were well ahead. With a few positional changes, we were able to gain a bit of composure in the middle third and edge our way back into the game, but we were unable to convert our opportunities whilst our opponents were making all their chances count. At half time the Ballyshannon lads were asked to maintain with their work rate, with the aim being to win the second half. They succeeded in that goal, limiting Western Gaels to 1-1, and scoring six points themselves. Whilst it wasn’t a good day for Aodh Ruadh, the management were exceptionally proud of our players work rate, attitude and commitment to play the game in the right spirit. They hurled their hearts out right up until the final whistle. Their next outing will be in the Donegal League semi-final, with date and venue to be confirmed.

 

Our under 13s had no game this week, and are looking forward to a Donegal league final against Carndonagh at the Donegal Centre of Excellence at Convoy this Thursday, throw-in 6pm. The Sunday morning training session was full of positivity leading up to this decider, as the management team put the lads through their paces for their final clash. Best of luck to all the players and management.

 

Our under 11 panel trained together for the first time this year. On what was a hugely positive morning we had a total of 20 players training. Numbers at the start of the year were very low, but we now have the basis of a good squad with eight under 11s, and some of our under 9s added into the mix. We are training for the next two weeks with a view to two games to compete in their short season. So if there are any other under 11 players who want to take up hurling don't hesitate to contact John Larkin on 086-1076883.  

   

Ladies   

Aodh Ruadh fielded two sides of 15 in the championship on Sunday and emerged victorious in both games. The Aodh Ruadh seniors sporting their new jerseys kindly sponsored by Ballyshannon Shoe Company were in Fintra where had to dig deep to get the better of a very physical Killybegs outfit powered by their county star Suzanne White. The Ballyshannon girls put in a phenomenal defensive performance in the first half to lead by 1-5 to 0-3 at the interval. Up front they passed up a few decent goal scoring chances, but Cáit Gillespie did manage to raise a green flag after a driving run through the Killybegs cover. In the third quarter the hosts managed to edge matters and there were just two points between the sides. It didn't look good at the water break as Aodh Ruadh had been reduced to 13 with Caitlin McGarrigle and Hannah Doherty both lined on questionable yellow cards. However, the Ernesiders really rose to the challenge and got their reward with a fantastic breakaway goal. Saoirse McDevitt did brilliantly to turn possession and break up the pitch. She fed Cáit Gillespie who picked out Elaine Dorrian with a peach of a pass. Dorrian made no mistake, and finished her chance with real aplomb. She added a point not long after as the visitors held on for a 2-11 to 2-5 victory which secures their place in the intermediate championship semi-finals. Bridín Maguire was outstanding in goals, and the defence were magnificent right through with Anna Rafferty standing out for keeping going despite taking some very heavy hits. Caitlin McGarrigle and Saoirse McDevitt both excelled also. Up front Cáit Gillespie, Elaine Dorrian, Orla Keon, Donna Martin and Katie O'Brien all contributed well.

 

The reserves entertained Muff in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. It proved to be a highly entertaining encounter with plenty of thrills and spills. The opening exchanges were nervy with both sides passing up some good chances. Muff enjoyed a lot of possession, but Aodh Ruadh defended really well and didn't offer many clear scoring opportunities. Ballyshannon were more economical throughout and got off the mark with a super score from an acute angle by Amanda Mahon. Roisin McGloin and Sarah Daly also pointed, but the first water break saw the visitors leading by two points. On the resumption Aodh Ruadh took things up a notch and points from Sarah Daly and Roisin McGloin were complimented by a well taken goal by McGloin which thrust the Shamettes into a 1-6 to 0-5 half-time lead. In the second half things went a bit crazy. On the score board Muff enjoyed the better of the third quarter, it was 1-8 apiece at the next water-break, but that didn't tell the full story. Aodh Ruadh had managed to get the ball in the net, but with the referee registering no reaction, the Muff goalkeeper sheepishly kicked the ball out as if nothing and happened and the goal didn't make it as far as the score board. Then a soaring effort from Grainne Maguire sailed straight to the back of the net, but the referee marked it down as a point. Frustrated and bemused Aodh Ruadh dusted themselves down and put in a superb final 15 minutes. Grainne Maguire nailed a crucial free on the resumption to give the homesters the edge, then Roisin McGloin went on a charging 30 metre run right through heart of the Muff defence before lasering a shot to the bottom right corner of the net. A sensational goal. Meabh McCloskey and Fódhla Sheerin added well taken points as Aodh Ruadh finished the game with the wind in their sails. The final score was 2-12 to 1-9, a first ever championship win for the Aodh Ruadh reserve ladies. It was a superb display by every single one of the Ballyshannon girls. Rionach Sheerin excelled herself with a tenacious marking job, while Nicole McCabe, Sarah Patton, and Kate Cunningham were brilliant in midfield, up front we had great outings from Roisin McGloin, Sarah Daly and Grainne Maguire. We have gallery of pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org.

 

Championship action continues next Sunday for our reserves, while our seniors have a rest week. The reserves are at home against Malin at 11am. It would be good to see a big support up at the Páirc for this team who give it their all every day they go out.

 

It was honours even after an absorbing battle between the minor ladies of Aodh Ruadh and Killybegs which ebbed and flowed for the full 60 minutes. Aodh Ruadh got off to a great start with goals from Orla Keon and Abi Barrett, but Killybegs came back with an unanswered 1-4 to edge matters at the first water break. Aodh Ruadh restarted well with points from Annie Keon and Niamh Hughes followed by a super goal from Annie Keon. Killybegs hung in with two points in response, but Aodh Ruadh had the final say of the half with Abi Barrett again finishing to the net. The sides turned around with the scoreline reading Aodh Ruadh 4-2 Killybegs 1-8. It looked like Aodh Ruadh would push on early in the second half with Annie Keon adding her second goal of the game. However, Killybegs immediately came back with a goal of their own and added a further 1-3 without reply. An Abi Barrett point before the water break left it 5-3 to 3-10, the visitors leading by the minimum and the game finely balanced. It looked like the game was heading away from the Ballyshannon girls when Killybegs landed the first two points of the second half, but a crisply struck goal by Ciara Gillespie levelled matters before a fine point from Katie O'Brien edged the Ernesiders back into the lead. Killybegs had one last kick in them though and managed to pick off the final score of the game, a point which saw the tie end in a draw. It was probably a deserved result on the balance of the exchanges. Lauren Foy was excellent in goal for Ballyshannon while Tia McFarland was immense in defence on the Killybegs danger-woman. Further out the pitch Annie Keon was probably player of the match, with Abi Barrett also showing strongly. The girls have no game this week.

 

The under 14s had an entertaining run out against Naomh Ultan in a challenge on Monday evening. All players got good game time with a lot of good performances. Hannah Downey and Ellie Brennan took some lovely scores. Ciara Larkin scored a real blaster of a goal, even if it was for the wrong team! Nessa Mitchell, Aoife Travers and Abbie Gallagher all had fine games with Grace Dolan pulling off some great saves between the posts. Thanks to Naomh Ultan for travelling and contributing to a good sporting contest enjoyed by all. The girls are due to face Four Masters as well in the next week or so.  

 

The under 12s played Four Masters last Wednesday night in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. Both sides had large numbers so we were able to play two games side by side. Both games were very competitive with Four Masters shading the first game and Aodh Ruadh prevailing in the second one. We now look forward to our final game at home to Naomh Ultan this Wednesday at 6pm.

 

The under 10 season will be wrapping up with an in-house tournament over the final two weeks of September with a round robin competition between four teams. There will be a trophy and medals for the winners with goodie bags for all the participants. Further details will be supplied in due course.

 

AGM Season

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Aodh Ruadh club has been set for Sunday, 21st November. Nomination papers and motion forms will be circulated to all current club executive committee members in due course. Any other club members looking for forms should email [email protected]. The deadline for return of nominations and motions is Friday, 29th October. Nominations are being sought for Health and Well-being Officer.

The Bord na nÓg AGM will take place on Tuesday 2nd November. Nominations being sought for the positions of Chairperson and Secretary. These should be submitted to [email protected] by Friday, 22nd October.

All sub-committees should have arranged to have held their AGMs by Sunday, 7th November. All sub-committee reports should be sent to club secretary Lisa McTernan by Friday, 12th November.

 

Father Tierney Park redevelopment 

Good progress is being maintained on this major project with the base for the new playing field and a substantial part of the drainage system taking shape. We encourage anyone interested in viewing the project to use the safe viewing area which we have provided for this purpose. To help with the administration of the Sponsor a Sod campaign sellers are asked to make returns regularly and as soon as possible to Tom Daly, Michael Daly or David McLoone.  

 

Sponsor A Sod. How do to do it and who to contact  

To fund the development at Father Tierney Park, Aodh Ruadh have launched one of their biggest fund-raising efforts in decades, asking the public to ‘Sponsor A Sod’ at €50 each to help meet the costs of this ambitious plan. A permanent display bearing the names of donors will be erected in a prominent position at the Park. More than 25 Aodh Ruadh club members have joined the working group to actively promote this fund-raising campaign and to sell sods. The working group is as follows: Sabrina Brosnan, Michael Daly, Sarah Daly, Tom Daly, William Doogan, Gerard Ferguson, Conal Gallagher, Johnny ‘Mannix’ Gallagher, Paul Gillespie, Jim Kane, Donagh Keon, Diarmaid Keon, Patsy Kilgannon, John Larkin Jr, Dinny Loughlin, Sylvester Maguire, Brian Murray, Val Murray, Mick McGrath, Packie McGrath, Pat McGrath, David McLoone, Philip McLoone, Pauric McShea, David O’Donnell, Sean O’Mahoney, Barry O’Neill, John Patton and Gregory Sweeney. 

Please contact any of the following if you wish to volunteer: Tom Daly (087-2390410), David McLoone (087-7760172), Philip McLoone (086-4053008), Conal Gallagher (086-2112812), Patsy Kilgannon (087-2372128), or Michael Daly (086-9171949). 

Those living away from Ballyshannon, whether in Ireland or across the world, should note that they can purchase sods, and little bit of club immortality, on Klubfunder.com. Any questions or enquiries can be sent to [email protected]. 

For further information on any aspect of the Sponsor A Sod please contact the Aodh Ruadh Park / Development Committee officers - Tom Daly (087-2390410), David McLoone (087-7760172), Philip McLoone (086-4053008), Conal Gallagher (086-2112812), Patsy Kilgannon (087-2372128), or Michael Daly (086-9171949).

 

Ballyshannon Squash Club reopens

As a hurler having an eye for the ball, good reaction times and quick decision making are all desirable attributes, in addition to physical fitness. Luckily all of the above can be complimented and enhanced by playing squash. Keeping your competitive edge over winter can easily be facilitated locally. Ballyshannon Squash Club extends a warm welcome to all Aodh Ruadh hurlers, footballers and camogie players. Please enquire via email to [email protected] or Seán O'Mahoney at 086-8553245. Our Squash AGM is being held on Monday 20th September at 8.30pm in the Squash Club. The club is located at the lower end of the Mercy Hall in the grounds of Coláiste Cholmcille. We look forward to all new and returning players.

 

Boot exchange  

Our boot exchange programme is now up and running. Anybody who wants to exchange boots going forward, please text Packie McGrath on 087-9794696.  

  

Old hurleys home  

A number or parents have kindly donated hurleys and helmets that are no longer in use. If you have any hurls and helmets you would like to see used, please let us know and we will put them back into use.  

  

Aodh Ruadh lotto  

There was no winner of last week's Aodh Ruadh Lotto jackpot of €2,700. The winning numbers drawn were 3, 4, 5, 7, 16 and 18. In the lucky dip cash prizes of €25 went to Fiona O'Shea and Una Bonnar. Thanks to Martin and Jake Larkin for performing the draw on behalf of the Juvenile Hurlers. The next draw is for a jackpot of €2,800 on Sunday at 9pm. 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. Users can now avail of the auto-renew option to play the same line every week until they decide to stop when they pay using Stripe. Give it a go, you never know!   

       

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

   

Tweet

Most Read Stories