The 2004 season ended in disappointment for Naomh Malachi as they suffered relegation back to the Intermediate ranks after two years at senior level. However, given the character and determination that exists within the Courtbane club it came as no surprise to most followers of GAA in Louth that they almost bounced back in impressive fashion in 2005. Having tasted football at the top level in the county, Naomh Malachi began the year determined to regain the place in senior football that they had worked so hard to achieve by winning the 2002 championship. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, they finished runners-up on both counts, losing both the IFC final and a Division 2A play-off decider by a single point. The team deserved better for their consistent performances over the course of the season. At the beginning of they year, players, management and committee identified promotion as their main aim for the season, and their efforts saw them in contention for this prize in both league and championship. The Intermediate championship almost provided the route back to the top but they suffered the disappointment of losing to Geraldines by a single point in a final that was a repeat of the 2002 decider. However, rather than feeling sorry for themselves, Naomh Malachi gathered themselves for the concluding stages of the league and gave themselves every chance of winning promotion by finishing in a three-way tie at the top of Division 2A along with Na Piarsaigh and Sean O'Mahonys. They beat Na Piarsaigh comfortably but lost to a late Sean O'Mahonys goal, 1-8 to 0-10. The Courtbane men have proved themselves to be one of the top sides in the grade as not only did they make an impression in the league and championship, but also won the Grogan Cup. Victory in the competition was just reward for the efforts of what has been a very long season. This was the first adult competition to be decided in '05 and is the only one of the three intermediate trophies that doesn't include promotion as part of the prize. The team started training in January of this year and the season started with the Grogan Cup. Victories against St Mochtas, Naomh Finbarra and the Geraldines were enough to put them through to the final despite a defeat to St Nicholas. In the decider, played in Roche, the team faced a very determined Gaels team but a late Colin Murtagh goal snatched victory and team captain Micheal Murtagh accepted the Grogan Cup from County Board Chairman Paddy Oliver. In the group stages of the championship the team was drawn against Hunterstown, The Westerns, St Mochtas and Glen Emmets. A surprise defeat against the Mochtas meant that the team finished second in the group, which led to a quarter final against the O Raghallaigh. The last eight tie was a very tight affair and the game finished a draw. The replay was also very close and the team showed great character to win despite playing with 14 men for the last ten minutes of the game following the dismissal of midfielder Micheal Daly. The semi-final was a repeat of the Grogan Cup final against the Gaels and again this game was very tense affair and despite a very poor first half performance the team rallied to win by three points. That victory set up a repeat of the 2002 final against the Geraldines but unfortunately for the Malachis the result was different this time. The final was held at Clan na Gael Park and the Malchis started very well and raced into a four point lead. The Geraldines then staged a recovery and by half time had taken a two point lead. The second half was nip and tuck but the Malachis were more wasteful in front of goal. They kicked 17 wides in all and this led to the teams being level coming to the end of the game. A late free by full forward Barry Renaghan meant that Geraldines snatched a one point victory. While this defeat was very disappointing it should be acknowledged that the players and management put in a huge effort to get to the final. The Division 2A league campaign was also very successful. The team finished with eight wins, one draw and three defeats which left them joint top of the league and the possibility of promotion back to senior. The intermediate management team of Paul Turley, Peter Rogers and Declan Woods put a lot of time and effort into preparing the team for the year and with a bit of luck the team could have been intermediate champions. This year the junior team also had a relatively successful year and finished mid table in Division 4B. However the team was defeated by the Kevins in the first round of the junior championship. This year the junior team management of Sean Moley, Gerry Murtagh and Frank Woods has blooded a lot of new and young players onto the team and hopefully the senior team will benefit from these young players coming through over the next number of years. There was also success at underage level during 2005 for the Naomh Malachi/Kilkerley combination. The minor team won the division B Championship by defeating neighbours Roche in the final held in Haggardstown. They were beaten in the Special B League final by St. Micheals. Naomh Malachi players on this team were Colin Rooney, Keelan Conlon, Kevin Agnew, Ronan Woods, Jason Clarke, Shane Rogers, Alan Greene, Brian Rogers, Petey Rooney, Micheal Woods and Kevin Rogers. The Naomh Malachi management at this level was Damian Woods and Peter Rooney. It would be hoped that some of these minor team can make the breakthrough to the senior team within the coming years. The under 16 team had 2 two successes this year. The first of these was the U16 B Championship where the team defeated the Glen Emmets in the Final. The team also added the U16 league where they defeated the Marys. Naomh Malachi players on this team were Kevin Rogers, Brian Rogers, Jason Clarke, David Begley, Ciaran Murtagh, Niall Dowdall and Cian Gorman. John Rogers and Joe Clarke were part of the selection team over the under 16s. While at the other levels there were no trophies, a great effort was put in by players and mentors. Hopefully this effort will be rewarded by success in the future. Underage football is vital to the success of any club. The role played by mentors and parents is invaluable and it is appreciated by all at the club. With the continued effort of all at the club then success should be guaranteed at both underage and senior level. Off the field of play there were a lot of activities in the club this year. The refurbishment of the clubrooms were finished during the year and the club now has one of the best facilities in the county. The club also received a lotto grant of E35,000 this year which will go towards the floodlighting of the pitch which is planned for next year. Malachis are also in the process of setting up a website which should be up and running within the next couple of months. The club lotto is now in operation for over a year and the support of the local community is greatly appreciated. The club would also like to acknowledge some of the sponsorship they received this year. The Cycle Shop provided a new set of change jerseys, Callans Bar provided new shorts and socks and The Clarnagh Maid provided the team with new T-Shirts for the final. All this support is appreciated by the members of the club. Tweet

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