| GAA Review 2005
London
Brendans and Gaels do battle
BY LARRY COONEY
The year 2005 was a tale of two clubs, with Tir Chonaill Gaels and
St. Brendans contesting the Senior Football Championship, League and
Tipperary Cup finals.
St. Brendans were the early front-runners and struck first with an
impressive performance in horrible weather to win the league final in
mid-October.
But the improving Gaels gained sweet revenge on the favourites in the
final of the Senior Football Championship. Tir Chonaill turned in an
outstanding performance and were unstoppable in taking the Martin
Diggins Memorial Cup back to Greenford.
In the All-Ireland Club Championship, Tir Chonaill acquitted themselves
well and should have defeated Salthill-Knocknacarra in the
quarter-final.
The Intermediate Championship threw up another big surprise with leading
contenders Moindearg upstaged by Harlesden Harps in a replayed final.
Joe Lynch’s side capped a great year by going on to take the provincial
crown over a fancied Dunedin Connollys side from Edinburgh. The Scottish
team were contesting their second consecutive final but on this occasion
they lost by three points. Harps should give a good account of
themselves in the senior grade in the new season.
St. Anthonys from Reading were the surprise winners of the Junior
Championship when they defeated a favoured Naoimh Mhuire side in the
final. St. Joseph’s were also among the honours in this grade when they
won the McArdle Trophy and Mullarkey Cup, the latter against a Hendon
Gaels side playing in its first final after just three years
participating in London GAA.
While winning the Nicky Rackard Cup was easily the highlight of the
hurling year, the capital was also treated to one of the most exciting
finals in years.
Champions Robert Emmetts fielded eight London panellists against Fr
Murphys and were many people’s pick to retain the title. But a dogged
Murphys display saw them win out.
Late goals from Mick Gordon and Simon Byrne proved decisive as Murphys
also clinched the league against St. Gabriels a few weeks later.
At county level, London also enjoyed provincial success in junior
football and the inaugural Under-17 Football Championship with their
young footballers earning the right to participate in Boston next April.
After a disastrous National Football League campaign, London’s
footballers almost caused a sensation in the Connacht championship when
only losing by a point to Roscommon.
Warwickshire
Casements retain title in thrilling final Roger Casements
won back-to-back senior football titles after snatching victory from an
unfortunate John Mitchells outfit.
To complete another memorable years for the Coventry club, Casements
also showed their prowess on the hurling field by winning the Houlihan
Cup. Since the hurlers had only reformed a few years ago it was a
remarkable achievement to reach their first final against Fullen Gaels.
Their footballers also claimed the Downey Cup and Mulligan Cups.
John Mitchells atoned for their football final defeat by convincingly
claiming the senior hurling title, but they failed to retain their
provincial title after losing to Thomas McCurtains from London.
Martin Morrissey was selected on the Rackard Cup Champion 15 for his
part in Warwickshire’s very respect-able season in the new competition.
St. Brendans will join the ranks of Warwickshire’s senior football clubs
next season after their victory in the Intermediate Football
Championship.
Sean McDermotts claimed a trio of trophies in 2005, with the Taaffe,
Forde, and senior football league cups now residing in Birmingham.
At county level Warwickshire defeated London to win the junior
inter-provincial hurling title, a success, which will hopefully
encourage the growth of the game in Warwickshire.
Hertfordshire
Colmcilles’ reign ends St. Dympnas of Luton won the Herts SFC
crown ending St. Colmcilles bid for a four-in-a-row of titles.
The St. Albans side were no match for Dympnas in the final at Watford.
The new champions were in action in Birmingham 24 hours later in the
provincial quarter-final but lost out to Roger Casements from
Warwickshire.
However the year in Herts will perhaps be best remembered for the
achieve-
ments of their Under-14 footballers, who won the provincial title and
Division 5 of the Féile in Lim-
erick. Glen Rovers’ young footballers from Watford carry real hope for
the future of Herts football. Scotland
Connollys repeat Holders Dunedin Connollys defended their
Scottish title against Glaschu Gaels in a much closer contest than
anticipated.
After a one-point victory over Roger Casements in the provincial
semi-final, the Edinburgh club qualified for another final against
London champions Harlesden Harps.
Connollys began impressively but a saved penalty dented their confidence
and to their credit they battled all the way to the final whistle.
Connollys also won the Morkan Memorial Cup while their great rivals
Glaschu Gaels won the league, Davitt Shield and Rory Campbell Sevens
titles. Lancashire St. Peters
dominate Former provincial title holders St. Peters dominated the
senior championship des-pite the strong challenges of St. Lawrences and
Oisins.
Peters were drawn against Harlesden Harps in the plum provincial
quarter-final tie and the Lancashire champions looked superior to their
London counterparts for the entire game but poor marksmanship cost them
dearly.
Lawrences won the Pennine League after a replay following two
competitive encounters with Oisins.
Elsewhere in Lancashire, competitive hurling returned to the county for
the first time in three decades with the formation of the Fullen Gaels
club.
In their first year, the Lancashire-based team partici-pated in the
Warwickshire championship and also reach-ed the final of the Houlihan
Cup, where they lost narrowly to Roger Casements.
Yorkshire Third title for
Pearses Bros Pearse claimed their third county senior football
title in a row and also won the intermediate crown.
The Pearses great rivals Young Irelands claimed the Intermediate
football league.
The Hugh O’Neills club won the junior championship and John F. Kennedys
showed that reports of their demise are premature by winning the
Under-21 title.
Brothers Pearse also proved to be worthy representatives of Yorkshire
football when they reached the semi-finals of the provincial
championship.
They defeated Western Gaels from Gloucestershire in the quarter-finals
before they narrowly lost out to London champions Harl-esden Harps.
Gloucestershire Gaels reclaim
crown Western Gaels claimed a record-breaking 12th senior football
title after beating reigning champions St. Colmcilles 2-8 to 1-10 with
an injury time goal from Stuart Rooney.
The Cardiff side almost hung on to their crown in one of the closest
finals ever staged in South Wales and the West Country.
St. Nicholas had been the form team early in the season, but bowed out
to their Bristol neighbours in the championship semi final.
St. Nicholas will also meet St. Colmcilles in the final of the Tara Cup
in March that concludes this year’s round-robin league competition.
Roll of Honour…
Provincial Champions
Football
JFC: London
U18: Warwickshire
U17: London
U14: Hertfordshire
Hurling
JHC: Warwickshire
U18: London
U16: London
Club Football
JFC: Harlesden Harps (Lon)
U16: St. Kiernans (Lon)
U14: Glen Rovers (Herts)
Club Hurling
JFC: Thomas McCurtains (Lon)
U18: Kilburn Gaels (Lon)
U16: Kilburn Gaels (Lon)
London
SFC: Tir Chonaill Gaels
IFC: Harlesden Harps
IFL: Moindearg
SHC B: Thomas McCurtains
JFC: St. Anthonys
RFC: St. Brendans
RFL: Tir Chonaill Gaels
FLD 1: St. Brendans
FLD 2: Moindearg
FLD 3: St. Anthonys
SHC: Fr Murphys
SHL: Fr Murphys
Conway Cup: St. Brendans
Tipperary Cup: Tir Chonaill Gaels
Murphy Cup: Moindearg
Shiels Cup: Moindearg
McArdle Cup: St. Josephs
Mullarkey Cup: St Josephs
Collins Cup: Thomas McCurtains
Ronan Cup: Sean Traceys
Ryan Cup: Kilburn Gaels
McCullough Cup: McCurtains
Warwickshire
SFC: Roger Casements
SFL: Sean McDermotts
Fr. Taaffe Cup: Sean McDermotts
Fr. Forde Cup: Sean McDermotts
John Scanlon Cup: St. Finbarrs
IFC: St. Brendans
IFL: Naomh Padraig
Mulligan Cup: Roger Casements
Dominic Downey Cup: Casements
SHC: John Mitchels
Houlihan Cup: Roger Casements
Herts
SFC: St. Dympnas
SFL: St. Vincents
Benny McCaffrey Cup: St. Vincents
Cahill and Hurley Cup: St. Vincents
Fr O’Hanlon Cup: Éire Óg Oxford
Yorkshire
SFC: Brothers Pearse
IFC: Brothers Pearse
IFL: Young Irelands
JFC: Hugh O’Neills
JFL: John F. Kennedys
U21FC: John F. Kennedys
MFC: St. Benedicts Harps
U16FC: St. Benedicts Harps
U14FC: St. Benedicts Harps
U11FC: St. Benedicts Harps
U11FL: St. Benedicts Harps
U10FC: St. Benedicts Harps
U10FL: St. Benedicts Harps
Scotland
SFC: Dunedin Connollys
SFL: Glaschu Gaels
Davitt Shield: Glaschu Gaels
Rory Campbell Sevens: Glaschu Gaels
Morkan Memorial Cup: Connollys
Drug Free Sevens: St. Agnes
Schools Championship: St. Convals
Gloucestershire
SFC: Western Gaels
Lancashire
SFC: St. Peters
Pennine League: St. Lawrences |
