Ruairi Og 5-7 New York 3-5
By Alex Emerson
Very appropriately, on Thursday 4th July, American Independence Day, Ruairí Óg U14s played a highly competitive, very entertaining game against hurlers from New York City. Yes, you read that right, a team of young hurlers from the ‘Big Apple’ were in town and looking to take on Cushendall’s finest. With the ‘Stars & Stripes’, Tricolour and club colours flying in the pleasant coastal breeze, both teams did their warm-ups as they prepared to lock horns on the immaculate Páirc Mhuire pitch with quite a sizeable crowd in attendance and judging by the accents, certainly not all of them local.
The reason for the game was primarily due to the input of former Cushendall hurler and now successful NY businessman, Brian Mc Naughton whose company, Sandemar, is the present sponsor of Ruairí Óg senior camogie and senior hurling teams. However, amidst all that success, Brian has retained his love of hurling and plays a very active part in fostering and promoting the game in his adopted city. Therefore, when negotiating the sponsorship deal earlier in 2019, he said an underage team would be travelling to Ireland in the summer and he would like them to play against his old hurling alma mater. Though unable to make the journey himself, Brian’s friend, ex-Ballinascreen hurling aficionado, Laurence Kennedy was on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly and prove himself a very capable, enthusiastic and sporting coach on the side-line.
Having agreed to play a game of three fifteen-minutes-periods so everyone on both panels would get game time, referee Christy Mc Naughton threw the ball in and the first ever game between Ruairí Óg and NYC began. Local spectators, who wondered about the ability and the skill levels of the visitors, soon had their answer when the boys in the colourful NY strip demonstrated they could hook, block, strike, tackle and score on a par with their Irish counterparts. Their teamplay and their discipline were also noticeable as they played the game in a very competitive but sporting manner always accepting the decisions of the referee. The men from NY were here to win and in what seemed like no time at all, the first period of play was over with little to choose between the two teams in terms of scores but NY edging it 2.2 to 1.3.
Indeed, the amount of sweat and litres of water taken on board at the interval showed just how much effort both teams were putting into winning the game. Both sets of mentors exhorted their players to reach greater heights and afterwards battle recommenced. Periods two and three were played in a similar vein and considering the NY boys had had a serious encounter in Ballinascreen the previous evening, they looked fit and more than up for the challenge. As goals and points were scored, tough and uncompromising challenges accepted as part and parcel of the game and both sets of players playing to the maximum of their abilities, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the hurling-fare on offer. The final score-line of 5.7 to 3.5 in favour of the hosts reflected just how close and entertaining the game had been.
Afterwards players on the two teams shook hands and were presented with special one-off O’ Neill’s jerseys bearing the Statue of Liberty and Lurig Mountain, courtesy of Ruairí Óg’s sponsors, Sandemar to mark what had been a very unique match and no doubt one that will live long in the memories of both sets of players.
Ruairí Óg CLG would like to thank the local families and the owners of Ballyeamon Barn who played hosts to our visitors, to the Lurig Bar and Kearney’s Butchers for providing the delicious BBQ and refreshments which gave both sets of players, their mentors and supporters an opportunity to mingle, socialize and get to know each other just that little bit better. A big thank you also to our sponsors, Sandemar for organising the trip and being so generous to both teams. But above everyone else, we would like to thank the NY players and their mentors for being such a good team and such great ambassadors for the game of hurling.
They have earned our utmost respect as players and as people, and we look forward to renewing acquaintances sometime in the future. On that note, we would like to wish them well on the next leg of their trip down south to play in the Connacht Feile and a safe journey on their return home to New York.
NYC: Ryan Scanlan, Cody Murphy, Michael Phelan, Jack Donohoe, Cormac Murphy, Sean Roche, Daithi, Lorcan Kennedy, Eoin Kennedy, Caolan O’ Reilly, Brendan Rooney, Kieran Carbin, Michael Buckley, Aaron Trainer, John Hannagan, Caimin Farrell, Thomas Brady, James Farrell, Conor O’ Leary, Cullen Conroy, Jack Mc Elligot, Colm Ryan, Liam Keatley and Sean Óg O’ Neill
Ruairí Óg: Thomas Mc Laughlin, Aiden Campbell, James Mc Keegan, Ryan Mc Cauley, Odhran Mc Cambridge, Austin Birt, Charlie Mc Auley, Joe Mc Laughlin, Joe Mc Naughton, Callagh Mooney, Frankie Mc Cormick, Jarlath Mc Donnell, Fintan Mc Killop, Cormac Laverty, Oisin Woodhouse, Liam Magee and Aran Mc Closkey
