Report and photos from Michael Corcoran in the Cooley Mountains
The All Ireland Poc Fada (long puck) took place today, Monday 3rd August on the Anaverna (Annaverna) mountain in the Cooley peninsula. An annual event that attracts the elite long hitters amongst hurling and camogie players. The Cooley peninsula and the collection of mountains that make up the Cooley range are steeped in both Celtic mythology and history and a fitting location for this event.
Some myths span back centuries to the likes of ‘The Cattle Raid of Cooley’, where an all out war brings to life the demigod warrior Cú Chulainn as Ulster’s border protector to stave off the advances of Queen Medb of Connacht, having an eye on a prize bull grazing the Cooley mountains (long ago, Ulster incorporated the lands stretching down the Cooley peninsula). Despite his bravery, Medb advances, captures the bull only for it to fight off a rival and drop dead from exhaustion after returning to its homeland in the Cooley mountains. Nothing as dramatic as that was in the planning today but spectators were treated to an array of colossal hits across challenging terrain with a testing wind blowing from the north.
The Mechanics
For anyone not familiar with the Poc Fada, the aim is to complete a course in as few a pucks as possible. There are referees and scorers to accompany each player and sliotar spotters and teams of flag waving members of the player’s team to go ahead and mark out the line for the next shot with a wave of their County’s flag.
The senior hurlers traversed a 5Km loop, whilst the senior camogs, U16 camogs and U16 hurlers traversed the back 2.5Km, going out and back in again. All players had to play across the infamous ravine, which is a daunting spectacle with its drop zone at the bottom as a penalty if the sliotar fails to clear the roped off ravine boundary.
The Players – in order of play
Senior Hurlers
Sean Óg McLaren (Aontroim)
Pat Burke (An Larmhí)
Mark Sheedy (An Clár)
Bobby Douglas (Maigh Eo)
Conor Delaney (An Cabhán)
Eamon Foudy (An Clár)
Darren Geoghegan (Lú)
Tadhg Haran (Gaillimh)
Diarmuid Quirke (Ciarraí)
Eoin Reilly (Laois)
Jonathan Treacy (Baile Átha Cliath)
Colin Ryan (luimneach) – Reigning champion
Under 16 Hurlers
Ben Rooney (Port Láirge)
Damian Laverty (Aontroim)
Nathan Fawle (Gaillimh)
Conor Raleigh (An Larmhí) – Reigning champion
Senior Camogie
Orla Duggan (Cill Chainnigh)
Chloe Morey (An Clár)
Maedbh Thornton (Lú)
Charlotte Kelly (An Dún)
Caoimhe Higgins (Gaillimh)
Laura Shinners (Tiobraid Áran)
Molly Lynch (Corcaigh) – Reigning champion
Under 16 Camogie
Eloise McCann (Cill Dara)
Sadhbh Whelan (An Clár)
Isíbeal Stanford-Kilenny (Gaillimh)
Gráinne McAleenan (An Dún)
The Results
After several hours, results were starting to build on the scoreboard with a crowd gathering in anticipation around the marker, attempting to calculate the winners by listening in on the radio comms. It was tense, it was sporting drama. The last score to go up sealed the senior hurlers table, with all the results here…
Senior Camogie, U16 Hurlers & U16 Camogie results
Senior Hurling results
Winners on the day, Eloise McConn U16 Camogie, Molly Lynch Senior Camogie (6 in a row), Martin Donnelly Sponsor, Colin Ryan Senior Hurling (3) and Conor Raleigh U16 Hurling (2 in a row)
Congratulations to Antrim’s Sean Óg McLaren, picking up the Paul Ward ‘Wardy Puck’ for the longest first puck and a commendable 5th place. Also congratulations to Damian Laverty, dropping only two pucks to the winner and coming in second in the U16 hurling.
Sean Óg McLaren receives the ‘Wardy Poc’ in memory of Paul Ward
Damian Laverty with his All Ireland tropy and medal
Antrim Gaels, Paddy Tumelty, Kieran McGraw and Kevin Parke enjoying Poc Fada duties
To see more photos from the Poc Fada, follow this link to our album…
https://myalbum.com/album/UkYbBPBAt6wXsG/?invite=58617253-f97a-4c7e-85ea-4631b16a10bc