The O’Donovan Rossa, Joe McKelvey tournament has always been one of the calendar highlights in juvenile hurling.
This year’s tournament provided an opportunity for the Shaws road club on the 100th anniversary year of their founders death to officially name the Joe McKelvey Stand.
With the formalities out of the way and the sun shining the games got started.
Eion Trainor presents the Joe McKelvey Shield to the Dunloy captain after his team’s win over Rossa in the finalThe Ballycastle captain receives the Section 2 trophy from Rossa senior start Mark BeattyThe St Gall’s captain receives the Section 3 Trophy from Rossa and Antrim star Eoin TrainorBallycastle who were winners of Section 2 after beating Davitt’s in the finalSt Gall’s who won the Plate competition, beating Bredagh in the finalCarryduffSt Brigid’sBeaten semi-finalist in the A competition St Paul’sThe Keady team who travelled up from Armagh to take part in the Joe McKelvey tournamentHost cub Rossa who were beaten in the A final by DunloySt John’sBredagh who were beaten in the Plate final by St Gall’sEoghan Rua Dungannon.Davitt’s who were runners up in the Shield final.
Competing at u13, 12 teams from across Ulster took to the pitches of Rossa and St Paul’s and battled for every ball.
Working through highly competitive group stages into 3 tiered divisions.
The division 3 final saw St Galls claim the top prize with a win over Bredagh, while in Division 2, Belfast and North Antrim went head to head with Ballycastle claiming the honours over a very competitive Davitts team.
The stakes in Division 1 couldn’t have been higher with the Joe McKelvey trophy on the line.
In the first of 2 highly contested semi finals at Rossa Park, the battle of Belfast saw Rossa edge out long time adversaries St John’s.
St Paul’s and Dunloy offered a mouth watering display worthy of the day with the men in green proving too strong.
Fitting that Rossa should make it to the final, the Belfast boys hunted in packs worked to the end but against tournament favourites and a team to watch in the future the boys from Dunloy proved a step too far and were worthy winners.
A great days hurling by all and already all the talk is of next year’s tournament.
Councillor Christina Black with Rossa club committee member Gerard Armstrong at the official opening the the Joe McKelvey Stand before Saturday Under 13 Hurling tournament at the club on SaturdayRossa club officials Gerard Armstrong, Margaret Flynn (chairperson) and Brian White in front of the Joe McKelvey standRossa committee members Dónal Mc Kinney, Brian White, Seán Shannon and Seán Mc Manus
Sarsfields played their first game in quite a while with their county players on board when they welcomed Bredagh to the Beat Pit on Sunday and turned in their best display of the season, hitting a massive 4-28 in a sixteen point win.
Led by their brilliant talisman Niall McKenna, who was ably assisted by county colleagues Daniel and Caolan McKernan the Paddies were up to pace from the throw-in and with Gary Lennon creating havoc in the visitors’ defence they led by 3-16 to 0-12 at half time, two of the goals coming from Lennon and the other one from Niall McAlea.
In a well contested opening period the Paddies held a slender 0-7 to 0-5 lead at the end of the opening quarter, but two excellent points by McKenna put them four clear before Niall McAlea got their first goal of the game on 22 minutes. Caolan McKernan added another point from play but Bredagh kept in touch with points from Tiernan Sheehan and Jarlath McCollum. However just before the break Sarsfields took an iron grip on the game when Gary Lennon got two goals, the first one flicked to the net from a dropping ball by Dan Smyth and the second one kicked home to give the Paddies a 3-16 to 0-12 lead at the break.
When Lennon completed his hat-trick early in the second half the Down men had a mountain to climb. They kept battling against the odds and goals from Kaelan Power and Chris Hobbs kept their hopes alive. Sarsfields were in no mood to ease their foot off the pedal though, and they pushed on with two great points from Daniel McKernan to seal an impressive win.
This top of the table clash between the two unbeaten sides in the division, Loughgiel and Ballycran, turned out to be a disappointment as the Shamrocks proved much too strong for a Ballycran side who were short a good few regulars. The Down men started promisingly and were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after six minutes, but once they got going Loughgiel beat them with relative ease, with an impressive scoring performance which saw them win the end by sixteen points
Loughgiel’s Paul Boyle in action during his team’s win over Ballycran
Two points from Paul Sheehan and one from James Coyle, in reply to one by Cathal Hargan gave Ballycran a good start, but they were soon reeled in by a slick moving Shamrocks side, and two Shan McGrath points brought the home side level. A great solo run and shot by Paul Boyle forced a great double save from Ballycran keeper Stephen Keith, but Declan McCloskey pointed the resultant 65 and when Rian ‘Bubbles’ McMullan got in for the first goal of the game the Shamrocks were in command and points quickly followed from McMullan (2), James McNaughton (2) and Cathal Hargan to take a firm grip on the game. Nearing half time Ballycran hit three in a row, two from Sheehan and one from Woods, but an excellent point from Shan McGrath just before half time gave the home team a 1-10 to 0-6 lead at half time.
Loughiel’s Tiernan Coyle clears the ball from defence
Two early points from Declan McCloskey and Rian McMullan stretched the lead to eight in the opening minute of the second half and it was clear the visitors had an uphill struggle in their hands. Phelim Savage, who had played at centre back in the first half, moved further up the field and he hit two great points to keep his team in touch, but two quick points from Shan McGrath were followed by a second goal from Bubbles McMullan and the only thing in doubt was the size of the winning margin.
Savage and Sheehan kept things ticking over for Ballycran with some excellent scores and Sheehan got a goal from a brilliantly struck 20 meter free three minutes from time, but the Loughgiel forward line were really flying and struck a succession of top class points to seal an impressive win
Ballycran goalkeeper Stephen Keith gets the ball away as he is challenged by Loughgiel’s Dan McCloskey and Christy McGarry
LOUGHGIEL
Chrissy O’Connell, Tiernan Coyle, Daniel McPeake, Rory McCloskey, Caolan Blair, Declan McCloskey, Damon McMullan, Ruairi McCloskey, James McNaughton, Paul Boyle, Cathal Hargan, Rian McMullan, Daniel McCloskey, Shan McGrath, Christy McGarry
BALLYCRAN
Stephen Keith, Michael Hughes, Patrick Hughes, Brett Hughes, Brett Nicholson, Phelim Savage, Stephen Gilliland, Philip Miskimmin, Scott Nicholson, Ethan Bell, Conor Woods, Paul Sheehan, James Coyle, James Miskimmin.
Con Magee’s completed a league double over Lámh Dhearg with a 3-24-3-10 win at Hannahstown on Sunday afternoon.
Conor Duffin’s early strike proved decisive at the break as the visitors were 1-10-0-08 ahead and 1-07 unanswered within the first ten minutes of the second half saw the visitors leave with the two points- despite Lámh Dhearg hitting three unanswered goals to put some respectability on the final outlook.
Con Magee’s got off to the perfect start within two minutes as they found the games opening goal.
Cormac McKeown slipped the ball across to Conor Duffin and he sent a driven shot to the roof of the net past Rhys Camlin.
McKeown would grab his sides first point of the afternoon and back-to-back Declan Traynor points made it 1-03 without reply for the visitors.
Ciaran Boyd would get the Lámhs up and running for the afternoon with a terrific, angled effort.
Duffin added to his early goal and registered his first point, although Adam Murray would convert successive frees.
Con Magee’s had re-established their six-point advantage by the midway point in the half. Sean McKay swung a high shot over the bar and then Rian Lennon closed down a clearance and returned the ball between the posts to give his side a 1-06-0-03 lead.
A foul of Niall McGarry allowed Adam Murray to drop over his third free of the half and although McKeown replied a few minutes later, Ciaran Boyd would send over another angled effort.
Cormac McKeown and Adam Murray traded further points and the last four scores of the half were evenly shared.
Con Magee’s had stretched their lead to seven through a further Cormac McKeown point and a converted free from Ciaran Laverty.
Fionn Mervyn responded with a fine point from range and talisman Adam Murray then took an offload from Aidan McCague and popped over to ensure the deficit was cut as Con Magee’s led 1-10-0-08 at the interval.
Con Magee’s made a lightning start to the second period, extending their lead through Cormac McKeown’s fifth point of the afternoon.
Things then got better when Declan Traynor took advantage of a defensive error and flashed a low shot to the net to move his side 2-11-0-08 ahead.
The visitors were on a roll and conjured up another six-unanswered points. Declan McAuley dropped over his first and others followed from talisman McKeown and second half goal scorer Traynor.
Ciaran Laverty then converted his second free of proceedings and Declan Traynor and Cormac McKeown popped over back-to-back scores in the space of 60-seconds to move their side 2-17-0-08 ahead 10 minutes into the second half.
Niall McGarry landed the hosts first point of the second period, but it wasn’t to generate any momentum as James Duffin, Declan Traynor and Cormac McKeown all sent over scores to move Con Magee’s further clear.
Lámh Dhearg did experience a mini revival and struck three unanswered goals. Micky McGuigan slotted home, reacting quickest after a shot had come off the large post.
Adam Murray then dropped a free over goalkeeper Ronan Donnelly and into the net and assisted in McGuigan netting a third a few minutes later to make it 2-20-3-09.
A Declan Traynor point put an end to the hosts momentum, and they pulled clear when substitute Conor Laverty poked a low ball past Camlin in the Lámh Dhearg goal.
Cormac McKeown would finish the day to 10-points, dropping over efforts in-between James Duffin point to finish their afternoon’s work.
Odrán Waldron ensured that the hosts would end the afternoon in double figures on the points tally with an effort from range that dropped over, but Con Magee’s had long secured the spoils and ensured a league double over the Hannahstown side.
Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan, J Brady, T McKenna, SP Gibson, O Waldron (0-01), F Mervyn (0-01), C Boyd (0-02), N McGarry (0-01), A Ferris, A Murray (1-05, 1-03f), M McGuigan (2-00), A McCague, E Stanley, D Cunningham. Subs: C Megraw for A Ferris (60).
Con Magee’s: R Donnelly, C Mullan, S Lee-Kerr, B O’Neill, C Lennon, E McCusker, M McDonnell, R Lennon (0-01), D McAuley (0-01), J Duffin (0-02), C Laverty (0-02f), C McKeown (0-10, 0-01f), C Duffin (1-01), D Traynor (1-06), S McKay (0-01). Subs: C Quinn for S McKay (39), C Laverty (1-00) for C Duffin (47), E Butler for D McAuley (49).
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy and St John’s couldn’t be separated in blistering heat on Sunday afternoon with the sides finishing all square at the end of the hour. This was a hugely entertaining hour of hurling where the Corrigan Park men looked to have done enough to earn the vital league points on offer when they took a three point lead at the end of the game but the Cuchullains finished with a flurry and a draw was probably the fairest result.
With Eoin O’Neill lining out, the home side were still shorn plenty of their county players while the Johnnies welcomed the two Bradley’s, Domhnall Nugent and Conor Johnston into their 15.
The visitors to Pearse Park looked lively in attack and with Oisin MacManus, Michael Dudley and Johnston all dangerous, they gave the Dunloy defence their fill of it and more. Chrissy McMahon and O’Neill got the majors for Dunloy, one in either half and came at vital times. St John’s were well worth their four point lead by the 22nd minute with Ryan McNulty, MacManus and Johnston all heavily involved but Chrissy McMahon’s major brought Dunloy to within touching distance. Tom McFerran winning the ball in midfield and finding O’Neill in space. ‘Sammy’ lured the St John’s defence before feeding McMahon and he made no mistake.
In fairness to the Johnnies, they had their goal chances previous to the Dunloy major with Johnston going close on two occasions while ‘keeper Eoghan Richmond did well to stop MacManus’ goal bound effort.
One point separated the sides at the short whistle with St John’s ahead 0-14 to 1-10. The Johnnies probably deserved to be further ahead given how the first half panned out and after 10 minutes of the second half they had opened a four point lead once more. MacManus, Johnston, Nugent and Dudley before a brace of frees from Aodhan McGarry brought Dunloy to within two before the second half water break.
The Johnnies goal came in the 49th minute through the lively Aaron Bradley, Johnston with the assist to give his side a four point lead once more but Dunloy’s second major came with the next attack – Eoin O’Neill, who’s assist set up McMahon’s major in the first half, found the back for Declan Cregan’s goal with an instant Dunloy reply.
With just three minutes of the hour remaining St John’s had a three point lead but scores from McGarry (free), O’Neill and Ronan Molloy ensured the league points were shared at the end of the hour.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Dara McMullan, Kevin McKeague, Oran Quinn; Conor McKinsella, Ronan Molloy, Barry McCloskey; Nicky McKeague, Tom McFerran; Eoin McFerran, Gabriel McTaggart, Aodhan McGarry; Chrissy McMahon, Eoin O’Neill, Ryan Mort
Scorers: A McGarry 0-12 (8fs 1’65); C McMahon 1-3; E O’Neill 1-1; R Molloy 0-2; P Shiels 0-2; R Mort 0-1
StJohn’s: Declan Cregan; Oisin Donnelly, Domhnal Nugent, Lorcan Heenan; Daragh McGuinness, Michael Bradley, Jack Bohill; Conal Morgan, Aaron Bradley; Ryan McNulty, Oisin MacManus, Michail Dudley; CJ McKenna, Conor Johnston, Ruairi Galbraith
Scorers: O MacManus 0-9 (2fs 1’65); C Johnston 0-5; M Dudley 0-3; A Bradley 1-00; CJ McKenna 0-2; R McNulty 0-2; D Nugent 0-1; M Bradley 0-1; C Morgan 0-1
