Ulster Council GAA

The fixtures for the 2009 Ulster Club Senior Hurling League have been confirmed.

This year there are 62 teams competing in the League from 8 of the 9 Ulster Counties.

The league will commence on Saturday 21st March and games will be played on Saturday evenings.

The top two teams in each section will qualify for the semi finals where the winners of Section A will play the Runners Up of Section B and vice versa. Should two or more teams be tied in second place, score difference will apply.

The Semi Finals will be played on the weekend of Saturday/Sunday 1st/ 2nd August, with the finals on Friday 21st and Friday 28th August 2009.

You can download the League Fixtures below, or view them at ulster.gaa.ie/fixtures

Groups:

Division 1A – Download Division 1A Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Kevin Lynch’s (Derry)
Ballygalget (Down)
O’Donovan Rossa (Antrim)
Loughgiel (Antrim)
Oisins Glenariffe (Antrim)
Ballycran (Down)

Division 1B – Download Division 1B Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Michael Davitts Swatragh (Derry)
Portaferry (Down)
St Johns (Antrim)
Cuchullains Dunloy (Antrim)
Ballycastle (Antrim)
Keady Lamh Dearg (Armagh)

Division 2A – Download Division 2A Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
St Galls (Antrim)
St Pauls (Antrim)
Cuchullains (Armagh)
Eoghan Ruadh (Tyrone)
Banagher (Derry)
Tir na nOg (Antrim)
Ballinascreen (Derry)

Divison 2B – Download Division 2B Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Shane O’Neills (Antrim)
Gort na Mona (Antrim)
Middletown Na Fianna (Armagh)
Eire Og (Tyrone)
Slaughtneil (Derry)
Carey Faughs (Antrim)
Setanta (Donegal)

Division 3A – Download Division 3A Fixtures (as of 03/03/2009)
Cushendun (Antrim)
Lisnaskea (Fermanagh)
St Endas (Antrim)
Castleblaney (Monaghan)
Kilclief (Down)
Newry Shamrocks (Down)
Lamh Dearg (Antrim)

Division 3B – Download Division 3B Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Glen Rovers Armoy (Antrim)
Burt (Donegal)
Lisbellaw (Fermanagh)
Eoghan Rua Coleraine (Derry)
Strabane Shamrocks (Tyrone)
St Mary’s Rasharkin (Antrim)

Divison 4A – Download Division 4A Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
St Peters Warrenpoint (Down)
Kickhams Creggan (Antrim)
Sean Treacy’s (Armagh)
Na Magha (Derry)
Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon (Donegal)
Four Masters (Donegal)

Divison 4B – Download Division 4B Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Ballela (Down)
All Saints Ballymena (Antrim)
Slaughtneil II (Derry)
Naomh Colum Cille (Tyrone)
MacCumhaills (Donegal)
Killeavy (Armagh)

Divison 5A – Download Division 5A Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Bredagh II (Down)
Castlewellan (Down)
St Eunans (Donegal)
Craobh Rua Camlough (Armagh)
Davitts (Antrim)
Carrickmacross (Monaghan)

Divison 5B – Download Division 5B Fixtures (as of 27/02/2009)
Clonduff (Down)
Carryduff (Down)
Buncrana (Donegal)
Cappagh Gaels (Tyrone)
Ardoyne (Antrim)
Gaeil Triucha (Monaghan)

This entry was posted on Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 4:41 pm and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The Secretary’s Report for 2008 (Tuarascail Bhliantúil) was released to the media today ahead of the Ulster Council GAA Convention.

The Ulster Convention will take place on Saturday 28th February at the Dorrian’s Imperial Hotel in Ballyshannon.

Related:

- Tuarascail Bhliantúil 2008

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2009 at 12:52 pm and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Ulster had another successful night at the 2009 All-Ireland Scór na nÓg Finals, held in Athlone on Saturday.

Watty Grahams, Maghera took first place in the Ceili Dancing, and their feat was matched by Meagan Burns of Silverbridge in Solo Singing and Saul in the Ballad Group category.

Congratulations to all winners, and indeed to all the participants who represented Ulster with distinction.

Pictured are the Ballad group winners from Saul along with GAA President Nickey Brennan and Tom O’Leary of Bus Eireann who sponsor the All Ireland Scór na nÓg competition.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Venue: Mid Ulster Sports Arena Cookstown
Info: This outdoor observation session will look at small sided games to improve players in different aspects of the game.
Tutor: John Morrison

Please note the above course is open to everyone and are free of charge.

Contact: Should you have any queries please contact Tony Scullion 07795 120438.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Details were announced recently of a major conference celebrating 125 years of GAA history, to be held at the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library & Archive, Armagh, on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 March.

President Mary McAleese and Cardinal Seán Brady will be the keynote speakers at the conference, entitled, ‘For Community, Club, County and Country’, which is organised by the Ó Fiaich Library in partnership with the Ulster Council of the GAA, and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

21 speakers in all will take part in the conference over the two days. The addresses of President McAleese and Cardinal Brady, which open the Friday and Saturday programmes respectively, comprise reflections on their personal involvement with the GAA and perspectives on the association’s position and influence in Irish life, as observed from their offices of leadership.

In a similar vein, the conference will close on Saturday afternoon with talks by four Ulster GAA figures who have done much to shape Gaelic games in the northern province and nationally.

Jim McKeever will recall the progress of northern teams after the Second World War, the introduction of PE teaching into Gaelic games, and their acceptance by bodies such as the BBC and the Youth and Sports Council for NI. Maurice Hayes will reminisce on events such as the famous 1947 decision to hold the All-Ireland final in New York, meeting Michael Cusack’s son at the GAA’s 75th anniversary celebration dinner, and the national breakthroughs by Down teams while he was county secretary in the 1960s.

Peter Quinn will reflect on his periods as Ulster and national GAA president, and the role of Ulster in the recent advance of the GAA. Mickey Harte will bring the chronological narrative up to the present day with an analysis of his lifetime in the GAA in Ulster, and the renewed success of northern teams in the new millennium.

The conference will also feature six sessions of papers by a range of academics on subjects as diverse as the origins of Gaelic games and the GAA, the GAA and national political questions, the Catholic Church’s relationship with the GAA and the role of the media in popularising Gaelic games. Prof. Alan Bairner of Loughborough University will round off these sessions with a paper about the GAA in modern global sporting context.

Places at the conference are limited. Tickets cost £10 for either day, or £15 for the two days combined. To book, patrons should contact Bernie McGlinchey at the Ulster Council, (028) 37521900 or bmcglinchey@ulster.gaa.ie. Further information on the conference speakers and papers can be found at www.ofiaich.ie or www.ulster.gaa.ie.

The event will also mark the opening of the first part (1884-1959) of an Ulster GAA history exhibition in the Ó Fiaich Library. Any queries or offers of donation for the exhibition should be made to Roddy or Dónal at the library at (028) 37522981.

Related:

- Conference Flyer

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Details were announced recently of a major conference celebrating 125 years of GAA history, to be held at the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library & Archive, Armagh, on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 March.

President Mary McAleese and Cardinal Seán Brady will be the keynote speakers at the conference, entitled, ‘For Community, Club, County and Country’, which is organised by the Ó Fiaich Library in partnership with the Ulster Council of the GAA, and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

21 speakers in all will take part in the conference over the two days. The addresses of President McAleese and Cardinal Brady, which open the Friday and Saturday programmes respectively, comprise reflections on their personal involvement with the GAA and perspectives on the association’s position and influence in Irish life, as observed from their offices of leadership.

In a similar vein, the conference will close on Saturday afternoon with talks by four Ulster GAA figures who have done much to shape Gaelic games in the northern province and nationally.

Jim McKeever will recall the progress of northern teams after the Second World War, the introduction of PE teaching into Gaelic games, and their acceptance by bodies such as the BBC and the Youth and Sports Council for NI. Maurice Hayes will reminisce on events such as the famous 1947 decision to hold the All-Ireland final in New York, meeting Michael Cusack’s son at the GAA’s 75th anniversary celebration dinner, and the national breakthroughs by Down teams while he was county secretary in the 1960s.

Peter Quinn will reflect on his periods as Ulster and national GAA president, and the role of Ulster in the recent advance of the GAA. Mickey Harte will bring the chronological narrative up to the present day with an analysis of his lifetime in the GAA in Ulster, and the renewed success of northern teams in the new millennium.

The conference will also feature six sessions of papers by a range of academics on subjects as diverse as the origins of Gaelic games and the GAA, the GAA and national political questions, the Catholic Church’s relationship with the GAA and the role of the media in popularising Gaelic games. Prof. Alan Bairner of Loughborough University will round off these sessions with a paper about the GAA in modern global sporting context.

Places at the conference are limited. Tickets cost £10 for either day, or £15 for the two days combined. To book, patrons should contact Bernie McGlinchey at the Ulster Council, (028) 37521900 or bmcglinchey@ulster.gaa.ie. Further information on the conference speakers and papers can be found at www.ofiaich.ie or www.ulster.gaa.ie.

The event will also mark the opening of the first part (1884-1959) of an Ulster GAA history exhibition in the Ó Fiaich Library. Any queries or offers of donation for the exhibition should be made to Roddy or Dónal at the library at (028) 37522981.

Related:

- Conference Flyer

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Details were announced today of a major conference celebrating 125 years of GAA history, to be held at the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library & Archive, Armagh, on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 March.

President Mary McAleese and Cardinal Seán Brady will be the keynote speakers at the conference, entitled, ‘For Community, Club, County and Country’, which is organised by the Ó Fiaich Library in partnership with the Ulster Council of the GAA, and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

21 speakers in all will take part in the conference over the two days. The addresses of President McAleese and Cardinal Brady, which open the Friday and Saturday programmes respectively, comprise reflections on their personal involvement with the GAA and perspectives on the association’s position and influence in Irish life, as observed from their offices of leadership.

In a similar vein, the conference will close on Saturday afternoon with talks by four Ulster GAA figures who have done much to shape Gaelic games in the northern province and nationally.

Jim McKeever will recall the progress of northern teams after the Second World War, the introduction of PE teaching into Gaelic games, and their acceptance by bodies such as the BBC and the Youth and Sports Council for NI. Maurice Hayes will reminisce on events such as the famous 1947 decision to hold the All-Ireland final in New York, meeting Michael Cusack’s son at the GAA’s 75th anniversary celebration dinner, and the national breakthroughs by Down teams while he was county secretary in the 1960s.

Peter Quinn will reflect on his periods as Ulster and national GAA president, and the role of Ulster in the recent advance of the GAA. Mickey Harte will bring the chronological narrative up to the present day with an analysis of his lifetime in the GAA in Ulster, and the renewed success of northern teams in the new millennium.

The conference will also feature six sessions of papers by a range of academics on subjects as diverse as the origins of Gaelic games and the GAA, the GAA and national political questions, the Catholic Church’s relationship with the GAA and the role of the media in popularising Gaelic games. Prof. Alan Bairner of Loughborough University will round off these sessions with a paper about the GAA in modern global sporting context.

Places at the conference are limited. Tickets cost £10 for either day, or £15 for the two days combined. To book, patrons should contact Bernie McGlinchey at the Ulster Council, (028) 37521900 or bmcglinchey@ulster.gaa.ie. Further information on the conference speakers and papers can be found at www.ofiaich.ie or www.ulster.gaa.ie.

The event will also mark the opening of the first part (1884-1959) of an Ulster GAA history exhibition in the Ó Fiaich Library. Any queries or offers of donation for the exhibition should be made to Roddy or Dónal at the library at (028) 37522981.

Picture Caption:
Kieran McConville, Head Librarian The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial Library & Archive, Tom Daly Ulster GAA President and Donal McAnallen Assistant Education Officer The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial Library & Archive at the launch of ‘For Community, Club, County & Country’; ‘A Conference Celebrating 125 Years of the GAA’ which will take place in the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library & Archive, Armagh on 13-14 March 2009.

Related:

- Conference Flyer

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Venue: Buncrana Youth Club, Co Donegal
Info: This part theory, part practical course is specifically aimed at coaches / parents who may be involved in coaching people with special needs and/or physical disabilities.
Tutor:

Please note the above course is open to everyone and are free of charge.

Contact: Should you have any queries please contact Paul Callaghan 00353 868066166.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Venue: Owenbeg, Dungiven, Co Derry
Info: This outdoor observation session will look at games (conditioned and small sided) to improve players from the age of 14 to Senior.
Tutor: Tony Scullion

Please note the above course is open to everyone and are free of charge.

Contact: Should you have any queries please contact Tony Scullion 07795 120438.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Venue: Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown
Info: This outdoor observation session will look methods to improve defensive play and tackling in all areas of the field.
Tutor: Philip Kerr

Please note the above course is open to everyone and are free of charge.

Contact: Should you have any queries please contact Tony Scullion 07795 120438.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

All Ireland Club SHC Semi-Final:
De La Salle 1-21  Cushendall 1-19 (AET)

De La Salle advanced to the All-Ireland Club Hurling Final with a 1-21 to 1-19 extra-time win over Cushendall at Parnell Park on Sunday.

Cushendall had looked set to break their semi-final hoodoo as they led for the entire second-half of the game but a late rally from the Waterford side sent the game to extra-time, where De La Salle just did enough.

De La Salle began brightly and the first score of the game was a goal, Paidi Nevin finding the net with a smart finish after a superb assist from Dean Twomey.

The Waterford champions looked like they might run away with things in the opening surges but Cushendall fought back, with centre-back Aaron Graffin rising to the challenge as he put over the Antrim side’s first score, an inspirational effort after a rangy run.

Lee Hayes was in stirring form for De La Salle in the first half, two fine points his contribution, while Aidan Delargy kept Cushendall in touch with two excellent efforts of his own with Neil McManus also adding an excellent post-splitter. Indeed, McManus was exceptional throughout, popping up all over the pitch.

Graffin had the better of Waterford star John Mullane in the first half and his suffocating display was exemplified by an incredible block on the forward when he looked set to blast to the net midway through the first half.

It was 1-6 to 0-9 at half-time and both sides exchanged scores after the break, but Cushendall took control of the game when Shane Naughton netted after Stevie Brennan saved McManus’ ripping shot.

This put the Antrim men three points ahead and they were able to preserve this lead despite the dismissal of Declan McKillop for a hook midway through the second half.

De La Salle began to create more chances as the extra man made a difference but they squandered them, and a run of four wides left them in a precarious position as full-time loomed.

Going into injury-time, Cushendall led by two but De La Salle somehow rescued a draw when Bryan Phelan sent over a wondrous sideline cut from 45 metres.

And in extra-time, the Waterford champions just had that bit too much for Cushendall, whose record in All-Ireland Club semi-finals now reads a grim eight losses from eight matches.

Mullance came to the fore in the extra period, and although Cushendall got close in snatches in the final reckoning, points from Mullane and Phelan put De La Salle though to face Portumna on St. Patrick’s Day.

—

All Ireland Club SHC Semi-Final:
Portumna 5-11  Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-16

Portumna hit five goals as they comfortably beat Ballyhale Shamrocks 5-11 to 1-16 to progress to the All-Ireland Club Hurling Final at Semple Stadium on Sunday.

Joe Canning was at his inspirational best as he hit 2-5 for Portumna, while Henry Shefflin did his bit for Ballyhale, scoring 0-10.

Few games start as frenetically as this one did. With not five minutes on the clock, Portumna led by eight points – 2-2 to 0-0 – and yet less than five minutes later, Ballyhale were only a goal behind.

Kevin Hayes knocked over the game’s first score just before Galway star Damien Hayes smashed to the net to make it 1-1 to nothing. A superb effort from distance from midfielder Leo Smith extended the lead and as Ballyhale reeled in shock, Joe Canning dispatched a penalty. It was breathless.

But Ballyhale had too much guile and experience to be beaten so early and Eoin Reid’s sharp finish from an acute angle settled the Leinster champions.

The game had been billed as a stand-off as much between Shefflin and Canning as between the two provincial champions and the two men traded scores for the next few minutes, but all the while Ballyhale were getting closer to parity.

Canning was looking exemplary on placed balls and on 20 minutes he reasserted Portumna’s dominance with a powerful goal, charging onto a low pass and showing tremendous strength to plough through and slot under the keeper. The goal made it 3-6 to 1-6.

Not too many hurlers have been billed with the kind of hype that has attached itself to Joe Canning but every time the young man plays, he seems to ascend to a new level of brilliance. Shortly after his goal he hit a sideline ball over the bar as sweet as a golf shot.

With two goals between them at the break, there was plenty for Ballyhale to do but two sucker punches from the magnificent Portumna floored them soon after the restart.

Firstly, Damien Hayes grabbed his second goal of the day after a mix-up around the square ended up with the ball at his feet and an open goal before him.

Ballyhale couldn’t seem to cope and within seconds, Portumna had their fifth goal and the game was over as a contest.

Once again, Canning was at the heart of it all. Although his initial shot was repelled by Ballyhale goalkeeper James Connolly, Canning had the coolness to scoop the ball back into danger, where Ciaran Ryan only had to flick to see the net ripple.

That made it 5-8 to 1-8; it was brutal and clinical and it was exactly the kind of performance that teams from Kilkenny have been inflicting on the country all year.

Shefflin kept his head up and continued to pluck a few scores for his side, but as soon as the fifth goal went in, a real element of procession took hold of proceedings.

Yet, Shefflin’s resolve seemed to impose itself on his teammates, and a number of stellar efforts from him, as well as a point from TJ Reid, reduced the lead to seven points.

But genius has a name, and it is Joe Canning. With fear and fire beginning to shake his teammates a bit, he jigged down the right wing gingerly, flipped a ball up to himself and slashed it over the bar serenely.

It settled Portumna, and it made the final few minutes more comfortable for them as they contemplated their All-Ireland final date on St Patrick’s Day.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 am and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Armagh kingpins Crossmaglen will play Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes in the All-Ireland club final on St Patrick’s Day after coming through their semi-finals on Saturday.

All Ireland Club SFC Semi-Final:
Crossmaglen Rangers 4-12  Dromcollogher Broadford 0-6

Dromcollogher Broadford’s dream run in the All-Ireland club championship came to a sobering halt against Crossmaglen Rangers in a one-sided semi-final at Pearse Park on Saturday afternoon.

Cross, who have won a remarkable 13 Armagh county titles in a row, showed little mercy on the Limerick champions, kicking into gear in the second half to secure a final berth against Kilmacud Crokes.

Crossmaglen led by 2-6 to 0-4 at the break, and despite playing into a stiff breeze in the second half, they managed two further goals from Tony Kernan to kill the game off as a contest.

Dromcollogher-Broadford, who had beaten Nemo Rangers in the Munster semi-final, never looked like causing another upset, especially when John Murphy and Jamie Clarke scored 1-1 apiece in the first half.

Oisin McConville chipped in with three points, while Stephen Kernan was the other Cross man on the scoresheet in the opening 35 minutes. Patrick Donnelly, Gerry McCarthy, Ray Lynch and Michael Reidy kept the underdogs in touch.

There were brief thoughts of a Dromcollogher-Broadford revival after the break when Lynch grabbed his second point of the game. However, Clarke won back possession to set up Tony Kernan, who fired home the first of his two goals.

It got worse for the Limerick men minutes later when Tony Kernan intercepted a loose pass and drove the ball past Eamonn Scollard. It all but ended the game as a contest and Cross went on to increase their lead, winning out by 18 points in the end.

—

All Ireland Club SFC Semi-Final:
Kilmacud Crokes 2-11  Corofin 0-11

Kilmacud Crokes set up a mouth-watering All-Ireland club final clash with Crossmaglen after a flattering six-point win over Galway champions Corofin at Mullingar on Saturday.

Mark Vaughan pitched in with 1-6 of Crokes’ total while Pat Burke also impressed with 1-2.

However, the winning margin failed to tell the true tale of what was a close contest as Corofin’s hopes were dealt a cruel blow just after the break when their inter-county full-back, Kieran Fitzgerald, was carried off with a shoulder injury.

The Galway side absorbed that blow, and playing into a stiff breeze outscored their opponents 0-6 to 0-2 over the next 17 minutes to level the game midway through the second half.

But Crokes, demonstrating the tenacity that helped them to the Dublin crown, struck back with 1-4 in seven remarkable minutes. Mark Vaughan hit 1-2 of his impressive haul in that period, while Brian Kavanagh and Burke also got in on the act to secure the win.

Crokes assumed control early on when Burke crashed home a great goal after Adrian Morrissey, the Wexford attacker, had set him up superbly.

Morrissey, back with Crokes after a two-year hiatus in Hong Kong, was causing all sorts of panic in the Corofin defence with his pace and clever use of the ball.

Vaughan was also in fine form from placed balls, his three first-half points the difference between the sides at the break after Shane Monaghan’s injury-time score for Corofin.

However, Crokes’ late burst put paid to the Galway champions’ hopes and they will meet Crossmaglen in Croke Park on March 17.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 at 5:20 pm and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Connacht and Leinster will face off in the M Donnelly Interprovincial final in Abu Dhabi after winning their semi-finals on Saturday.

M Donnelly InterProvincial Hurling Semi-Final:
Ulster 0-8 Leinster 4-14

Leinster proved far too strong for Ulster in the M Donnelly Interprovincial semi-final at Casement Park on Saturday.

Leinster led by 3-5 to 0-4 at the break and were in cruise control for much of a tame second half.

The first Leinster goal came after 16 minutes when Eddie Brennan left the Ulster defence flat-footed and passed to Offaly’s Joe Bergin who fired home.

Brennan went from supplier to scorer 11 minutes later as his piledriver sent Leinster on their way. Aidan Fogarty added a third goal just before the break.

Pauls Shields [0-2f], Karl Stewart and Liam Hinphey kept Ulster in touch but Brennan’s second goal with ten minutes remaining ended the game as a contest.

—

M Donnelly InterProvincial Hurling Semi-Final:
Connacht 2-20 Munster 2-18

Connacht booked their place on the flight to Abu Dhabi with a dramatic 2-20 to 2-18 win over Munster at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.

Munster led by two points going into stoppage time, but Niall Healy secured the win for Connacht with an injury time goal, his shot flying into the roof of the net beyond Brendan Cummins. Healy, who finished with 1-6, then added the insurance point right at the death.

Midway through the second half, the complexion of the game had looked very different as Munster led by seven points before Aenghus Callanan pegged them back with a goal after a Healy pass.

Paul Kelly and Ken McGrath had put Munster in command with first-half goals, and they led by 2-7 to 0-9 at the break.

However, a late Healy-inspired revival saw Connacht secure a place in the final against Leinster.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 at 11:18 am and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Two of Ireland’s longest established associations are joining forces at the end of February for a unique event to address the excesses of alcohol and substance abuse.

The Eglish Pioneer Association and the St. Patrick’s Football and Camogie club will host an evening with some of the country’s biggest names in Gaelic sport to promote the message of clean living. The event theme, ‘Sporting excellence through a healthy lifestyle’, will draw on the lifestyle experiences of county players Stephen O’Neill and Laois’s Ross Munnelly along with manager Mickey Harte to deliver a message on their top level training and fitness achieved through abstaining from alcohol.

The Pioneer Association was formed in 1898 and like the 125-year-old GAA has played an important role in every parish in Ireland. It still continues to provide support for those that want to reduce or move away from consuming intoxicating liquor.

This is the first time that as many prominent role model figures in the GAA have gathered to deliver the GAA’ Alcohol Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) message at club level and shows the importance the Eglish club has placed on the initiative.  Eglish is one of the few villages in Ireland that doesn’t have a pub.

Speaking today Eglish GAA youth officer and former Tyrone player Kieran Hagan said that through this joint approach with the Pioneers we will be able to showcase some of the country’s best role models for our youth and deal with a topic that affects all communities.

He added: “We are fortunate to have within the GAA organisation players and managers who will give their time to speak to the those who aspire to reach the top of inter-county football. This is something that only a few are lucky to achieve and today with the level of fitness that is required having a healthy body is essential for the modern day athlete.”

The event will also include speakers who play camogie including Eglish woman Leona Gallagher, a former club and county player.  Former Armagh footballer and commentator Jimmy Smyth will host the event.

The event will take place in St. Patrick’s Parochial Hall, Eglish on Friday 27^th February at 7.00 p.m.

For further information please call Brian Jordan on +44 7885 135909

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 10:54 am and is filed under Homepage News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Venue: Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan
Info: This outdoor observation session will look at games (conditioned and small sided) to improve players from the age of 14 to Senior.
Tutor: Tony Scullion

Please note the above course is open to everyone and are free of charge.

Contact: Should you have any queries please contact Tony Scullion 07795 120438.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 at 7:10 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.