St Patrick’s Prepare for Paddy Buggy Cup Final
A huge thanks from the Paddy Buggy Cup team, and the College goes to the very generous sponsors in the local area who have supported the team in their preparations for the All-Ireland final which is due on Saturday 31st March in Inniskeen, Co Monaghan at 2pm. St Patrick’s have won the competition twice in previous years in its former guise of the O’Keefe Cup. James O’Kane, RIP, was coach to the breakthrough team in 2006 while this year’s management team of Paul Hughes and Ronan O’Donnell were also in charge when the College collected a second title in 2011, a team captained by Karl McKaigue. Past pupil and Hurling Development Officer, Kevin Hinphey, has also been part of this year’s management team since the early days of Mageean away back in September.
The clubs of the players involved in the Paddy Buggy Cup Final on Saturday have very generously donated a supply of new sliothars to enhance the team’s preparations in the week before the big game. Many thanks on behalf of the team, and the College, to St. Mary’s, Banagher, Creggan Kickhams, Robert Emmetts, Slaughtneil, Michael Davitt’s, Swatragh, Erin’s Own, Lavey and Kevin Lynch’s, Dungiven. Pictured representing their clubs, and with team managers Mr P Hughes and Mr R O’Donnell, are Conor Campbell, Liam McCann, Sean McCloskey, Michael McCormack, Ciaran Hendry and Richie Mullan
Masita Ireland have provided St. Patrick’s with specially commissioned team jersies. Team captain Fergal Ó Caiside is pictured receiving the new jersies with Tiarnan Walsh, Ruairi Rafferty and team managers Mr. P Hughes and Mr. R O’Donnell
The St. Patrick’s senior hurlers received very generous support from Mr. D Friel as they prepare for the Paddy Buggy Cup All-Ireland Final on Saturday with the team receiving new shorts and socks as they continue with preparations for the All-Ireland Paddy Buggy Final.
St. Patrick’s are very grateful to Mr. P Bradley, Swatragh, who has contributed very generously to the College’s Senior Hurlers ahead of their All-Ireland Final on Saturday. The sponsorship has ensured the provision of specially commissioned shorts and socks for the team ahead of their All-Ireland hurling final.
The Paddy Buggy team completed their preparations for the final with a ‘retro day’ challenge game when the squad donned some of the now historical artefacts from the gear cupboard which took them back to a time when ‘player fit’ had certainly never been heard of. The jersies may have been different but the squad enjoyed an excellent session although team captain Fergal Ó Caiside wasn’t quite in tune with his team’s ‘guitar heroes’ pose, while a rare, and very valuable, species of ‘big bird’, known to have frequented the Back Pitch area for a number of recent years, was also spotted – surely a good luck sign for the team.
By Paul Hughes, St. Patrick’s, Maghera
