Aodh Ruadh lost out to Bundoran in Saturday’s IFC semi-final on a scoreline of 2-7 to 1-11.
With Burt defeating Milford on Saturday evening promotion from division three was also taken out of our hands last weekend. Aodh Ruadh will hope to keep the pressure on when they entertain Urris in Father Tierney Park this Saturday at 6.30pm. This games is preceded by the reserves against the same opposition at 5pm.
The Frank O’Neill tournament was a great success and proved itself of great value for player development. The final was a nip and tuck affair which could have gone either way.
There is something noteworthy about the fact that last year’s player of the tournament was this year’s winning captain. Hats off to Matteo Rivenna and his team on their well-earned win. Thanks to the O’Neill family, Brian Drummond, Shane Toolan, Raymie Granaghan, Jim Kane and Alan Sweeny for organising this competition. We have pictures from the conclusion of the competition up on aodhruadh.org.
The Aodh Ruadh under 13s didn’t get much joy in their last two league games. They lost to Four Masters 5-8 to 3-14 last Wednesday before losing to Naomh Conaill 4-20 to 6-8 on Saturday. There is training this Tuesday at 4.30pm ahead of the lads’ last game of the season on Saturday when they host Ardara in Father Tierney Park, throw-in at 1pm.
Over the next six weeks we will be conducting indoor Gaelic football leagues in the New Hall at Coláiste Cholmcille for under 8s, under 10s and under 12s.
These leagues are about pure football, having fun and showing off the skills that we’ve been working on all year. The under 8 league will be played off on Friday 9th and 16th October. We will be playing from 6pm to 8pm on each night.
The under 8 teams will be revealed and the rules for indoor Gaelic explained on Friday 9th October. The first hour of play will be used to determine if we need to reallocate players to even the teams out.
The second hour will be for league points, with the league being played to a conclusion on Friday 16th October. between 6pm and 8pm. Medals and trophies presented afterwards. We will need volunteers, parents or guardians to take one of the six teams competing. This will be a very basic job consisting of picking the five starting players and shuttling subs on and off and ensuring every player gets plenty of football on the night.
The under 10 and under 12 indoor leagues will work on a similar format with the under 10 league running off on Friday October 23rd and Friday October 30th, while the under 12 league will take place on Friday 6th November and Friday 13th November. Because we will be in the hall for two hours each night there will be a charge of €4 per head to cover the cost of the hall.
We are doing a second order for the tops distributed to the under 8s at the end of the season. The tops are for kids and priced €12. Text John Hughes the size you’re looking on 0876431805 or chat on Facebook. The order will be finalised and sent off on Wednesday morning.
Hurling
The curtain came down on the under 8 season on Friday last as we enjoyed an end of season party at Five Star Fun in Grange. We had a great night’s fun and craic as a reward for the hard work and dedication this squad put in all season. Training will resume again in March 2016 hopefully all the lads will practice at home over the winter. Thanks to all the parents who transported the lads to Grange and their support all season.
The annual Aodh Ó Dálaigh under 12 tournament took place on Sunday, we had a great day’s hurling as seven teams took part. This tournament is in existence since 1982 and has grown in stature year by year. It is at a level now where top teams from Antrim, Galway and Armagh are willing to travel long distances to compete in it. The following teams took part this year Tuam and Abbeyknockmoy from Galway, Cushendall and Loch Mor Dal gCais from Antrim, Keady from Armagh, Drumcliffe from Sligo and Aodh Ruadh.
Group A  based in Father Tierney Park was made up of the two Galway teams along with Keady and Loch Mor Dal gCais, while over in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh Cushendall, Aodh Ruadh and Drumcliffe were in action. The first round of games saw Abbeyknockmoy defeating Keady in a close affair, Tuam had a convincing win over Loch Mor Dal gCais and Cushendall were too strong for Aodh Ruadh.
The second round saw wins for Abbeyknockmoy over their neighbours Tuam, Keady had a good win over Loch Mor Dal gCais, while hosts Aodh Ruadh were too strong for their Sligo neighbours Drumcliffe. The final round of group games saw the impressive Abbeyknockmoy have a big win over Loch Mor Dal gCais, Keady were too strong for Tuam and claimed second spot in group A, Cushendall claimed their second win with another convincing win over Drumcliffe.
The stage was now set for the semi finals of the Aodh Ó Dálaigh Shield which saw Abbeyknockmoy up against Aodh Ruadh and Cushendall taking on Keady.
Try as hard as they could the Ernesiders were not able to match the very impressive Galway team. In the other semi final Cushendall pulled away in the second half to make it to the final. All present agreed that the two best teams on the day had qualified for the Ó Dálaigh Final.
In the Primary School Shield semi-final Loch Mor Dal gCais had a big win over Drumcliffe to set up a meeting with Tuam in the final.
Both finals were played simultaneously in Father Tierney Park and there was a large crowd present for the Ó Dálaigh final as both Cushendall and Abbeyknockmoy had a large travelling support. This game promised to be a classic and it didn’t disappoint, two fully committed teams gave their all to claim the title, there was only three points between the teams at half-time in favour of the Galway men.
The crowd grew for the second half as supporters were treated to a serious game of hurling, Cushendall equalised early in the second half from a 20 metre free. The Abbeyknockmoy lads who claimed the Galway Shield the previous evening really threw everything into the second half and their touch was admired by all.
Their ability to hit the net proved the difference, but great credit to the proud men from the famed Antrim club, they never gave and they fully played their part in making this the most memorable underage hurling game seen in Father Tierney Park for many a year. The full-time score Abbeyknockmoy 5-4 Cushendall 1-5.
The Primary Schools Final was also a great game, but Tuam’s greater experience and better all round squad ensured that they made history by becoming the first club to claim the three in a row.
The first half was close, but it was clear early in the second half that Loch Mor Dal gCais were just not strong enough for the Galway lads who ran out convincing winners. So came the end of a great day’s hurling which saw both titles head to north Galway and a new name appearing on the Aodh Ó Dálaigh Shield.
From the playing field it was up to Aras Aoidh Ruaidh for the presentations and refreshments for all provided by the mothers of the Aodh Ruadh lads.
Chairman of the Aodh Ruadh Juvenile Hurling Committee John Rooney thanked all the teams for the making the effort of coming to Ballyshannon and putting on such a display of hurling. He spoke of the late Hugh Daly, in who’s memory the tournament is played, and of the contribution he made to the GAA in Ballyshannon, Donegal and Ulster and how this tradition is being carried on by his family.
He thanked all who had helped out on the day umpiring. He thanked referees Chris Kelly and Sylvie Maguire. He thanked the ladies who had put on such a feed for everyone. He called on Niamh Mac Diarmada Priomhoide Gaelscoil Éirne to present the Primary Schools Shield on behalf of the local national schools.
Niamh spoke of the work Aodh Ruadh do promoting GAA in the local National Schools, she complimented all the teams on the standard of hurling, she then presented Loch Mor Dal gCais with their runners up medals, before a delighted Tuam captain accepted the Primary Shield.
Tom Daly, on behalf of the Daly family was next to speak, he thanked the Juvenile Hurling Committee for organising this tournament annually and of how proud the family are of this tournament. He spoke of how it’s great to see teams from Antrim and Galway coming to Ballyshannon to compete in this tournament, he also spoke of the high standard of hurling that we had witnessed on the day.
He presented the Cushendall lads with their runners up medals before presenting the Aodh Ó Dálaigh Shield to the Abbeyknockmoy captain to the delight of their team and management. That brought an end to another great tournament and already teams have expressed their interest in 2016.
Thanks to all who helped make the day such a success, thanks to Johnny Gallagher and the Park Committee, many thanks to Brian Drummond and Tara Keenaghan for their excellent photography throughout the day capturing all the action. We have pictures from the tournament up on aodhruadh.org.
Well done to the Coláiste Cholmcille senior hurling team who qualified for the Casement Shield quarter-final following a blitz in the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena in Cookstown last Thursday.
Underage hurling training has now finished for the season, hope to see all again in March, keep practicing at home over the winter and at the hurling wall in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh which should be completed shortly.
Ladies
There was only a goal between Aodh Ruadh and Saint Naul’s at the break in this under 13 league game, but the hosts pushed on well in the second half to take the win and finish joint top after the league stages.
Mountcharles got the first scores of the game and went into a five point lead, but the Shamettes reeled them back in, helped by goals from BridÃn Maguire and Sorcha McGonigle. Saint Naul’s pressed hard at the start of the second half and registered a couple of early goals to take them back into the lead.
However good work from Lucy McGlynn, Leah Travers and Orla Keon helped settle the defence as Aodh Ruadh started to get on top around the middle. It was a close fought game until near the end when Ballyshannon added goals from and RoisÃn Daly, Eimear O’Brien and a rocket from Gráinne Maguire.
It was a good performance from Aodh Ruadh with Caoimhe Keon and Ella Clancy working hard in midfield, while elsewhere Aine Hill was excellent between the sticks and up front RoisÃn Daly and Eimear O’Brien showed really well for the ball.
We have pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. Aodh Ruadh received home advantage when the draw for the semi-finals of the under 13 all-county championship was made. Losing out on the head to head means that despite finishing joint top of the division Aodh Ruadh will be competing in the B Championship. The Shamettes will take on Buncrana in Father Tierney Park this Saturday. Meanwhile, on the other side of the draw MacCumhaill’s will take on Saint Eunan’s. The county finals are provisionally fixed for Sunday October 18.
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