Articles in the GAA Category

For the last seven decades, Tommy Bates has been the fulcrum round which Latton O Rahillys have worked their title triumphs with patience and persistence. The sort of GAA stalwart every club yearns to have on board but few are privileged, the 86 years young Fior Gael is known far and wide in county Monaghan as a doer and a selfless man whose love of family comes second only to his love of Gaelic games. From the time Tommy set out on his football safari in 1947 as a player with his ...

CASTLEBLAYNEY 1-13 CURRIN 2-07 COLM SHALVEY reports from St Victors Park Castleblayney are joint-leaders in the Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League after they held off a spirited challenge from Currin in Toome last Sunday. Despite starting without Ciarán Hanratty and suspended backs Cormac Brady and Paddy Mallon, Blayney were much quicker out of the starting blocks and although Currin rallied strongly, they were never able to catch up. Blayney won more than two-thirds of the kick-outs (24/35), but senior newcomers Currin stayed in contention until the final whistle. All six Blayney forwards got ...

Giving his personal viewpoint on the county’s ongoing hurling controversy, JOHN GRAHAM says a line should be drawn in the sand – and suggests someone who could broker a deal and bring both sides together. n the weekend that the new National Hurling Development Plan is launched at Annual Congress by incoming President Liam O’Neill Monaghan were due to take part in the final of the Allianz Hurling League division 3A against Fingal in Tullamore. But instead of listening to the clash of the ash when these two met in ...

Omagh venue proves unhappy hunting ground once again with work to do before championship. by COLM SHALVEY Monaghan’s second successive relegation in the Allianz National Football League was confirmed by last Sunday’s 1-16 to 1-6 defeat away to Tyrone. Monaghan have not had any wins at senior level in Omagh for some time, but they have at least been able to go to places like Healy Park with some hope of taking a result. There was a sense of inevitability about last Sunday’s game, however, with Tyrone backing up their status as ...

John Graham reports It has been claimed at various times over the years that hurling in Monaghan was in crisis but that took on a whole new meaning over the weekend when it emerged that due to the impasse that had been reached between the county management committee, the fixtures making body and the senior hurling team, that Monaghan would not be taking part in the division 3A final of the Allianz Hurling league against Fingal on Sunday. The news that Monaghan would not be fielding in a national final could not ...

A win in Omagh is the only guarantee of survival for McEneaney’s men in a fascinating finale. by COLM SHALVEY For the third year in a row, Monaghan go into the final round of the Allianz National Football League with their fate up in the air and possibly depending on other results. The only thing for certain is that Monaghan need to beat league leaders Tyrone in Omagh on Sunday if they are to ensure they stay up. In 2010, Monaghan hung on to Division One status by a single point and ...

MONAGHAN 4-18 SLIGO 2-10 JOHN GRAHAM reports Monaghan hurling manager Mattie Lennon, following last Sunday’s win over Sligo, is focussing on the areas where Monaghan can still improve as they prepare for their NHL Division 3 Final against Fingal. Monaghan struggled to find their form in the first half against Sligo andpart of the problem was the fact that after setting up good moves, players appeared to be trying to manufacture goal chances when points were ...

Cadbury’s Ulster Under-21 Football Championship Derry cruised into a semi finals of the Cadbury’s Ulster Under-21 Football Championship with an emphatic fifteen point win over a hapless Monaghan side that failed to spark from the start of a totally one sided encounter at Celtic Park last Wednesday. Indeed this game was effectively over after ten minutes, by which stage the Oak Leafers were 1-4 to no score ahead, in total control in all sectors of the game, with Connlan Bradley and Denver Johnston on top at midfield against Pete Dooney ...

DERRY 3-12 MONAGHAN 1-03 by JOHN GRAHAM MONAGHAN crashed out of the Cadbury’s Under-21 Football Championship at Celtic Park last Wednesday and Oriel Boss Eamonn McEneaney was,understandably, very disappointed. “When you lose by that amount it’s disappointing and very disheartening for all concerned because we had put in a lot of work and especially when you win midfield 21 to 11- those were the statistics there- but against that we gave the ball away 33 times, so that was poor. “Our preparations I have to say were very good and things looked good. ...

WESTMEATH 1-19 MONAGHAN 2-11 COLM SHALVEY REPORTS onaghan failed to build on their high-scoring win over Louth in the Allianz NFL when they slipped to a five-point defeat against Westmeath in Mullingar on Sunday. Monaghan again ran up a healthy score, but their porous defence allowed Westmeath to hit 1-18 from play and run out deserving winners. After a slow start, Monaghan had looked set to push on when they hit a quick burst of 1-4 as half-time approached, but that was quickly wiped out ...