Articles in the GAA Category

KEVIN OG CARNEY reports Monaghan ladies saved their best wine ‘till last to leave Westmeath punch drunk in Dunleer last weekend and heading for the intermediate ranks. More importantly for the Farney ladies, Monaghan secured their SFC status for 2020. A great end to a disappointing league campaign which saw them relegated from the top flight. Reacting to their 3-18 to 1-10 victory over the Leinster girls, Monaghan captain Cora Courtney agreed that there was no cloud to be seen on the silver lining that 2019…

COLM SHALVEY COMMENTARY The club football championship season got underway with a full round of fixtures in the Universal Graphics JFC last weekend. Drumhowan got the competition up and running on Friday with a five-point win over Rockcorry. Firsthalf goals from Patrick Quinn, Aidan Duffy and Kevin Mooney saw Drumhowan race into a big lead and although Rock competed better in the second half, they couldn’t bridge the gap. Two of the games over the weekend made a mockery of the league standings, starting with Scotstown’s win over Aghabog at Gavan ...

CASTLEBLAYNEY 1-20 TRUAGH 1-10 John Graham reports A sharper, more experienced Castleblayney retained their Senior Hurling Championship title at the expense of first timers Truagh to complete a three in a row of titles and clinch the club’s thirtieth title in all, when they proved that little bit more streetwise than a Truagh team who were not lacking an effort but did not have the experienced players that ultimately made the difference for the reigning champions. Truagh, to their credit, though were not overawed by the occasion and got off to the best ...

CORK 4-11 MONAGHAN 1-08 COLM SHALVEY Monaghan’s minor ladies fell short in their bid for a first All-Ireland MFC ‘A’ title since 1999 when Cork proved too prolific in Tullamore on Bank Holiday Monday. Monaghan started brightly at O’Connor Park, attacking Cork with intent, but they were unable to rack up the scores and that would prove costly in the final analysis. Cork survived a couple of close calls in the opening stages to eventually build up a 1-4 to 0-1 lead that bore little reflection on the general run of play in ...

COLM SHALVEY CORK 3-19 MONAGHAN 2-10 Another strong year for Monaghan’s minor footballers came to an end with last Sunday’s All-Ireland MFC quarter-final defeat against Cork in Tullamore. After retaining the Ulster title, a second consecutive semi-final appearance at Croke Park was on the radar for Monaghan, but a physically powerful Cork side proved too strong on a good day for football in the resurgent Rebel County, who also saw their impressive U-20 side qualify for an All-Ireland Final. Monaghan just couldn’t deal with Cork’s power and pace in several positions and they ...

COLM SHALVEY Monaghan’s minor ladies will bid for a first All-Ireland MFC ‘A’ title since 1999 on Bank Holiday Monday. O’Connor Park in Tullamore hasn’t proved to be a happy hunting ground for Monaghan teams in recent years, most recently last Sunday when the male minor team exited the All- Ireland series by losing to Cork, but the ladies will hope to turn the tables on the Rebel County in their decider. Monaghan saw off Meath in a high-scoring semi-final last month to set up a clash with a Cork side ...

Perfect ten for 2-in-a-row Monaghan MONAGHAN 1-13 TYRONE 1-11 Monaghan retained the Ulster MFC title after edging an exciting final against Tyrone in Armagh last Sunday. This win saw a Monaghan side featuring three starters from 12 months ago became the first male team from the county to win back-to-back provincial titles since the minors of 1939 and 1940. The first half was end-toend throughout, with Tyrone hitting three of the first four scores, only for Monaghan to hit the front via five unanswered points. Monaghan, who had seven players on the mark ...

Monaghan minor captain Jason Irwin raises aloft the Fr Murray Cup. (Circled) Manager Mark Counihan with selector Mark O’Connor. PICTURES © NORTHERN STANDARD

Monaghan bid for rare Ulster minor double COLM SHALVEY are preparing for a second con- secutive Electric Ireland Ulster MFC Final, where they will re- new rivalries with Tyrone in Ar- magh on Sunday. rn to the Athletic Grounds – which was also the venue for last year’s final – will be a good omen, with several players still involved from the class of 2018. To make it a ‘perfect ten’ straight wins in the competition and to become the first male team from the county to retain an Ulster title in almost eight ...

EIRGRID ULSTER UNDER-20 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL CAVAN 1-13 MONAGHAN 2-04 COLM SHALVEY Drumhowan earned the headlines as they led the six Monaghan representatives at the 2019 John West Féile Peil na nÓg in Connacht last weekend. On the mid-Monaghan club’s first trip to a Féile outside the county, they enjoyed a perfect run through their Division Seven campaign. Wins over Milltown (Galway), Castlemaine (Kerry) and their host club Northern Gaels from Glenamaddy saw Drumhowan top Group D. The Geraldines advanced to the Cup section, where they knocked out Arravale Rovers from Tipperary and ...