All-Ireland Football Finals 2024

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Hogan Cup Winners ?⬜️ CBS Omagh
Paddy Drummond Cup final ?⬜ Abbey Vocational School

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All-Ireland Post Primary GAA Hogan Cup ? Final
?⬜️ CBS Omagh 3-14 v ?⬛️ Mercy Mounthawk Gaa 0-11

REPORTS ?

Hogan history for Omagh CBS as Tyrone school clinch back-to-back All-Ireland titles in Croke Park

Masita Hogan Cup Final: Omagh CBS 3-14 Mercy Mounthawk Tralee 0-11
After seeing his side come good in the second-half to retain their title, Omagh CBS manager Diarmaid McNulty described holding on to the top prize in All-Ireland Schools Football as a ‘absolutely sweet’.

“People kept saying sure you have six boys from last year, but we had so many new faces, and for them to experience that, and to perform that well, particularly in the second half when their backs were against the wall a wee bit, I can’t even put it into words,” he said.

“We have real, real leaders in the group, none more so than Callum (Daly) at six. I thought he was exceptional. Charlie (Donnelly) and Eoin Donaghy in the middle of the field is probably the best midfield in the country at that age.

“Then you have the spine, Ruairi (McCullagh) was off, but Liam Óg (Mossey) and Niall McCarney stepped up well, and Paudi Dillon took his goal really well.

“We’ve a lot of leaders across the pitch, and I suppose I forgot Brian Gallagher and Nathan Farry. Paddy Lane is their (Mounthawk) go-to man, and he only scored one from play, so that’s a testament to Brian Gallagher’s ability to man-mark.”

It was a different feeling for Mercy Mounthawk manager Aidan O’Shea at the other end of the corridor as the son of legendary Kerry midfielder Jack O’Shea acknowledged the quality of the Omagh performance in the second period.

“They’re a team that’s a nightmare if you go behind against them, because they’re so well drilled and so solid back there,” O’Shea said.

“You’re trying to get a score, and you’re trying to press on the kick-out, we had chances at times to chip away at the scoreboard, but we didn’t take them,” he said.

“It’s no fault on any of the lads whatsoever. The boys tried their best, but some days, it’s just not your day, and we were definitely second best today.”

Omagh did trail twice during the first-half but they survived a black card period for Ruairí McCullagh either side of half-time that allowed them to really take control of proceedings in the third quarter.

They would lead by 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time before registering 1-2 without reply in the first 10 minutes of the second-half that totally turned proceedings their way.

Omagh’s Paudi Dillon celebrates his goal in the Hogan Cup final at Croke Park Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile (Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE)
Their first two goals were gifts in one respect. Paudi Dillon bounced after a ball slipped through Mounthawk defender James Fisher’s hands in putting them 1-9 to 0-6 ahead in the 40th minute.

The Tralee school appeared to have dealt with a big moment of danger five minutes later when a shot dangerously came back down off the post and Dillon was denied a second goal by the outrushing Mounthawk goalkeeper Michael Tansley.

However, Padraig O’Halloran’s subsequent clearance went straight to McCullagh whose finish made it 2-9 to 0-7 and pretty much game over.

McCullagh grabbed a second goal for himself with five minutes to go as 12 points was the final margin between the sides, Omagh CBS goalkeeper Oisin Watson denying Mounthawk’s Thomas Kennedy the chance to score a consolation goal for the Kerry school near the end.

Charlie Donnelly’s performance at midfield was an absolute revelation for the victors with his five-point total seeing him awarded Man-of-the-Match afterwards.

The win meant it was Omagh’s third Hogan Cup title overall as they became the first Ulster school since St Colman’s, Newry in 2010 and 2011 to retain both MacRory and Hogan Cup titles back-to-back.

Diarmaid McNulty has been involved in all three Hogan Cup wins for Omagh CBS now, as he was a player back in 2007 when they defeated another Tralee school in Tralee CBS, The Green.

Omagh CBS: O Watson; B Lynch, B Gallagher, S McGann; N Farry, C Daly, M Corcoran; E Donaghy (0-2), C Donnelly (0-5); O Teague, R McCullagh (2-2, 0-1 mark), J Law; N McCarney, P Dillon (1-3, 0-1 mark), L Óg Mossey (0-2 frees)

Subs: J Edgar for O Teague (54), M Howe for P Dillon (59), A McGurn for N McCarney (60 +1)

Mercy Mounthawk: M Tansley; G O’Riordan, O McGibney, J Fisher; P O’Halloran, O Murphy, B Murphy; D Kirby, C O’Gara; N Collins (0-1), O Ferris (0-2), S Corkery (0-1); P Lane (0-6, 0-4 frees, 0-1 mark), T Kennedy (0-1, 1m), N Townsend Subs: K Sheehan for N Townsend (50), B Sharp for J Fisher, J Hoare for C O’Gara (both 55), T O’Sullivan for S Corkery, B Byrne for P O’Halloran (both 60)

Referee: D Gough (Meath)

By Jason O’Connor at Croke Park Published in The Irish News March 17, 2024

St Killian’s clinch All-Ireland title after final win over Blackwater

Masita Paddy Buggy Cup (All-Ireland senior schools B hurling) final: St Killian’s, Garron Tower (Antrim) 4-13 Blackwater CS, Lismore (Waterford) 0-13

AFTER waiting 60 years since the last Danske Mageean Cup success for Garron Tower, this year’s crop in St Killian’s moved up a gear in the All-Ireland series and collected the Masita Paddy Buggy Cup in Abbottstown with an assured performance in the opening quarter.

They had three goals and three points registered before Ben Cummins got Blackwater Community School off the mark. Although the Waterford school kept chipping away with points, there was never a chance of multiple goals to give them a chance of rescuing the game.

Inside 40 seconds, Niall Hynds won a free on his way to goals and Joseph McLaughlin opened his account with a point. 90 seconds later the Ruairí Óg forward finished a fine move involving Cormac McKeown and Oran McCambridge by bulging the net and the north Antrim school was on its way.

By the fourth minute they had a second goal when Callagh Mooney’s high ball was taken down for McCambridge to find the net. The third goal in the 12th minute was very similar with McKeown’s high ball dropping in on the Lismore goalie and McCambridge diverted it over the line.

Blackwater shot back into the game with four unanswered points between the 20th and 27th minutes, but St Killian’s finished the half strongly with points from McCambridge and McKeown and then another McKeown point in injury time that hit the cross bar on the way over.

The Ulster champions led by 3-8 to 0-6 at half-time.

Lismore started the second half with three points inside six minutes from Charlie Lineen, Joe O’Keefe and a Cummins free, but McLaughlin landed three points in reply before the three quarters stage.

Murphy, Adam Cummins and O’Keefe closed the gap once more to make it 3-12 to 0-12, but any lingering hope the Waterford boys had of a late miracle was quashed in the 54th minute when a lightening move from St Killian’s saw Cormac McKeown put Orrin O’Connor through for the fourth goal of the game.

Blackwater lost their discipline a little towards the end with two players seeing red. It was more frustration than malice because the Tower was already over the line. The likes of Joseph McDonnell, Joseph O’Keefe and Jake Henley got on a lot of ball, but the gap the Tower opened in the first 12 minutes was just too much for them to close.

McLaughlin again was a star up front for St Killian’s, the pace of McKeown earned him the Player of the Match award and McCambridge was another who made life very difficult for the Lismore defence. At the back, Niall Magee, Charlie McAuley and both corner backs snuffed out any danger.

St Killian’s: O McCambridge 2-1, J McLaughlin 1-8, 0-5 frees, O O’Connor 1-0, C Mckeown 0-3, C McAuley 0-1

Blackwater: B Cummins 0-5 frees, J O’Keefe 0-3, 2 frees, A Cummins 0-2, S Murphy, B O’Sullivan and C Lineen 0-1 each.

St Killian’s: T McLaughlin, C Ward, C Devlin, J Scullion, A Birt, C McAuley, N Magee, C McIlwaine, C Mooney, C McKeown, J McLaughlin, O O’Connor, M Furey, O McCambridge, N Hynds.

Subs: E Ward forC Devlin (48), P McDonnell for M Furey (59), A McCambridge for N Hynds (60 + 2), C Graham for N Magee (60 + 3)

Blackwater: B Murphy, J Twomey, T Ahern, C Lynch, T Duffin, J Henley, C McCarthy, Joseph McDonnell, J O’Keefe, C Lineen, A Cummins, J Hickey, S Murphy, B Cummins, B O’Sullivan.

Subs: S Barry for C Lineen (50), H Quinn for J Hickey(59), Jack McDonnell for C McCarthy (60 + 2)

Published in The Irish News March 16, 2024

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Masita All-Ireland Post Primary GAA ????? ??? Final

⬛️?Mounthawk Mercy v ⬜? CBS Omagh

? Saturday 16th March 2024
? Pairc an Chrócaigh
⏰ 3pm

Click For Match Tickets

The game will be broadcast live on TG4 television. DO NOT CLICK ANY OTHER LINKS

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Masita GAA Post Primary GAA ????? ???????? ??? Final (Senior B Football)

⬛️? Ashbourne CS 0-9 V ?⬜ Abbey Vocational School 1-15

? Saturday 9th March
?Clones
⏰ 2pm

Masita GAA Post Primary GAA ?????? ?’???????? ??? Final (Senior C Football) RESULT

Tarbert Comprehensive 3-19 v St Malachy’s High School Castlewellan 4-13 AET

Saturday 9th March

Netwatch Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow

2pm

Masita GAA Post Primary GAA ?? ?????? ???????? ???? Final (Senior D Football) RESULT

Gallen Community School Ferbane 0-9 v Scoil Mhuire Buncrana 1-5

Saturday 9th March 2024

Markievicz Park, Sligo

2pm

REPORTS ?

Omagh CBS skipper Callum Daly chasing history in Hogan Cup decider

The defending champions face Mercy Mounthawk of Tralee in Saturday’s decider

OMAGH CBS captain Callum Daly has once again been a lynchpin and driving force this season and he hopes to make history on Saturday and become the first Tyrone player to lead a side to back-to-back Hogan Cup titles.

Daly is one of six current players who started last year’s final against Naas CBS and, once again, he will be at centre half-back when Mercy Mounthawk are the opponents.

Daly believes the experience of 12 months ago can help them and he states there is no added pressure on them as holders.

“It is probably a big thing [experience], especially with the game in Croke Park again as it can be daunting for lads who haven’t played there,” he said.

“The boys who have been there and done it last year need to help bring the other lads on and help them to settle into the game. I wouldn’t say that it is added pressure, more added enjoyment and everybody can’t wait to play there.

“It is a big incentive to get to the Hogan Cup final given the fact that it is played in Croke Park. Some players never get the chance to play there and this will be my second time, so it’s a great honour and I think that everybody is looking forward to it.

“There is no added pressure within this group of players as it is a different group from last year. Some of the players may be going for two in a row, but some are also going for their first, so I think the pressure will be from the external public more than anything. We have come this far and we just hope to get the job done.”

After a cagey start in the semi-final, they comfortably saw off the challenge of St Gerald’s, Castlebar and Daly feels the team came of age, especially after losing their talisman up front, Ruairí McCullagh, to injury.

“I think things really came together in the semi-final and the defence especially,” he added.

“We were very disciplined throughout the field and I think that everybody stood up especially when Rooster [McCullagh] had to go off injured. That was important and we certainly had leaders all over the pitch.

“Ruairí has been the main man and the focal point of all our attacks and, when he went off, it could have rattled the team a bit, but it didn’t. We all stuck to the plan Liam Óg (Mossey) took over the free-kicking duties and dropped deeper, while Paudie Dillon was superb as well.”

Standing in their way of history are the first-time finalists from Tralee and Daly is well aware of the challenge facing them.

“It is probably being built up more as it’s a game between teams from Tyrone and Kerry,” he said.

“We have seen some of their players at minor level and they are very good and there is a lot of talk about them, but we will have our analysis done on them and detail their players.

“You know that they are a strong outfit as they wouldn’t be in a Hogan final if they weren’t, so we will just have to be prepared for them.”

By Kevin Kelly published in The Irish News March 13, 2024

Masita Paddy Drummond Cup final

Abbey VS (Donegal) v Ashbourne CS (Meath)

(Saturday, St Tiernach’s Park, 2pm)

IT is one thing to go into a competition that you have never won before and power your way to a provincial title. But it is quite another layer to remain as dominant at the All-Ireland stage where little, if anything, is known about opponents.

That journey would have given the players and their mentors experience as well as a fair idea of what to expect in the unchartered waters of the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup.

There was no such background knowledge for the south Donegal boys when they faced Galway side Dunmore Community School a fortnight ago.

Yet, Abbey dominated the first half and led by 1-9 to 0-6 at the break with Conor McCahill’s goal coming early.

The second goal came in the last quarter when Turlough Carr’s drive came off the crossbar for Jonathan O’Driscoll to bury. They were comfortable eight-point winners and now face Leinster champions Ashbourne CS in Clones.

The Meath side is physically strong and dictated matters for long periods against Mitcheltown CBS with Michael McIvor outstanding. Michael O’Sullivan, Dylan Kettle, Evan O’Kane, George Hickey, Eric Donohue and Aidan Mackey also played leading roles.

The Abbey squad features no fewer than nine players who are on this season’s Donegal minor squad – yet only two of those actually start in the team. No doubt about it, the MacLarnon champions are a formidable outfit with physical strength and scoring power.

Callum McCrea and David Monaghan lorded defence in the Box-It Athletic Grounds, while Tiarnán McBride and Kevin Muldoon are a formidable pairing in the middle of the field. Up front, the Carr brothers, Callum McCrea and Conor Meehan can stretch any defence.

Only two Donegal schools have lifted this national title, that is second only to the Hogan Cup in schools’ football. St Eunan’s Letterkenny and De La Salle Ballyshannon put together back-to-back titles in 1979 and 1980.

Abbey have carried the favourites’ tag well all year. The quality of their team-play suggests that they are good enough to follow St Joseph’s, Donaghmore to the national title and it will take a mighty effort from Ashbourne to overcome them.

Masita Ignatius Rice Cup final

Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana (Donegal) v Gallen CS (Offaly)

(Saturday, Markievicz Park, 1pm)

DANSKE Bank Faul Cup champions Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana will probably not have the services of key player Darragh Coyle for this Masita Ignatius Rice Cup final, the biggest GAA game in the school’s history.

Coyle is currently involved with Finn Harps with a league game less than 24 hours before the trip to Sligo for this final against Gallen Community School.

Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana came from behind a fortnight ago to beat St Cuan’s, Castleblakeney on a scoreline of 2-10 to 2-7 after conceding two goals early in the first half, one of them from a penalty.

Former Donegal hurler Kevin Campbell, who takes the team with Ciarán Thompson, admits that a Gaelic football final is something of a novelty for the Inis Eoghain school

“Our school has never been this far in GAA, we’ve won All-Irelands in soccer but not in this sport, so the lads have an opportunity to create history and I really hope we get over the line.

“We made mistakes early in the semi-final and they cost us two goals. Like we probably did start pushing panic buttons early on … but once we settled ourselves and started creating opportunities we started to relax into the game and take control. The boys showed great resolve to get back into the game and eventually win it”

Conor Graham’s penalty goal brought them back to within a point early in the second half, but it wasn’t until Dónal O’Brien’s goal five minutes from time that they were in a position to win it.

At the same time as that semi-final in Roslea, Gallen Community School were using extra-time to beat CBS Dungarvan 3-18 to 3-11. They were a point down going into the second period of extra-time, but two goals from Luke Kelly turned the result in their favour.

The Ferbane school has some very useful players in Colm Egan, who hit 1-5, and defenders Jake and Eamon Maher and James Wren.

Scoil Mhuire’s run through the Faul Cup and then the All-Ireland semi-final win has seen different players step up to the plate.

They probably wouldn’t have reached the Faul final without Billy Duffy’s four points and in particular the last one, while Dylan and Sean McLaughlin have also put in good shifts through the competition, as has Conor Graham breaking from half-back.

With or without Coyle, Buncrana have a great chance to take the title, but it would be very unfair if the Finn Harps recruit was to miss out on the school’s biggest day in the Gaelic code.

Masita Dr Eamon O’Sullivan Cup final

St Malachy’s, Castlewellan v Tarbert Comprehensive (Kerry)

(Saturday, Netwatch Dr Cullen Park, 2pm)

THE footballers of St Malachy’s, Castlewellan will give value for money. Over the last four games that have taken them to this Masita Dr O’Sullivan Cup final they have played extra-time in three of them. In the other one, the Danske Bank Markey Cup final, they trailed by a point in the 58th minute but scored the last three points to see off Holy Cross, Strabane.

Although the mid-Down school won several All-Ireland titles under the old vocational schools’ system and have since played in both the MacLarnon and MacRory Cups, this is their first senior success since the vocational schools and colleges came together a decade ago.

At the start of the season, these boys didn’t look like All-Ireland contenders, losing their opening group game to St Mark’s, Warrenpoint. However a mixture of survival instincts, on-field leadership and very high fitness levels have taken them to this shoot-out with north Kerry school Tarbert.

There is something similar in Tarbert’s make-up. This is their first provincial title in 26 years and they also survived extra-time in the semi-final a fortnight ago, beating Ballymahon from Longford by 2-18 to 2-15.

The turning point of that game came when they won five successive kick-outs from Ballymahon to keep the pressure on and pick off enough scores.

John Coolahan hit 1-8 in that game and other key players for them through the season have been captain Shane Wren in the forward line and defenders David Mulvihill and Evan Curry in defence.

St Malachy’s have seen their star forward Eoghan Travers double- and even triple-marked after his exploits in earlier rounds.

He still contributed seven points from frees in the semi-final, while the other consistent scorer has been Taidgh O’Hanlon, younger brother of former county captain Darragh, who played on the last team from the school to win Ulster 14 years ago. Taidgh came through strong with three points late in the semi-final.

O’Hanlon’s midfield partner, Chris Kelly-McEvoy, featured for Liatroim Fontenoys in their run to the Ulster intermediate semi-final in the autumn and there have been significant contributions from Ruairí Madine, full-back Ross Green and Harry Keenan.

Castlewellan mentors won’t want to see more extra-time, but if it does become an 80 minutes plus game, it should favour the Down boys.

By Seamas McAleenan published by The Irish News March 08, 2024

Comhghairdeas to all our schools.

Masita All-Ireland Post Primary GAA ????? ??? Semi-Final

St Gerald’s College 0-9 v CBS Omagh 1-14

?Sunday February 25
⏰ 2pm
? Ballyshannon, Official Donegal GAA