Fr. Manning Cup defeat
for Longford
Hard luck to the Longford U-16 footballers on
Wednesday evening of last week in the 40th Fr. Manning Cup
Final at Michael Fay Park when losing to neighbours Cavan in
the decider. On the day they were up against a superior Cavan
outfit that were in complete control from the very start and
while the weather conditions didn’t help the Longford cause,
Cavan, who have won this legendary underage tournament for the
last three years were simple the better team on the day and
are no doubt worthy winners of the title while Longford will
no have to concentrate and focus on the Leinster U-16 League
which will be held over Halloween. The Longford team will have
to learn from this experience and move on and if they take
anything from this game they should become better footballers
out of it in the long run. And, the one thing that stood out
in this game was the character in the Longford team and they
should be all very proud of that. To Cavan congratulations on
your success for the third year.
Masters success for Longford
Longford Masters (over 40s) collected their second All-Ireland
title in five year’s when they had a three-point victory over
a Ross Carr inspired Down at a wind and rain swept
Ballyconnell, Cavan yesterday. The day itself was not
conjunctive to flowing football instead it was a game of two
free-takers with both Michael O’Brien (Longford) and Ross Carr
(Down) accounting for the bulk of their sides tally.
LONGFORD – V O’Rourke; T Darcy, M Mimnagh, J Toole; J
Healy, J O’Brien, B Considine; J Breslin, M Duggan; A Fogarty,
O Rogers, M McNerney; M O’Brien, S Boyle, E McCormack. SUBS: J
J Reilly for Duggan (41 mins); J Breslin for Reilly (44 mins);
G Clarke for Boyle (53 mins); W Finnerty for J Breslin (58
mins).
Lakeland Dairies Intermediate Football Championship
Quarter-Finals Round Up
Legan scoring power proves decisive in victory
Legan
Sarsfields successfully booked their spot in the last eight of
the Lakeland Dairies Intermediate Football Championship when
the strong scoring power of Barry Tierney (who scored 0-5) and
Johnny Ross and Paddy O’Neill (who scored 0-3 each) proved
decisive when they scored a comfortable win over Killoe’s
second string.
Lakeland
Dairies Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Final
Rathcline outclass Dromard’s second string
Rathcline
totally outclassed Dromard’s second string in the second of
last Sunday’s Lakeland Dairies Intermediate Football
Championship Quarter-Finals at Michael Fay Park with Padraig
Shanley the Raths chief marksman when scoring an impressive
personal tally of 0-7.
Presentation made to first winning Manning Cup team
On Wednesday evening of last week the first Longford
Juvenile (U-16) team that won the inaugural Fr. Manning Cup
title forty years ago back in 1965 were guest of honours at a
special presentation held at the Slashers complex after the
Longford and Cavan Fr. Manning Cup Final. On the night the
winning team of forty years ago were presented with a memento
on the night while guest speakers included County Board
Chairman, Martin Skelly, Minor Board Chairman, Michael Carrigy
while the captain on that historic day, Seamus Lee of Granard
reflected on the occasion. Well done to Longford County Board
and in particular John Greene - who was also a member of that
successful team - for organising the night while the idea
itself came about from an article on the history of the Fr.
Manning Cup recently in the Leader.
Minor Football
Championship Round Up - By Ray Donlon
Three Minor Championship quarter-finals down for decision
The Kiernan Structural Steel Minor (U-18) Football
Championship continues this Thursday and Friday evening with
three of the quarter-finals down for decision with three of
the four semi-final places up for grabs. On Thursday evening
Killoe, who scored a comprehensive win over St. Francis in the
first round, play last year’s winners Carrick/Sarsfields, who
beat Grattans/Clonbroney in the first round while
Ballymahon/Forgney take on the amalgamation of St. James
(Ardagh) and St. Dominic’s (Kenagh). On Friday evening (under
lights) at
Emmet Park, Killoe Longford Slashers play the strong
amalgamation of Granard/Ballymore. Prediction: Wins for
Killoe, St. James/St. Dominic’s and Longford Slashers.
David Sheahan fires Longford Slashers into quarter-finals
Longford Slashers scored a five points win over a gutsy
Southern Gaels amalgamation of Cashel and Killashee in the
first of the Minor (U-18) Football Championship games at Emmet
Park, Killoe on Thursday evening last with the outstanding
Slashers centre-half-forward David Sheahan firing the townies
into the quarter-finals when notching an impressive personal
tally of 0-4, Slashers now play the strong amalgamation off
Granard/Ballymore in the last eight.
Strong second half performance sees Clonguish overcome a
gallant Wolfe Tones
Two goals from the outstanding Ciaran Williams sealed a three
points victory for Clonguish in the Minor (U-18) Football
Championship first round tie played under lights at Emmet
Park, Killoe on Thursday night of last week with a strong
second half performance from the young Clonguish men proving
just enough for them to advance to the quarter-finals and a
meeting with St. Vincent’s while a gallant Wolfe Tones side
will no doubt feel they left it behind them.
170 attend Longford Slashers Camp
The Longford Slashers Playstation Leinster GAA Summer Camp
held at Michael Fay Park proved a tremendous success last week
with 170 boys and girls attending and enjoying the weeks
activities at the local town camp while the Longford Slashers
Minor Club very kindly handed out drinks, sweets and bars to
all the boys and girls on the last day of the Camp. Over the
years the Longford Slashers Camp along with the Ballinalee and
Abbeylara Camps have proved to be the largest in the county
and this a testament to all the work going on at underage
level in these areas in recent years. Well done also to all
the coaches’ last week at the Longford Slashers camp, who had
to deal with large numbers last week, namely David Sheahan,
Cathal Cremer, Kevin Burke, Ronan Duffy, Emmet Toher, Shane
Henry, Declan Dalton, Sean Dalton, Nathan Cox, Aodhnait Casey,
Lorraine McDonnell, Mark Valentine and Thomas Kelly.
Cavan player Nicholas Walsh calls to Slashers
Last week Cavan player Nicholas Walsh called on the Longford
Slashers Camp when proving a real hit with all the boys and
girls when answering questions, providing a few tips and
singing the customary autographs.
Cavan players Nicholas Walsh and Michael Lyng at Camps
Last week
Cavan players Nicholas Walsh and Michael Lyng called on the
Ardagh and Mostrim Camps. Both players proved a real hit with
all the boys and girls at both venues.
Last of the Camps in full swing
The remaining Playstation Leinster GAA Summer Camp is taking
place this week in Monaduff, Drumlish with almost 100 boys and
girls from the local areas enjoying the last of this summer’s
Camps.
The second of this summer’s Playstation Leinster GAA Hurling
Summer Camps is also taking place this week at Pairc Chiaran,
Newtowncashel with good numbers attending our second Hurling
Camp this summer.
Successful U-8 Fun Gaelic Blitz
A very successful Longford Minor Board U-8 mixed Fun
Gaelic Blitz was held on Saturday afternoon last at the sun
kissed
Maguire Park, Ballinalee. On the day twelve clubs participated
with Longford Slashers, Clonguish, Killoe and Northern Gaels
entering two teams while the remaining clubs had all one team
each. On the day all teams played a minimum of three matches
while all teams were presented with medals at the end of the
day. Also each team received drinks and crisps from Longford
Minor Board. The following clubs took part: Longford Slashers,
Clonguish, Killoe, Northern Gaels, Clonbroney, Grattans,
Southern Gaels, Granard, St. Francis, Colmcille,
Ballymahon/Forgney and Ballymore. Well done to all players and
team mentors on the day and also to the four referees, who did
a tremendous job, namely Emmet Toher (Killoe), Mark Duffy
(Drumlish), Patrick Maguire (Granard) and Thomas Kelly
(Longford Slashers). On the day 24 games in total were played.
Summer Camp coaches of ‘05
Once again this summer we had a wonderful coaching
team working at our annual Playstation Leinster GAA Summer
Camps held around the county over the last two months. While
each day our excellent team, many of whom have played county
football at all grades over the years, that worked well with
each other ensured that the 1000 plus boys and girls that
attended our camps this summer went home happy and content
each and everyday while they were all always very comfortable
in our coaches’ hands. This year we had fifteen coaches who
worked with us throughout the summer at both our football and
hurling camps, namely Aodhnait Casey, Sinead Corrigan,
Lorraine McDonnell and Marsha Carberry - who all did a
wonderful job in looking after all the younger groups’ when
ensuring that all these boys and girls went home happy and
with big smiles on their faces each day. Mark Duffy and Nathan
Cox also joined us this year, and both did a tremendous job
over the summer. Emmet Toher and Kevin Burke returned for a
second year and over the last ten weeks both these fine
individuals did fantastic work in ensuring the successful
running of the Camps each day when working very closely with
our senior coaches. The Dalton twins, namely Sean and Declan
joined us this summer, and both these two fine Clonguish men
did marvellous work while getting on really well with all the
children when bringing a lot of laughter and craic to the
children’s faces. Neil Casey and Stephen Connolly also of
Clonguish joined us this year to work at our Hurling Camps -
both were excellent with their inner knowledge of the game.
The Slashers boys’ in David Sheahan, Cathal Cremer and Ronan
Duffy came on board this summer, and these three local men
brought lots of fun and enjoyment to all the camps each week
with their own witty and clever humour while David Sheahan’s
one-liners are now legendary among the coaches and children
alike. Finally Shane Henry of Ardagh also worked with us this
summer, and when things got a little stressful at some of the
bigger camps this fine young footballer would always put a
smile back on everybody’s faces. This year we had also two
Summer Camp Coaches’ helpers, namely Thomas Kelly and Mark
Valentine from our county U-14 football squad, with both these
fine young footballers doing an excellent job all summer when
assisting both our senior coaches and summer camp coaches in
the successful running of the day-to-day activities at the
camps and no doubt we will be reading a lot about these two
fine footballers in the coming years. To all the coaches who
worked at the GAA Summer Camps over the last two months, we
wish you all the very best of luck and success in what are a
few very important coming years for many of them and we hope
you enjoyed the summer and you all have very bright and
fruitful careers ahead of you both on and off the playing
fields.
