We didn’t manage to get back up from the west this evening in time for throw-in at Parnell Park where our local club up here, St. Vincents, were aiming to secure back-to-back Dublin county football titles for the first time in thirty years, while their opponents, St. Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh, were bidding for their first ever county championship crown.
Parnell Park was packed to the gills tonight – we only got in because, with the turnstiles all shut, the gate into the ground swung open at just the right time for us. We eventually found a spot over under the scoreboard at the far side where we got a half-decent view of proceedings, in which Vincents managed to come out on top in the end by just a single point.
Five up with just over ten minutes to play, the champions looked comfortable enough but when Alan Brogan bundled home a goal and Plunketts then added a point to cut the margin to the minimum, a shock result looked very possible. The Marino lads held their nerve and just managed to make it over the line on a scoreline of 0-14 to 1-10 to claim their 27th county title.
Next up for the newly crowned Dublin champs is an away clash against Portlaoise on November 9th. It’ll be back on the bus for us for that one, with hopes rising once more in these parts that another rousing club campaign may now be in the offing.
Well done to your club WJ. Some crowd there last night, the half back and half forward lines for Vincents are very impressive at overlapping and releasing the perfectly timed pass to a somewhat limited full forward line. They look like a very tight bunch and it just proves the heights a team can reach without necessarily being star studded.
Dunleavy from Plunketts is a top class fielder and is most likely Dublin bound.
One would get the impression Willie Joe that not to many Mayo folk here care a whole lot about Vincents great achievement in retaining their title, or maybe we’re still smarting following last years club final. Either way it was a fine effort and they will definitely be the team to beat again this year.
Well done as well to Ballyhaunis hurlers who beat Four Roads yesterday in a tight game to qualify for Connaught final.
Footballers up next weekend trying to do same.
Some bunch of lads……
Mayo have 4 lads on the trip to Australia, hope they enjoy it and don’t get injured, but IMO a good break was far better for any mayo lad than this joke of a trip. Have a look to see how many dubs or Kerry lads are traveling.
Congrats to Vincent’s on their win but surely they will not be so greedy to want another All Ireland as well!!!
And congrats to Lee, Colm, Aiden and Kevin on winning their trip to Oz. While there are many and varied opinions on this exercise I do not think that many of the begrudgers would refuse an offer themselves – if they could play football. The rewards for the vast majority for playing GAA are few and for those from the weaker counties almost non existent. I am only surprised that a few more Mayomen have not been included.
Off topic, but article in the Mayo News today taking quotes from the County Board meeting last week makes for sad reading-seems 1- the chairman has done an excellent job. 2-people on social media haven’t a clue bout anything.3-We’re all fukn brilliant and no-one is goin to tell us different……..What a bunch!
Wouldn’t it be great if leeroy, Boyler, Kevin Mc & Aido could persuade pearse Hanley to come home during the rules series. Doubt it could happen
But wouldn’t it be just great
I was hoping we wouldn’t have as many as 4 in the international rules squad (5 if you include Hanley).
I know it’s a great honour for the lads and they will look back on this in years to come with a great deal of pride, but Christ I wish they’d bin this pointless load of shite.
Agree with Dave above, would much rather our lads had a good break and not get involved in this nonsense.
Interesting that Kerry and Dublin have only 1 player each involved.
Do the Connacht club champions have to meet the Leinster club champions this year in the All-Ireland club semi-finals? If they do, then it will be a very tough game for whoever comes out of Connacht. I know that Castlebar met the Munster Champions, Dr. Crokes, last year and I think that St. Brigids met Crossmaglen, the Ulster champions, the year before.
W j How did Connolly play he is something else and I say he gets a lot of stick of the pitch hope not he a good player great to see him and cillian win awards as the lost out last year
He was a bit quieter than normal but it was a tight and very defensive kind of game, with Plunketts throwing a blanket right across their backline. He still managed to deliver a few real killer balls into the inside line in the second half that led to scores just when they were needed.
Wilile Joe any survey results available?
Connelly played well in court this wk,pleaded guilty and didn’t even end up with a record,some lads are looked after.he did far more community seservice hours than what was required as a gaa coach during the summer(that must have been tough on the poor lad) the politics of football.a joke…
Off topic the Connacht minor 2015 draw was done a few hours ago.
Quarter final
Sligo v leitrim
Semi finals
Galway v Mayo
Leitrim/Sligo v Roscommon
Galway again…..
Speaking of Galway, best of luck to the Mayo over 40’s in the All Ireland final tomorrow at 3:30pm against Galway (who are going for three in a row).
Such a shame the GAA does not want to have anything to do with this competition.
Game is live on Irish TV btw (Sky Channel 191).
is john crean playing? a fit man for 45 if ever there was one
Interesting Article here about the Winning culture in Kilkenny and Kerry.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/winning-culture-keeps-cats-and-kerry-at-the-top-30706566.html
Kerry never needed underage success is one of games biggest myths.
1986 to 1996 Kerry won no senior All Ireland and In that time they won three under 21 All Irelands 90, ’95, ’96 and two minors All Irelands in 1988 and 1994.
Players such as L Hassett,Fitzgerald,O Cinneide,Laide,D. O Se, M.F Russell etc came from those underage winning sides and without that underage success in the late 80s early and mid 90s they wouldn’t have won what they did at senior level over the last two decades.
Also they understand this and thats why more effort have put into minors and schools level with All Ireland titles won this year and they are sure to add U21 AI title to that list within the next few years.
Willie Joe, any chance of doing an article on Achill who have qualified to the Connacht junior final, im sure it would make for better reading than that of a Dublin team for the ordinary mayo supporter.
You could be right, achillmanindublin, but I’m afraid I’m on winter time now so I’ll only be keeping the site ticking over for the next while until the inter-county action restarts in the New Year. I’m more than happy, though, to host guest pieces from anyone who wants to report on action involving their own clubs and I’ll make no apology for continuing to post about mine.