Vol 4. Issue 6 March/April 2013 Countdown! Connacht counties gear up for start of championship Galway U-21s triumph Glory for Sligo school OFFICIAL GAA PUBLICATION €2.50 President’s Note Secretary’s Note A CHAIRDE GAEL, involved in 41 games over the divisions, which was the IKE a lot of people at this brainchild of the National stage of the year, I am ITH the national Hurling Development Com- L counting down the days football and hurl- mittee. The work of Adrian until the first game of the Con- Wing leagues be- Hassett, John Prenty and nacht championship, and with hind us for another year Damien Coleman has to be the meeting of New York and all of our attention now applauded and the competi- Leitrim almost upon us, the wait turns to the Connacht foot- tion has brought a new level is nearly over. ball championship, and of organisation to club hurl- On the back of a decent this year's competition is ing in the province. one to look forward to. It was disappointing that league showing Mayo will rightly The way the draw has panned out, we many eligible clubs chose not to partici- be the favourites to defend their Connacht title, but are sure to have a number of titanic bat- pate in the competition, but I earnestly it is fair to say that all of the seven participating tles before we get anywhere near a Con- hope that they will reconsider their posi- counties will fancy their chances of registering at nacht final. Leitrim face a difficult tion in the future. least one win in the competition. assignment in New York, London will We also had much to cheer in the Col- As a result it should be a most exciting and in- test Sligo's mettle, and if the two home leges football championships as St At- triguing competition and with Galway's progression counties get over their foreign tests, tracta's CS, Tubbercurry claimed the through an ultra-competitive provincial champi- their meeting in Carrick on Shannon is All-Ireland 'B' title, which shows the onship and into the All-Ireland U-21 final, and our sure to renew their age old derby ri- great work that has been done in the Colleges displays on the national front, football valry. school in the last few years. Special seems to be in a healthy state in Connacht. On the other side of the draw the mention also goes to Scoil Mhuire, It proved to be an excellent Connacht Scór for meeting of Galway and Mayo in Pearse Strokestown who lost in the All-Ireland the home county Leitrim a they went on to take five Stadium is a quarter-final worthy of the 'C' final, to St Gerald's Castlebar who of the eight titles up for grabs at the provincial fi- final, but with Roscommon waiting in were defeated by the eventual champi- nals in April. As always the standard of the competi- the wings for the winners, we can expect ons in the Hogan Cup semi-final and to tion was very high and the very best of luck to all of the fireworks to continue. It should be a Loughrea's St Brigid's who narrowly lost our representatives as they go on to the All-Ireland couple of entertaining months. out in the Vocational Schools 'A' hurling finals in Derry. Galway's victory in the Connacht U-21 final. championship concluded a tight provin- And finally, I was delighted to see the It is always difficult to launch a new competi- cial competition and their hard-fought efforts of the Football Review Commit- tion, but it has to be said that the first year of the wins over Mayo and Roscommon in the tee were rewarded at the GAA Annual Connacht GAA Táin Leagues has proved to be a huge final has set them up nicely for another Congress. The introduction of the new success. crack at the All-Ireland title. rules to the game should result in a Well done to Galway's Abbeyknockmoy and to And their victory over Kildare in the more enjoyable game to watch with the Mayo's Castlebar Mitchels on their respective divi- semi-final sees Connacht representation removal of much of the game's cynicism. sion one and division two victories, but also in the final for the third season in a row. Congratulations to the Connacht repre- hearties thanks to all of the teams that took part Hopefully they can now go on to pick up sentatives on the committee: John and made the competition such a resounding suc- their second title in three years against Tobin, Kevin Griffin, Declan Darcy and cess. Cork. Paul Earley, it is a great achievement Enjoy the championship! Congratulations are due to Castlebar that will give us a better game. Mitchels and Abbeyknockmoy on their Is mise, Is mise, le meas splendid victories in the inaugural Táin FRANK BURKE, JOHN PRENTY hurling leagues. In total 18 clubs were President, Connacht Council GAA Runai, CLG Cuige Connachta ‘Into the West’ Keep yourself in the loop. Sign up today for your free electronic copy of the magazine – emailed directly to your Inbox. To sign up, email [email protected] ‘Into the West’ is produced by the Connacht GAA Council. Editor: John Fallon. Published by: Pádraig Corcoran. News and photographs for inclusion can be emailed to [email protected]. To obtain an electronic copy of the magazine each quarter, free of charge, email [email protected]. • Next edition: May/June 2013. Deadline for advertising and copy: June 7th 2013. www.connachtgaa.ie. Cover Photos – Main Picture: Mayo’s Michael Conroy in action in the Allianz National Football League Divi- sion 1 semi-final against Dublin. Photo: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE Inset: Galway U-21 captain Fiontán Ó Curraoin lifts the cup following his side’s victory in the Cadbury Con- nacht GAA Football Under-21 Championship Final against Roscommon. Photo: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE Inset: The St Attracta's team and management celebrate their victory. Photo: Eamonn McMunn Page 2 Tribe U-21s reclaim Connacht title..............................4 Young Tribesmen meet Cork in final...........................8 Cadbury’s Connacht GAA U-21 Football ......................10 Glorious victory for St Attracta’s................................12 Galway hurling captain, Fergal Moore, at the launch of Galway St Brigid’s let lead slip in final....................................14 International Hurling Festival. Gerald’s campaign ends .............................................15 Seán Moran of Galway in full flight in Connacht U-21 final. Late agony for Strokestown .......................................16 Connacht media presented with McNamee Awards....17 International hurling festival for Galway ...................18 Six Mayo senior clubs appoint new managers ............19 Killererin footballer hoping to crack Everest..............20 NUIG students honoured ...........................................21 Kilkenny’s determination too Galway’s Alliance Football league round-up...............22 great for Galway in league final. St Attracta’s take All-Ireland B Galway’s Alliance Hurling league round-up ................24 Colleges’ football final. Allianze Hurling League final .....................................26 Abbeyknockmoy take Connacht GAA Táin title...........27 Focus on Galway ........................................................28 Focus on Leitrim .......................................................33 Leitrim’s Alliance Football league round-up...............34 Mayo’s Allianz Football league semi-final ..................36 Killererin’s Peter O'Connell Mayo’s Alliance Football league round-up..................38 hopes to conquer Everest. St Gerald’s (Castlebar) fall to eventual champions. Adrian Freeman remembered....................................41 Roscommon’s Alliance Football league round-up.......45 Sligo’s Allianz Hurling league round-up......................49 Sligo’s Allianz Football league round-up ....................51 Focus on Ladies football ............................................56 Girls Inter-provincial handball team of ten ...............61 GAA writers’ Players of the Month .............................63 Connacht media presented with Mayo at wrong end of two goal McNamee Awards. Knowledgeable Noel ..................................................64 league semi-final defeat. Page 3 CONNACHT GAA U-21 FOOTBALL FINAL Tribe U-21s reclaim Connacht title Burke and Walsh kick Tribesmen to victory Galway's David Cunnane in action. Photo: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE drop below Tadhg Lowe's crossbar, but the Galway ..................1-17 stopper appeared to briefly lose the ball in Roscommon ...........2-11 the setting sun and it was deemed to have crossed the line. After extra-time Roscommon soon got their own game plan under way when Conor Daly picked By DECLAN ROONEY out Donie Smith in front of the Galway Media West Ireland goal and he rattled the net with a low drive to level the game at 1-0 each just three minutes in. HANE Walsh kicked four points in Galway looked extremely dangerous the last four minutes to force extra- up front and soon began to pick off their time as Galway denied Roscommon points. Firstly Adrian Varley set up his Sa second Connacht U-21 title in a row at brother Paul for a point, before the at- Hyde Park. tacker laid it off to Walsh to score from the Three extra-time points from Ian right to open out a two point lead. Burke sealed Galway's 17th But in the 20th minute Roscommon hit title, but Walsh proved the a vital goal to take a 2-2 to 1-4 lead; Fin- hero for Alan Flynn's side tan Cregg applied the finish after Donie one again. Smith picked the pocket of Mulryan as On a beautiful evening for Galway tried to work the ball slowly out of flowing football the entertain- defence. ment was switched on from Galway trailed by 2-4 to 1-6 at the the outset and Galway had rat- break, but three points either side of half- tled the Roscommon net before time from Ian Burke soon drew them level.