History made as St Brendan’s field Ladies 3rd XV, Football 1sts let it slip against Fingal Ravans, 2nds likewise against Raheny.
On Monday June 26th in Longmeadows, History was made when St Brendan’s GAA Club fielded a Ladies Football 3rd XV to take part in the Go Ahead Transport Junior J Championship. Alas for the team christened The Female Darker than Dark Force, the team went down 11-21 to 0-2 to the newest GAA team in Dublin, Na Gaeil Aeracha. The Team will try and make amends in Game 2 on July 3rd away to St Mary’s Saggart.
Meanwhile in Grangegorman, The Ladies 2nd XV, Sponsored by Bartra Healthcare, started the Junior H Championship in fine style with a 7-16 to 0-3 victory over Castleknock, and the scorers were: Sadbh McDermott: 2-4, Niamh Cooney: 2-5, Chloe Kennedy: 1-0, Maria Maloney: 1-3, Anne Marie Casey: 1-2, Helen Lenihan: 0-2, Niamh Dywer: 0-1 and Helen Macklin: 0-1. Can the Female Darkest Force continue their good momentum next Monday away to St Judes?
On Tuesday June 27th, The St Brendan's Men's Football 1st XV, Sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions, faced the daunting task of top of the table Fingal Ravens to keep the teams hopes of automatic qualification from AFL5 on track.
It looked that way at half time when The Dark Force lead 1-5 to 0-6 at half time with the goal coming from the penalty spot from Nicky McCafferty. However, Fingal Ravens are not top of the table for nothing and lifted their game to run out winners 2-12 to 1-11 and to ensure the AFL5 league title will be resting in Rolestown over the winter. McCafferty scored two points as well. Diarmuid Cooney scored 4 points, Luke ‘The Miracle Worker’ McDonagh could not reproduce the heroics of 2017 against the same opposition which gave him the name of The Miracle Worker, but at least he scored two points and likewise John Burns.
Thursday Jun 29th
The St Brendan's 2nd XV in partnership with Stoneybatter Pride of Place, faced a side Raheny side with Virgin Media Rugby Commentator Dave McIntyre playing, in AFL10 North.
1:56 was gone in the first half when The Darkest Force opened the scoring thanks to Ferdia Donohoe, after James McGee blocked a Raheny attack and passed to Andy ‘The Ballaghdereen Bypass’ Moran, who played a 40 meter kick pass to Diarmuid Byrne who didn’t play the Advance Mark but got fouled in the process. Donohoe scored the free in.
7:20 gone on the second half and a super save from Conor Hallisey and clearance from Martin Hickey and at the end Tim ‘Tull’ Dunne was in his knees when passing to The Curry Shoeman Brendan Brogan for the citeog shot over the bar.
Raheny made it four points on the spin, the first of which was a free in after a dunt by Dunne, but then there was another point by Donohoe after Colin Folan showed great maturity when not retaliating after being fouled and got shoved to the ground, which resulted in the referee moving the free an extra 10 meters, The Stamullen Hellraiser’s free in found The Blacksod Lighthouse Killian Dixon and onto Kevin ‘76’ Berry, Donohoe could have got the goal but settled on a fisted effort over the bar.
The Darkest Force retook the lead when John Tuffy volleyed the ball into the corner of the Raheny net thanks to a pass from the Milltown four-star James Mc Gee. The score became 1-4 to 0-4 following another Donohoe free in after getting nutmegged 13 meters from goal after collecting a Berry line ball.
Both sides traded points at the closing stages in the first half. Some powerful running from Berry found Diarmuid Byrne with the citeog over the bar. Donohoe’s bid for a four-point half time lead ended when a free in sailed wide.
The Happy Days Coffee Van Half Time Score St Brendan’s 1-5 Raheny 0-5.
Unfortunately, the second half went unreported because this writer went off to see German Electronic Legends Kraftwerk in concert in Trinity College.
Raheny, like Castleknock in hurling last Friday dominated the second half and scored 1-8 with Ferdia Donohoe scoring the solidary St Brendan's point in the second half.
Final score from Grangegorman, St Brendan’s 1-6 Raheny 1-13
