Terrific local festival of football and fun

Every club in the county participated in the Feile through participation in the boys and girls competitions as well as playing host to club teams from across Ireland and further afield such as New York, Philadelphia, Scotland and England.

Indeed members of the local Eoghan Rua club, hosted North London over the weekend and staged group games at Pairc Eoghain Rua.

The action was fast and furious at Pairc Eoghain Rua last Friday and Saturday afternoon as the club hosted games in Division 3 Group C.

In the opening game of the competition Eoghan Rua took on their guests from North London. Playing with the strong wind in their backs Eoghan Rua took a 1-3 to 0-3 lead into the break, Shea Eastwood palming to the net just before half-time. Within two minutes of the restart the North London boys had taken the lead with three points in a row from Liam Gallagher, Jodi McGuckin and Shaun Donnellan.

Despite a brave rearguard action by the Eoghan Rua side with goalkeeper Conor Mitchell making several good saves the stronger North London outfit found the net twice in the second half, Ryan O’Sullivan and David Norton the goal scorers, to run out comfortable 2-13 to 1-3 winners.

That victory got the London side, made up of players from Parnells, St Clarets, St Kiernans, Tara and Tir Conail Gaels from the north of the city, off to the best possible start.

Next up for Eoghan Rua on Saturday was a game against the county champions from Carlow, Tynryland, the host side needed to win this one to have any chance of qualifying for a semi-final spot as group winners. Once again Eoghan Rua opted to play with the wind in the first half but they were unable to make much headway against a physically stronger Tynryland side.

The Carlow side took a 0-4 to 0-1 lead into the break, Ciaran Tosh getting the Eoghan Rua point. Three goals in the opening eight minutes of the second half had the Carlow lads in control but the Eoghan Rua boys battled gamely to the end.

A Ciaran Tosh goal gave them a chink of hope late on but despite a further Paddy Mullan point they could not get a second goal that might have led to a dramatic comeback.

Two defeats left Eoghan Rua out of the equation for qualification from the group while Tynryland and North London both won their opening two games setting up a winner takes all show down. A close first half had seen the sides go in level at the break as North London fired over three points to a goal from Tynryland.

The sides would be level twice more before two late points from Cillian Butler and Chris Somers sent North London on to victory and a place in the semi-final of Dvision 3. The meeting of Eoghan Rua and Rasharkin was simply for the bragging rights between the Oak Leaf and Saffron counties.

The sides were level midway through the first half but a late flurry of points followed by a Paddy Mullan goal seen Eoghan Rua take a 1-8 to 1-1 lead into the break. Ciaran Tosh with four points, two from frees, Niall Brown and Paddy Mullan (0-3) were the Coleraine sides’s points’ scorers. The second half was a low scoring affair with Paddy Mullan adding a second Eoghan Rua goal as they went on to win 2-8 to 2-2.

North London went on to the semi-finals where they met Monaleen from Limerick. A first half goal from Shaun Donnellan had North London ahead 1-3 to 1-2 after ten minutes but just before the break the Limerick side struck with a goal of their own to move ahead 2-2 to 1-3. The London lads battled bravely in the second half but two further Monaleen goals seen them into the final on a score of 4-6 to 1-5. Indeed the Monaleen side went on to win the Division 3 final beating St Eunan’s, Letterkenny 1-9 to 2-4 in one of the games of the day at Foreglen.

Eoghan Rua panel: Conor Mitchell, Conor Boyle, Ronan Gaile, Aidan Brankin, Barry Daly, Joe McCann, Luke Roantree, Joseph Lundy, Ciaran Tosh, Dermot Lynch, Shea Eastwood, Niall Browne, Hal McGonigle, Paddy Mullan, James Maguire, Cillian Butler, Luke Roantree.

North London: Eoin Higgins, Alfie McNulty, Danny McNicholas, Sean Gartlan, Ciaran McNamara, Ryan Callaghan, Aidan McGarvey, Liam Gallagher, Shane Buckley, Ryan O’Sullivan, Cillian Butler, Lyndon Bradley, Chris Somers, Jodi McGuckin, David Norton, Gerry Gallen, Alex pierce, Frankie Lebdiri, James Donnellan, Niall Walsh, Jack Twomey.

Skills on show

In the break between games at Pairc Eoghain Rua the skills competition seen a player from each of the four club’s battle it out for a semi-final place. Tynryland’s Eoin Shiels just pipped Eoghan Rua’s Paddy Mullan by two seconds to reach the semi-final with Shane Buckley of North London and Fergus Quigg of Rasharkin in third and fourth respectively.

Final glory

At the end of a fantastic weekend of football the boy’s finals took place at Celtic Park and Foreglen.

Dublin Champions Na Fianna claimed the Feile na nOg Division One crown thanks to a superb attacking first half display. This victory over Cork side Douglas on a score of 3-10 to 1-3 seen a Dublin club collect a third title in a row to follow in the steps of Ballyboden St Endas and Kilmacud Crokes.

The Division 2 final saw one of the individual performances of the weekend as Moy Davitts full-foward Conor Byrne put on a scoring exhibition bagging 3-3 in the Mayo side’s 3-7 to 0-4 win over Stradbally (Laois).

In Division 3 Monaleen (Limerick) defeated St Eunan’s, Letterkenny (Donegal) 1-9 to 2-4.

The Division 4 winners were Northern Gaels (Longford) who beat De La Salle (Waterford) 2-4 to no score.

There were great scenes of joy when the visitors from South London, a powerful side driven on by a dynamic display from Tosan Temu, defeated Clonmel Commercials (Tipperary) 0-8 to 0-4 to lift the Division 5 title.

In Division 6 Gortletteragh (Leitrim) built up an early lead playing with the wind and despite the best efforts of Kildare Champions Robertstown, the Leitrim side never looked in any danger after the break winning 3-10 to 1-2.

Fantastic Feile

As the organising committee handed the Feile flag over to next year’s hosts Cork, Chairman of Feile Dhoire 2010 Patsy Mullan said: “We are delighted with how the day’s proceedings went, it was truly an International day and great to witness a London team and a New York team compete on finals day in Celtic Park.

“The legacy of this event has been a weekend of sporting memories and new friends met, and we are happy to pass on the baton to our friends in Cork”

Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs and Communications Manager of Coca-Cola, sponsors said: “Coca-Cola is proud of its association with both the File Peil na nOg and File na nGael competitions. Congratulations to everyone who has taken part and contributed to such a wonderful celebration of Gaelic games in Derry this weekend”

* Eoghan Rua lotto: Sunday, July 4, no jackpot winner. Numbers - 6; 10; 15; 24. 25 winner - Sean McGoldrick (Portstewart). Jackpot, July 11- 4,900