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Féile
Na n-Óg - Derry 2010
Pride of place in the club this week goes to our U14 girl
footballers who were runners-up in the All-Ireland Féile
in Derry at the week-end.
Friday 2nd July
The girls began their quest for glory on Friday afternoon
with a game against their host club, O’Donovan Rossa
from Magherafelt. The Shanes played with the wind at their
back in the opening half and by the half-time interval they
had the game all but wrapped up having scored 4 – 7
and they continued in the same vein in the second-half and
ended up scoring a total of 6 – 15 to win their opening
game comfortably.
Following the game the girls met up with their host families
before returning to the O’Donovan Rossa club-house and
heading off to Derry city for the opening parade. The Shanes
girls took their place on the Celtic Park pitch with all the
other 160 participating teams before parading through the
streets of Derry to the Guildhall.
Saturday 4th July
Saturday morning saw the Shanes back in Magherafelt for their
second game of the tournament, this time against Steelstown,
another Derry team. The girls put on another tremendous show
of attacking football and made it two wins out of two with
comprehensive win, 11 – 9 to 1- 0, to set up a quarter-final
date with Antrim side, St Brigids. With the two teams having
won both their opening games this was a winner takes all game
and it proved to be a very tense and exciting affair. The
Shanes scored 1 – 2 in the first-half but still found
themselves four points behind at the break with St Brigids
scoring 2 – 3. Within minutes of the start of the second-half
the Shanes had made the game all square and they went on to
qualify for the semi-final stage of the tournament with a
winning margin of six points, 3 – 7 to 2 – 4.
The semi-final was scheduled for Saturday afternoon but
before that the skills competition took place, with team captain
Louise Kenny representing the Shanes. Despite putting in a
brave performance, Louise finished second having been beaten
by a couple of seconds. Then it was on to the semi-final and
tough game against Thomastown from Kilkenny. This was new
territory for our girls but they came out all guns blazing
in the first-half and led by 1- 2 to 0 – 1 at the break
with a goal and a point from Moya Feehan with Aimee Mackin
getting the other point. However, the second-half proved to
be a totally different affair with the Kilkenny pinning the
Shanes back in their own half and with just minutes remaining
on the clock Thomastown led by two points, 1 – 4 to
1 – 2. The Shanes were defending like their lives depended
on it, making great blocks, clearing the ball off the line
but for all the world the game looked to be over. However,
these girls don’t know when they are beaten and launched
one more attack on the Thomastown goal; Moya Feehan won the
ball in midfield, rode two tackles before laying the ball
off to Aimee Mackin. Aimee powered forward knowing that only
a goal would do, she on took on two or three players before
unleashing an unstoppable shot to the roof of the Thomastown
net to put the Shanes a point up. The Thomastown keeper took
the resulting kick-out only for the referee to blow the final
whistle and send the Shanes through to the final. The whistle
was greeted with scenes of great scenes of joy and excitement
and even tears, not only from the players and mentors but
also from the sizeable Shanes support that were there to watch
the girls.
Soon thoughts turned to the final and who the opponents would
be and it transpired that it would be Cahir from Tipperary,
a team who had been beaten in the last two féile finals
- it was going to be a tough ask.
Sunday 4th July
Sunday morning saw everyone head to the Forglen club for
what promised to be a very special occasion but unfortunately
the Shanes didn’t get the result they were looking for.
The game itself was played in poor weather conditions with
a gale force wind and driving rain at times. The Shanes played
with the wind at their backs in the first period but only
managed to score two points, both coming from Aimee Mackin
whilst Cahir put a total of 3- 2 on the score-board. It was
always going to be an uphill battle in the second-half but
great credit to the girls they dug in and stuck to their task
right to the final whistle but unfortunately it wasn’t
enough on the day as the Tipperary team ran out deserving
with the Shanes only managing to put another two points on
the board, again both from Aimee Mackin. Although disappointed
by their defeat the girls soon managed to pick themselves
up and made their way inside to be presented with their All-Ireland
runners-up medals and as their manager Peter Lynch said to
them, they made history over the week-end, the first ever
Shane O’Neills girls team to reach an All-Ireland final,
something which can never be taken away from them.
Everyone at the club would like to congratulate the girls
and their entire management team on their tremendous achievement;
not only have they done themselves proud, they have done the
entire club proud. Well done and a big thank-you to everyone
involved with the team and who helped to make it such a brilliant
week-end – to all those who helped fundraise and ticket
sell, to everyone who sponsored gear and equipment (particularly
Casino Palace who sponsored the strip), to all the supporters
who travelled to cheer the girls on, our bus driver Frank
McCabe, the O’Donovan Rossa club in Magherafelt for
their hospitality, the management team of Peter Lynch, Freda
Mackin, Clare Carroll, Angela Jones and Violet Kenny but most
importantly the girls themselves: Jamie McGinn, Tara Byrne,
Emma Kenny, Nicole McTaggart, Aimee Mackin, Marieanne Marron,
Leanne Lennon, Moya Feehan, Chloe McCrave, Aimee Morgan, Nicole
Marron, Lorna Loughran, Ebony Rafferty, DearbhlaO’Callaghan,
Blaithín Mackin, Hannah McMenamin, Aoibheann Jones,
Caroline McMenamin, Louise Kenny (Capt), Kelly McCourt, Ciara
Jones, Karyn Feehan and Niamh Hughes.
>>
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