Ballyhogue bound for Derry after Division 1 Féile football triumph

Irish Independent

13-05-2025

They will now head to Ulster for the national Féile, taking in a spot of glamping as part of the experience.
Having lost the last two finals, Ballyhogue were a determined club this time around, and that hunger was mirrored on the field.
This isn't the biggest team, and they are on the younger end of the age scale, but they did it the right way, with a keen mixture of doggedness and skill.
There's something special happening with these under-age squads in Ballyhogue.
They are now always competitive, and they've learned to lose big games the right way, to use it in building hunger and resilience, and now those hurts are the seeds of this kind of success. It won't be the last.
That ability to put disappointment in the rear-view mirror was evident in the round-robin stages when Ballyhogue were upset by Glynn-Barntown in a tight, one-point loss.
A Rathgarogue-Cushinstown victory over the Killurin boys set up a vital clash to find a qualifier.
In a much-improved performance, Ballyhogue did what they needed to do, winning and advancing, like they did two years earlier, on the least scores conceded.
That set up a mouth-watering tie against the exceptional Oylegate-Glenbrien in the last four.
Oylegate-Glenbrien were most people's idea of favourites but they were up against no ordinary opponent.
Aidan Wall scored the goal as Ballyhogue clung on to take a spot in the decider, winning by 1-5 to 0-7.
There they faced Horeswood but Ballyhogue had now hit top form after easing themselves into the competition.
Wall netted again, an audacious chip over the 'keeper, worthy of being the match-winner in any final.
The scores were shared around and Ballyhogue were never reliant on one lad.
Fergal Doyle, Mark Smith, Harry Asple, Beineán Moriarty and Charlie Hughes were all on the scoresheet as the Bree boys completed a 1-9 to 1-3 win.
Preparations are already under way for the trip to Derry at the end of June.
It's an expensive operation, with estimates running as high as five figures, so the club would be delighted with any help with their fundraising efforts in the coming weeks to give this special bunch of lads a weekend to remember representing their county.
Ballyhogue squad: Oran Pepper, Bobby Levingstone, Ronan Bolger, Cillian Swan, Darragh O'Shea, Fergal Doyle, Ryan Walsh, Mark Smith (capt.), Joshua Delaney, Aidan Wall, Harry Asple, Dylan Tyrrell, Bobby Higgins, Beineán Moriarty, Peter Byrne, Conor Sinnott, Fred Devereux, Eoin Murphy, Cameron Cloke, Charlie Hughes, Richard Doyle (inj.), Ian Murphy. Management: Denis Asple, Tom Wall, Colm Moriarty, Mark Tyrrell, Damien Smith, Mike Doyle.
Tadhg Furlong scored a dramatic late winner for Sarsfields as they claimed the Division 2 title In McCauley Park, Bellefield on Tuesday.
The Páirc Charman club trailed for almost all of the final but showed great heart and resolve to keep battling away to take a memorable success.
It all started in Grantstown for the Butters, where they defeated Gusserane by 5-5 to 2-0 to get off to the perfect start.
Another comfortable victory, this time against town rivals Volunteers by 5-3 to 0-1, set up a critical clash with hosts Bannow-Ballymitty.
It was a rip-roaring game but the Sars came from behind to advance to the last four with a 3-5 to 2-3 win.
The tension and competition amps up when the semi-finals start and it was a tough battle with St. Patrick's but again, on a scoreline of 3-5 to 2-3, the Butters bounded into the decider.
There they would face the biggest challenge of all, against a Réalt na Mara outfit loaded with talent.
The boys from Ballygarrett, Courtown and Riverchapel scored goals at critical times and held strong defensively, but that was until Furlong majored late on to cement the title by 1-9 to 3-2.
Sarsfields squad: Daniel Clancy, Conor Butler, Josh Kehoe, Aidan McDonald, Tadhg Furlong, Jayden Byrne, Billy McGannon, Chris Ramos, Cian McIntyre, J.P. Kenny, Ethan Jarvis, Rhys Farrell-O'Connor, Jayden McDonald, Justice Lynch, Matthew Perry, Devyn O'Sullivan, Sé Delaney, Calum Norris, Ryan Finnegan. Manager: Billy Dodd. Selectors: Kevin Carty, Jake Clancy.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy were the third and final Féile Peil winners, taking the Division 3 crown after an unbeaten campaign that saw them face Craanford, Marshalstown-Castledockrell, St. Joseph's and Geraldine O'Hanrahans.
The Boolabawn boys were impressive throughout the competition, facing some strong teams on the way to success.
However, this side grew in confidence as the rounds progressed and they will be fantastic representatives for Wexford in the coming weeks.
Craanford were dispatched in the opening game and a draw was enough against a spirited Marshalstown-Castledockrell outfit to see Davidstown-Courtnacuddy progress.
The semi-final saw the Enniscorthy District club purr, with a brace of goals each from David Doyle and Harry Redmond, four points from Billy Doyle and one from Darragh Sammon seeing their side progress by 4-5 to 0-5 against St. Joseph's.
That set up a meeting against a Geraldine O'Hanrahans team buzzing from their hurling success two weeks earlier.
New Ross had lots of possession but an outstanding defensive effort from Davidstown-Courtnacuddy ensured they went 1-0 to 0-1 up thanks to a Billy Doyle penalty that came early in the period.
Just before the break a Billy Doyle run set up Harry Redmond for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy's second goal as they took control at a key stage.
In the second period two more goals followed, one each for David and Billy Doyle, with Ross only able to tack on two points as Davidstown-Courtnacuddy took a memorable Division 3 success by 4-0 to 0-3.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy squad: Erin Morrissey, Jake Butler, Luke Jordan, Darragh Cloke, Aaron Bradley, Darragh Doyle, Martin James Kehoe, Adam O'Neill, Daithí Redmond, Billy Doyle, Darragh Sammon, Liam Hennessy, Harry Redmond, David Doyle, Richie Butler, James Doran, Alex Farrell, Cathal Doyle, Eoin Manning, Cian Kehoe. Management: Paul Doyle, Seán Hennessy, Declan Sammon, Richie Butler, James Kehoe, Shane O'Neill.