Football  

Aodh Ruadh turned on the style to see off Termon 4-12 to 2-7 on Friday evening. Barry Ward's men bounced back from last week's defeat against MacCumhaill's with a display which oozed class. Termon started brightly, leading 1-1 to 0-1 in the early stages, but Aodh Ruadh quickly settled and had edged a point ahead by the first water break. They then outscored Termon once more in the third quarter to go in at the interval leading 0-8 to 1-2. The Ernesiders got their first goal of the game early in the second half with Philip Patton starting and finishing the move. Ballyshannon continued to pick off points with Termon only capable of mounting sporadic resistance. Michael McKenna netted his side's second goal after the water break, before then turning provider with a sensational pass for Nathan Boyle to collect on the run and blast to the back of the net. Ryan Granaghan then applied the coup de grace with a well-worked goal which sealed the result. Check out aodhruadh.org for a gallery of pictures from this game. The Aodh Ruadh team and scorers were as follows; Karl O'Brien; Mark McGlynn, Colm Kelly, Conor Patton; Johnny Gethins (0-1), Eddie Lynch, Kyle Murray; Nathan Boyle (1-2), Eamonn McGrath; Philip Patton (1-5,1f), Darren Drummond (0-1), Diarmaid McInerney; Cian Rooney (0-1), Shane McGrath (0-1), Oisin Rooney. Subs: Michael McKenna (1-1) for Rooney 16 minutes; Niall Murray for McInerney half-time; Oisin Rooney and Ryan Granaghan (1-0) for C Rooney and D Drummond 46 minutes.

 

Goals proved the big difference between the sides on Saturday as Termon got the better of the Aodh Ruadh reserves on a 3-11 to 0-9 scoreline in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. We have pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org.

 

Next weekend sees our seniors bidding to secure their return to Division 1 football when they travel to take on Naomh Columba. The game is on Friday with an 8pm throw-in. The reserves also tackle Glen this weekend with their game going off at 2pm on Saturday in Páirc na nGael.

 

Aaron Cullen, Eoghan Kelly and the Donegal minors now have an Ulster final to plan for after seeing off the challenge of Armagh last Wednesday in Healy Park. It finished Donegal 1-6 Armagh 0-5 in Healy Park as Cullen kept a third successive clean sheet, producing one crucial stop in the first-half which was right from the top drawer. Once again, we wish Donegal the very best of luck this Friday when they face Tyrone in the Ulster Championship final at 7.30pm, venue to be confirmed.

 

In the last round of the under 13 league Aodh Ruadh and Kilcar had a great tussle in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh on Saturday with the game finishing honours even after the 60 minutes, the final score Aodh Ruadh 4-7 Kilcar 2-13. Jayden McGrath Clyne and Shaun McGarrigle were both absolutely outstanding during their stints the goals. Corey Sheridan top scored for the Ernesiders with 3-2 to his credit, while Eoghan Gallagher raised the other green flag and added two points for good measure. Also on the score sheet were MJ Ward (0-2) and Joseph Gibbions. Head to aodhruadh.org for a great gallery of pictures from the match. The lads have a shield final on Wednesday night, with venue and time still to be confirmed. 

 

The under 11 boys had a busy week. They travelled to Four Masters on Thursday evening, and turned in their best performances of the season, against a strong Four Masters team. We hosted Dungloe on Saturday in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh, and again played really well. Four tightly contested games were played, with our boys winning on the score board, but more importantly improving their performances game on game. We have a gallery of pictures from the Dungloe games on aodhruadh.org. We train again this week on Monday from 6pm to 7pm in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh, and on Thursday on the Coláiste Cholmcille field from 6pm to 7pm . 

 

Under 9 training continues as normal on Friday evening at 6.15pm. Four Masters will be the visitors on Saturday for the first home game of the season. Throw in at 11.30am. 

 

Hurling 

The senior hurlers got their junior championship campaign off to the perfect start with a 1-19 to 0-16 over Setanta at the Crossroads on Sunday. It was a great performance from the Ernesiders with Aodh Ruadh leading throughout. A gritty Setanta outfit did come within a point of Ballyshannon with five minutes remaining, but Aodh Ruadh rallied to win by six. Next up for Aodh Ruadh is the visit of Saint Eunan's to Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh next Sunday at 2.30pm.

 

Our under 17s returned to action last week facing up to Coolera Strandhill in the Táin Og in Páirc Aodh Ruadh. On a wet night, our lads produced a very strong first half performance and were leading well at half-time. Coolera rallied strongly at the start of the second half, and gradually worked themselves back into the game. A brace of pre water-break goals had them leading going into the last quarter. Our lads showed great composure to steady themselves and get a couple of scores right after the break, and pulled away to win by a margin of eight points. Next up is Carndonagh in the Donegal league on Thursday evening.

 

Our under 15s had their last home game of the Donegal league against Setanta. The opening quarter was hotly contested and there was very little between the teams in the opening exchanges.  As the half wore on, our superior goal threat saw us pull away from Setanta, and lead comfortably at half-time. The final result was a comprehensive win for Aodh Ruadh. All of the panel performed very well, and there were some notable performances from Corey Sheridan, Killian McPhelim and cousins Liam and Eoin Doogan. Next up is Ballina at a neutral venue for our final game in the Táin Óg league on Wednesday evening.

 

The under 13s had an impressive outing against an amalgamated South Leitrim hurling team playing under the banner of Saint Mary’s Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday morning. Despite bad weather and early start, 23 out of the 24 strong panel made the trip to Sean Mac Diarmada Park. The game began with a stiff defence from the home team however with some scores from Dáithí Sheerin, Joseph Gibbions, Corey Sheridan, and Eoghan McCadden in the first third, some distance was put between the teams. Changes were made in the second third with eight new Aodh Ruadh players introduced, which only served to strengthen Ballyshannon’s momentum; adding a further 1-8 to their tally, only conceding a single point in this period. The last third saw a Saint Mary’s comeback as the Leitrim team scored two goals in quick succession however the boys dug deep, and the full back-line of Rossa McAuley, Gareth Brennan and William Ryan denied Saint Mary’s for the rest of the game. Aodh Ruadh scored a further 3-7, with some fantastic scores from Dylan Owens, Sean O’Neill and Corey Sheridan, adding to his outstanding personal tally of 1-12. A last-minute goal came just before the whistle for Joey Daly who received the biggest cheer of the day after assisting with numerous scores, and just narrowly missing out getting his name on the score sheet. Special mention goes to the stellar midfield partnership of Joseph Gibbions and Anton O’Loughlin who was returning from injury and put in a man of the match performance. Final score: Aodh Ruadh 7-21 St Mary’s 2-1. The team on the day was Finn Doogan, Rossa McAuley, Gareth Brennan, William Ryan, Sean Maguire, Sean O’Neill (1-0), Oisin McCadden, Joe Gibbions (0-6), Anton O’Loughlin, Eoghan McCadden (1-0), Corey Sheridan (1-12), Shay Winters (1-0), Joey Daly (1-0), Dáithí Sheerin (2-2), Anton Duffy, Shaun McGarrigle, Alex Kerrigan, Ethan Kerrigan, Dara Vaughn, Allister Cian, Harvey Power, Dylan Owens (0-1), and Jayden McGrath Clyne. The boys have a busy week ahead starting with Setanta at home in the Donegal league on Thursday night. After topping their group in the Táin Óg League with an unbeaten run, they will play the respective group winners from Tyrone, Derry, and Fermanagh on Saturday in the semi-finals. These are provisionally pencilled in for the Derry Centre of Excellence at Owenbeg.

 

Our youngest hurlers, the under 7s and under 9s, had a great morning on Sunday when they travelled to Ballybofey for a blitz with MacCumhaill's. In total we had 30 players take part and each and every one made their club proud. The conditions weren't ideal, and I'm sure all the parents there were grateful for the shelter of the stand, but our players showed great toughness in braving the elements. Thank you to all the parents for travelling, our COVID officers, and to our coaches for managing their teams. We look forward to hosting MacCumhaill's for the return fixture.

 

Ladies 

There was no action for the Aodh Ruadh ladies last weekend with the MacCumhaill's unable to field for the Junior game. This Sunday both teams are in action at home. The seniors face Downings in the Intermediate league which the juniors take on Naomh Columba. Throw-in times still to be decided. 

 

The Aodh Ruadh under 16 girls found themselves on the road again as they made the long trip to Dunfanaghy to take on Saint Michael's last Tuesday. The Ballyshannon girls made a bright start to the match with Cara O’Loughlin leading the charge towards the Dunfanaghy goals time and time again. There were also great penetrating runs from Annie Keon, Dairín Sweeney and Lauren Foy who tormented the Saint Michael's defence and created a number of scores from the ever-reliable Cadhla Dolan and Niamh McGloin. While the Aodh Ruadh girls had taken the lead by the half-time break the Saint Michael's team were proving a tough, physical opponents. The girls had to remain strong and focused as they took to the pitch for the second half, but, in a similar fashion to the first half, the girls showed great determination and drive and with some courageous interceptions from Ciara Larkin and Fodhla Sheerin in defence and Mollie Travers in goals they managed to keep the Dunfanaghy scores to a minimum. Some peculiar refereeing decisions allowed the home team to put a few more points on the board but the Aodh Ruadh team remained resolute and were full value for their victory. With another win under their belt, the girls march on to the final two games in their division with full points on the board. This Tuesday, 10th August, they welcome Burt to Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh for their penultimate must win game.

 

It was disappointing outing for the under 14s against Ardara in their top of the table Division 1 clash last Saturday. The Ballyshannon girls never got going, and despite an outstanding defensive display it was the visitors who took the points. Best for Aodh Ruadh was the outstanding Megan Murphy at full back. Caitlin McGrory ran her close between the posts with a number of top drawer saves. Megan got great support from Rebecca Downey, Katie McGowan and Sadhbh Hughes. Up the pitch Aoife Travers and Roise Conlon gave it their all. Emily McNamee starred in an attack which didn't see a lot of ball with Cádhla Dolan and Ciara Larkin accounting for the Aodh Ruadh scores. There are pictures from the game up at aodhruadh.org. This Saturday the girls are at home for their final game of the season against Dungloe in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh at 1pm. 

 

The under 12 training continues as usual on Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm and Saturday from 11am to 12 noon. 

  

Under 10 training continues as usual on Tuesday at 6.15pm at Coláiste Cholmcille.

 

Pitch Bookings  

Each club sub-committee is asked to please mail an updated list covering the next four weeks to Tom Daly indicating fixture, time and opposition. Despite the deluge of rain over the weekend we got five official fixtures played in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh on Saturday. Thanks to our Park work crew who were on last week and had everything in tip top shape despite the worst the elements could throw at them.

 

Work progressing in Father Tierney Park

Despite the recent inclement weather a huge programme of work is continuing on building a new playing surface at the Father Tierney Park. Members of the Working Group who have taken on the job of promoting and selling the Sponsor a Sod campaign are asked to get their returns back to Tom Daly, David McLoone and Michael Daly on an on-going basis. Thanks to the many who have already supported this fund-raiser which is of vital importance to the funding of this major investment in Father Tierney Park.

 

Sponsor A Sod   

To fund the development at Father Tierney Park, Aodh Ruadh have launched one of their biggest fund-raising efforts in decades, asking the public to ‘Sponsor A Sod’ at €50 each to help meet the costs of this ambitious plan. A permanent display bearing the names of donors will be erected in a prominent position at the Park.

Our Working Group members are out and about promoting our Buy a Sod campaign Any club member who can help to promote this should contact any member of this Group or any of the Park / Development Committee Officers for brochures and vouchers. Likewise if you would like to become part of the Working Group to act as a key seller. There is a lot of interest locally and further afield in seeing the Father Tierney Park project succeed. Thanks to all who have supported the campaign so far.

More than 25 Aodh Ruadh club members have joined the working group to actively promote this fund-raising campaign and to sell sods. The working group is as follows: Sabrina Brosnan, Michael Daly, Sarah Daly, Tom Daly, William Doogan, Gerard Ferguson, Conal Gallagher, Johnny ‘Mannix’ Gallagher, Paul Gillespie, Jim Kane, Donagh Keon, Diarmaid Keon, Patsy Kilgannon, John Larkin Jr, Dinny Loughlin, Sylvester Maguire, Brian Murray, Val Murray, Mick McGrath, Packie McGrath, Pat McGrath, David McLoone, Philip McLoone, Pauric McShea, David O’Donnell, Sean O’Mahoney, Barry O’Neill, John Patton and Gregory Sweeney. Those promoting this fund-raiser can make any returns they have at Sunday's games in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. See David McLoone, Michael Daly or Tom Daly. 

Please contact any of the following if you wish to volunteer: Tom Daly (087-2390410), David McLoone (087-7760172), Philip McLoone (086-4053008), Conal Gallagher (086-2112812), Patsy Kilgannon (087-2372128), or Michael Daly (086-9171949). 

Those living away from Ballyshannon, whether in Ireland or across the world, should note that they can purchase sods, and little bit of club immortality, on Klubfunder.com. Any questions or enquiries can be sent [email protected]. 

For further information on any aspect of the Sponsor A Sod please contact the Aodh Ruadh Park / Development Committee officers - Tom Daly (087-2390410), David McLoone (087-7760172), Philip McLoone (086-4053008), Conal Gallagher (086-2112812), Patsy Kilgannon (087-2372128), or Michael Daly (086-9171949). 

 

Boot exchange 

Our boot exchange programme is now up and running. Anybody who wants to exchange boots going forward, please text Packie McGrath on 087-9794696. 

 

Old hurleys home 

A number or parents have kindly donated hurleys and helmets that are no longer in use. If you have any hurls and helmets you would like to see used, please let us know and we will put them back into use. 

   

Aodh Ruadh lotto       

There was no winner of last week's Aodh Ruadh Lotto jackpot of €2,200. The winning numbers drawn were 2, 3, 9, 12, 13 and 16. In the lucky dip cash prizes of €25 went to Kevin Connolly and Daithi McCann. The next draw is for a jackpot of €2,300 on Sunday at 9pm. Tickets are available in Kernan's Spar and Pearse O'Neill's. You can play also play the lotto online. Log onto klubfunder.com and then search for and select Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon. Users can now avail of the auto-renew option to play the same line every week until they decide to stop when they pay using Stripe. Give it a go, you never know!   

   

The lotto team for McCosker’s Centra on Saturday is: SENIOR HURLERS.  

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