MFC Div 1 final: O'Mahony's end sixteen year wait

9 October 2026

Adam McEvoy shoots for Navan O'Mahony's during the MFC Division 1 final against St. Colmcilles at Simonstown

Navan O’Mahony’s 2-06
St Colmcilles 0-10

Navan O’Mahony’s claimed the Delaney Cup after an absence of sixteen years from Brews Hill in Simonstown on Wednesday evening, with Max Rogers and Bobby Gaffney finding the net. PHOTOS

With the change of the minor grade from U17 to U18, O’Mahony’s knew they had a battle on their hands against St Colmcilles, who were the 2025 winners. The reigning champions opened the scoring with two carefully worked points from play in the first six minutes.

Scores were hard to come by for both sides with Cormac Fitzsimons registering O’Mahony’s first score after a foul on Harry McGuirk, converting a two-point free in the tenth minute. Eight minutes elapsed before St Colmcilles took the lead again.

Adam McEvoy responded in turn with a point from play. Cillian Fitzsimons won the resulting kickout and set up Rogers who sent the ball to the net, giving O’Mahony’s the lead for the first time. St Colmcilles kicked the last score of the low-scoring half and O’Mahony’s went in at the interval with a two-point advantage. In addition to the scorers, Daniel Joseph and Tom McGuinness were impressive for the winners.

Navan O’Mahony’s 1-03
St Colmcilles 0-04

Again, scores were not plentiful in the second half and there were ten minutes gone before Rogers kicked an impressive free to restore the three-point lead for O’Mahony’s.

Midway through the second half, St Colmcilles pointed a free at the opposite end. The defining moment of the match came when McEvoy hit a shot into the square, with Gaffney scooping up possession and rattling the net to put some, albeit not much, distance between the sides for the first time.

St Colmcilles responded with a point and supporters of both sides were in for a tense finish to the match, with both sides determined to get over the line. On the fifty-two minute mark, Rogers pointed from play before McGuirk did likewise five minutes later, following a good play including Luke Maguire, Luke Casey and McEvoy. With the clock ticking down, O’Mahony’s looked in a good position but the men from East Meath were not going down without a fight.

St Colmcilles reduced the gap to four points entering injury time and then kicked a two-pointer free, following a three-up breach, to leave a single score between the sides with five minutes of injury time played. The final minutes saw great clearances from Oisín Finnegan and Michael Byrne. Gabriel Phelan, Andrew Ormsby and Sam O’Brien all impressed throughout in defence also, with Darragh Ward and Luke Gaffney making an impact on introduction.

Captain Harry McGuirk accepted the famous Delaney Cup at the final whistle and spoke well. He paid tribute to St Colmcilles and the battles these groups have had over the years, the mentors, parents, officials and players. Poignantly, McGuirk also remembered Donal Fitzsimons, who was one of the early mentors of this team who tragically passed away in 2020 and Pamela Joseph, mother to Daniel who passed away during the summer.

Navan O'Mahony's: Cormac Fitzsimons (0-02, 1 2PF), Gabriel Phelan, Oisín Finnegan, Michael Byrne, Andrew Ormsby, Luke Maguire, Sam O’Brien, Harry McGuirk (0-01), Bobby Gaffney (1-0), Cillian Fitzsimons, Adam McEvoy (0-1), Daniel Joseph, Luke Casey, Max Rogers (1-2, 1f), Tom McGuinness

Subs: Luke Gaffney for Maguire (temp), Darragh Ward for McGuinness