Congrats Terry 

 

All members were delighted this week to see Terry O’Dowd honoured with the Hall of Fame Award of the Westmeath Examiner Sports and Community awards and we congratulate this most worthy winner for his extraordinary contribution to the GAA at all levels and all aspects of the association.    

Village Barn Senior LGF Championship: Mullingar Shamrocks 3-14 Garrycastle Ladies GAA 2-8.

This was the most important result of a very busy few days in the club as the victory secured senior status for 2025.

A loss to Garrycastle in their home venue on Thursday night and possible relegation from senior ranks would have entered the equation. The team responded brilliantly to the challenge and the players produced their best display of the season to win a rare victory against Garrycastle in their home ground. Mullingar Shamrocks attacked from the start and Susanna Buckley and Emma Morris pointed in the opening minutes but were rocked in the sixth minute when Shannon Mulvihill goaled with one of those dipping shots that goalkeepers hate. Susanna Buckley responded with a point but minutes later the Shamrocks defence was dismantled for the second time and Amelie Henson scored Garrycastle’s second goal. After ten minutes of dominance Mullingar Shamrocks trailed by 2-0 to 0-3.

This was the last occasion the defence was exposed and some heroic defending over the next 50 minutes kept the goal-scoring chances to a minimum. Melek Fagan, Siobhan O’Donnell, Sophie Hegarty and Annmarie O’Reilly defended fiercely; Chloe Swarbrigg found time to move upfield and landed two points. A great Katie Kelly save prevented an Elaine McGovern goal and a brilliant block-down by Sinead Sweeney foiled Amelie Henson. Karen Hegarty and Elaine McGovern swopped points, Shannon Mulvihill and Grace Halligan pointed frees before Anna Jones and Karen combined to engineer Shamrocks’ opening goal. Anna’s quickly taken free was popped to Karen who blasted to the net for a vital goal (2-3 to 1-5). Grace Daly equalized and Chloe Swarbrigg moved up-field and pointed to give Shamrocks a half-time lead of 1-7 to 2-3. 

A Rachel Cheevers point extended Shamrocks lead following the restart and this was followed by points from Anna Jones (0-2) and Karen Hegarty. Grace Halligan pointed for Garrycastle and a great run by the dangerous Lorraine Duncan ended with a point by Clodagh McCahey (2-5 to 1-12). The next score was crucial and began deep in the Shamrocks full back line. Melek Fagan made a brilliant tackle to recover a ball she had loaned to a Garrycastle forward.

Melek broke from defence and found Anna Jones who soloed past several players and found Karen Hegarty who was pulled down for a penalty. Cliodhna Murtagh brilliantly saved Anna’s kick but Anna collected the rebound and blasted the ball to the net despite Cliodhna’s efforts to keep it out. A foul on Grace Daly (one of many of the night as Grace tortured the Garrycastle defence with her ability on the ball) and the resultant free was quickly taken by Susanna Buckley who found Chloe Swarbrigg, in her attacking centre-back mode and Chloe scored her second point of the night (2-13 to 2-5). Grace Halligan pointed a free but Chloe Smullen had a matching score – a great effort from play.

Grace Daly and Chloe Smullen combined but Chloe’s shot was well saved by Clodhna Murtagh. Sarah Dolan and Grace Halligan completed the scoring for Garrycastle before another episode of combined play produced the final score of the night - a Karen Hegarty goal. The move began with good defending and a save by Katie Kelly and involved Melek, Anna Jones, Grace Daly, Chloe Smullen and eventually Karen who shot to the net. At the final whistle, the scoreboard read 3-14 to2-8 and senior status was guaranteed for 2024. There were a lot of happy Shamrocks players and supporters in Garrycastle on Thursday evening.  

 

Mullingar Shamrocks: Katie Kelly; Melek Fagan, Siobhan O’Donnell, Sophie Hegarty; Sinead Sweeney (Jenna Kelly), Chloe Swarbrigg (0-2), Annmarie O’Reilly; Anna Jones (1-4), Rachel Cheevers (0-1); Emma Morris (0-1), Mairéad Newman, Zara Corroon (Chloe Smullen 0-1); Grace Daly (0-1), Karen Hegarty (2-2), Susanna Buckley (0-2) [Holy McCormack].

 

Shay Murtagh Precast Senior Football Championship: Mullingar Shamrocks 2-19 St. Malachys GFC 0-7.

 

It was mission accomplished for both teams in this final match of the Group B of the Shay Murtagh Precast Senior Football Championship played in the freezing cold of a September evening in Kinnegad.

There were no injuries and no red cards to disrupt future championship preparations in Mullingar or Castletown and Mullingar Shamrocks now play Tyrrellspass on Sunday evening in TEG Cusack Park starting at 5.15. For the first time since 2018, we have won 5 senior championship matches in succession but despite this we will start as total outsiders against Tyrrellspass who have been very impressive in their campaign to date.

The wind and cold made conditions difficult for football and despite the wind and hill advantage Shamrocks struggled to establish a significant lead. Dean Moore kicked the first point after Shane Ormsby gained possession from a Malachy’s restart and delivered the perfect pass to Dean. The resultant restart began a play that ended with Jordan Warde finishing to the net but the goal was ruled out for a ‘square ball’ infraction. A second point from Dean Moore finished a move that began with a great Dillon Matthews turnover deep in defence. After ten minutes, Shamrocks led by 0-2 to 0-0 after recording three wides, hitting the post and having a goal disallowed.

In the thirteen minute, the O’Reilly brothers combined and John was the one providing the finishing touches for the third point. Jordan Warde pointed; John O’Reilly intercepted the restart and set up Dean Moore for the opening goal in the 16th minute. The game slipped away from Malachy’s at this stage and Deano, Paddy Fagan and Shane Ormsby added points before Denis Corroon kicked two that are worthy of special mention. The first a long range free and the second a wonderful effort with the left boot form a mile out. The restart was given away and Dean Moore provided the opportunity for Jordan Warde to score Shamrocks’ second goal. The Malachy’s restart again went wrong and this time Conn O’Hanlon pointed to complete the first half total of 2-10 inclusive of 9 wides.

Morgan Gavigan (who had an extraordinary 35 possessions during the match according to the statisticians) opened the St Malcahy’s scoring account from a free early in the second half but Paddy Fagan responded with a like score. Matt O’Shea added another point – his first in the Westmeath championship. Paddy Fagan and Jordan Warde also pointed and corner back Paul O’Sullivan made an mamzing save to deprive Brian Guerin of a goal. Sean Jackson also produced a great save later in the half to deprive Brian for a second time. Jack Murphy and Dean Moore exchanged points, Dean finishing a great Matt O’Shea break through the middle. Morgan Gavigan and Paddy Fagan pointed, Paddy’s point created by a great piece of fielding from Eoin Doran’s restart and run by Shane Ormsby that was completed by Paddy’s point. Neil Kirby, Darren Ruane and Morgan Gavigan with a great free responded with points for Malachy’s before Dean Moore kicked three successive points to complete the Shamrocks tally. Neil Kirby had the final score before the final whistle allowed us to escape from the cold. 

 

Mullingar Shamrocks: Eoin Doran; Marc Eivers, David Gavin, Dillon Matthews; Conn O’Hanlon (0-1) [Davy Coyne], Matt O’Shea (0-1), Brendan O’Reilly; Conor O’Brien (Killian Daly) and Shane Ormsby (0-1); Patrick Fagan (0-4), Denis Corroon (0-2) [Lorcan Smyth], John O’Reilly (0-1); Brian Guerin, Dean Moore (1-7), Jordan Warde (1-2).

 

Clarke’s Bar Junior Football Championship: Mullingar Shamrocks 1-16 Coralstown-Kinnegad 0-16

“This was the type of football you could watch”, a veteran watcher of the Gaelic code commented at the end of this high quality junior football match in Springfield.

The match was a mixture of the old and the new with plenty of emphasis on possession but forward momentum was also very much part of the agenda of both teams. Perhaps the fact that both teams were already qualified for the knock-out stages may have encouraged a less cautious approach; whatever it was, the game of Gaelic football was the winner on a night that saw 32 points kicked from all angles with Mullingar Shamrocks kicking 15 from play. Some were works of individual brilliance; others completed bouts of great combined play. 

Fifteen minutes into the first half the sides were tied at 0-6 each before Stephen Bracken edged the Kinnegad combination ahead with a fine point from the wing. Ross Corroon and Trevor Keena equally shared the six Shamrocks points. In the second quarter, Mullingar Shamrocks played some superb football and outpointed Coralstown Kinnegad 0-6 to 0-0 to take an interval lead of 0-12 to 0-7. Alan Cashman equalized, Trevor Keena pointed after Emmet Walsh with a great catch and pass created the opportunity; Nathan Smith pointed after some great work by Dónal Lane who had his finest outing in a Shamrocks jersey; Niall Hannigan kicked the tenth point and completed a great sequence of combined play; Ross Corroon added another point to his collection made possible by Ross’s superb catch. The final point might well have been the best of the lot as Conor Fagan rifled a superb shot over from long range. The remarkable bout of scoring secured by the mid-field dominance of Dónal O’Donoghue and Pearse Corroon brought Mullingar Shamrocks from 0-7 to 0-6 behind to an interval lead of 0-12 to 0-6. 

Coralstown-Kinnegad with five points in succession from Jack Cole applied the pressure after the restart. In between Cole’s scoring spree, Niall Hannigan pointed and a great shot from Pearse Corroon dipped under the bar despite the best efforts of Clive Kiernan for the game’s only goal (1-13 to 0-12). Alan Cashman and Dónal Lane combined to set-up Eddie Moore and Eddie pointed, a crucial score that provided a bit of added security for Shamrocks. Eddie’s point was followed by points from Enda Leonard, Rory Cole and Jack Cole again that reduced the Shamrocks lead to the dangerous two points. 

Andrew Shaw stepped in and broke the trend with two excellent points that completed the scoring for Shamrocks before Neil Carthy pointed for Coralstown. Andrew Shaw’s two points secured the 1-16 to 0-16 victory and second place in the Junior I division. 

 

Mullingar Shamrocks: Philly Shaw; Eamonn Breslin, Aaron Purcell, Conor Fitzpatrick; Emmet Walsh; Eddie Moore (0-1)[Matthew Siode], Dónal Lane; Pearse Corroon (1-0), Dónal O Donoghue; Alan Cashman (0-1), Trevor Keena (0-4) [Gary Corroon], Niall Hannigan (0-2); Ross Corroon (0-4)[Andrew Shaw 0-2], Nathan Smith (0-1) [Ciaran Kiernan], Conor Fagan (0-1) [Nathan Cornally].

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