Adult hurling returns to Ballymore after a nine-year lapse this season when Fr Dalton's take part in the junior 'B' championship. And following the historic victory by Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's in last year's minor 'premier' championship, the timing couldn't be better according to Fr Dalton's president Mick Kincaid. History will be made this year when Fr Dalton's run out to face Turin in the junior 'B' hurling championship in what will be the Ballymore club's first game at adult level in nearly a decade. It will be a small but very significant step for a club that hasn't fielded an adult team since 1999, but has been working towards that goal over the past number of years. "All the coaching, all the work we've done with the young lads - it's all been geared towards this," explains Fr Dalton's president Mick Kincaid. "It's nearly 10 years since we last fielded an adult team, and since then we have been concentrating all our efforts in bringing the underage players through. We have a lot of lads who are either minor or are just gone over that age, and if we didn't field a junior team this year we would have been faced with the prospect of losing them to other clubs or them giving up hurling completely." Fr Dalton's will compete in the junior 'B' championship where they will face the second teams of the intermediate clubs. And with a number of ex-players or players who have transferred back from other clubs keen to revive their Fr Dalton's careers, the young players won't have too far to look for experience. "We've got a commitment from a few of the older lads who were involved before our adult team folded in 1999 that they will hurl for us this year. Pat Connaughton and Pat Conway have both transferred back to us from Castletown-Geoghegan, while Paddy Martin is one of those who is keen to take up hurling again. Brian McCabe has indicated that he might come back as well - we'll have to wait and see," Mick says. Fr Dalton's wouldn't have been in a position to reform as an adult club but for the decision to join forces with Southern Gaels at underage level earlier this decade. This has proven to be one of the most successful amalgamations in the county and hopes are high that both clubs will reap the benefits at adult level in the near future. "It has been very successful for both clubs," acknowledges Mick, who managed last year's Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's under 16 squad along with Donie Glynn, John Landy and Michael Larkin. "We basically started from the bottom, coaching youngsters in both Ballymore and Athlone, and within a couple of years we were winning 'A' and 'B' championships. We then moved up to 'premier' level and achieved a major breakthrough last year when we won our first minor championship." Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's surprise but fully merited victory over the holders Raharney was the biggest thing to happen to both clubs in many a long day and was just reward for the efforts of Kincaid, Donie Glynn, Kevin Jordan and so many others who had worked tirelessly in bringing major hurling success to Ballymore and Athlone. Southern Gaels stalwart Jordan, who managed the minor side along with Glynn and John Foley, hailed the victory as being "monumental for hurling in South Westmeath" and predicted that it would lead to great things for both clubs at adult level. The minor championship success was the undoubted highlight of a very busy season for Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's who also won out the 'B' section of the Westmeath/Offaly hurling league and were runners-up to Clonkill in the Division 1 league final. Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's qualified for the minor championship final on the back of wins over Brownstown, Ringtown and Clonkill. Having given second best to Raharney in the Division 1 league semi-final, the south county amalgam went into the championship decider at Cusack Park on October 14 as underdogs. But they produced a dramatic late surge to upset the odds and win by 1-7 to 0-5. Despite the perfect conditions, the hurling was of a poor quality in the first half with Raharney leading by 0-3 to 0-1 at the interval. The Deelsiders still led by 0-5 to 0-3 midway through the second half, but then Southern Gaels/ Fr Dalton's suddenly came to life, scoring an unanswered 1-4 to land the spoils. The winners struggled badly in the first half and had to wait until the 26th minute for Callum McCormack to open their scoring account. Further scores from McCormack and impressive substitute Noel Mulligan kept them in touch in the third quarter, but it was patently obvious that they needed something special to turn the game around. Then, from somewhere, Southern Gaels/ Fr Dalton's found new belief. Points from McCormack and Daniel Qualter brought them level before Joe Kenny gave them the lead for the first time. Substitute Brian Finnerty added another point from 40 metres and in injury-time the same player fired home the only goal to seal a memorable win. Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's under 16 team, which included minor players Trevor Farrell, Callum McCormack and Brian Finnerty, also brought silverware to the two clubs when they defeated Laois side Castletown/Slieve Bloom by 0-9 to 0-6 in the Westmeath/Offaly 'B' league final in May. They subsequently reached the Division 1 league final which they lost to Clonkill by 0-11 to 1-10 in heartbreaking circumstances. The southerners were desperately unlucky not to take anything from the final which was played in Cusack Park on October 6. The exchanges were close throughout with Clonkill holding a slender 0-6 to 0-5 lead at the interval. Following the resumption, the imperious Daniel Qualter, Callum McCormack and Donal Glynn hit points to give Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's the lead for the first time since the third minute. However, disaster struck the boys in green, gold and maroon moments later when a speculative lob into the square by Clonkill wing back Anthony Price slipped through the fingers of goalkeeper Stephen Dowling for the only goal. Clonkill extended their lead to three points with seven minutes remaining, but their opponents showed real character to reduce the deficit to the minimum with further scores from Qualter and Glynn. A replay looked to be on the cards when Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's won a 25-metre free in the dying moments, but inexplicably Qualter sent his shot wide and from the resultant puck-out, Clonkill's Sean McCormack gained possession and set up his captain Niall Dowdall for the insurance point. Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's under 12 and 14 teams also had eventful campaigns. The under 12s defeated Crookedwood in their divisional final, while the under 14s were beaten by a strong Castlepollard side in the 'A' championship semi-final. Kincaid is confident that Fr Dalton's will give a good account of themselves in the junior 'B' championship, especially as the club is still riding the crest of a wave after last year's minor success. "The minor win has given us a lot of confidence going into this year. We had seven lads on the starting team and they now know what it takes to be successful. Donie Glynn is over the junior team and if he's half as successful as he was as an underage coach, I think we'll have a good year." Fr Dalton's decision to reform as an adult club will be welcomed by all hurling supporters in the county. Founded as an underage club in 1977, the club fielded at adult level for the first time in 1982 and went on to win a junior league and championship double in 1987. The Ballymore men reached the 1990 intermediate championship final, only to lose to St. Oliver Plunkett's by a point. By then, star player Brian McCabe had departed for the US and his leadership qualities were sorely missed as the club's fortunes begin to decline, culminating in its withdrawal from adult competition in 1999. But after years of intensive coaching at underage level and no little amount of success, Fr Dalton's will make their long-awaited return to the adult ranks this year when the junior 'B' championship will be in their sights. The 2008 Fr Dalton's hurling club executive committee is as follows - president: Mick Kincaid; chairman: Donie Glynn; secretary: Barry Cuffe; treasurer: Martin Ryan; PRO: Vinny McCormack. Tweet

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