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Junior Hurling, 7 September
Eire Óg, Greystones 0-6:Kiltegan 3-15
Kiltegan were far from perfect but didn’t need to be anywhere near that to reach the County Junior A Hurling final, where they will face an Avondale team who came through an altogether tougher semi-final test.Kiltegan were dreadful in front of the posts, racking up an astonishing 16 wides, one every four minutes or so – and that will be a concern heading into that decider against Avondale, who came through extra-time against Carnew Emmets. It shows how dominant they were, however, when you consider that they deservedly won by 18 points despite such wastefulness.
Though they fell 0-1 to 0-2 down by the 10th minute, a Seán O’Neill point levelled the contest and, one minute later, Marty Byrne dropped an attempt at a point by Steven Coogan, and the sliotar trickled over the line.Despite dominating then next eight minutes, Kiltegan could only improve their score by a point, and JJ Phelan’s misfiring from frees was keeping Éire Óg in the contest. A second Kiltegan goal, from Matthew Doyle, had the look of a game-winner however, even if the game was only 19 minutes old.
They led 2-8 to 0-2 at half-time, and Éire Óg were yet to hit a point from play.
The second half was barely better for Éire Óg. They added just four more points and had to wait until the 39th minute for their first score from play, by Hugh O’Neill. Indeed, O’Neill scored five of Éire Óg’s six points, and the only other player to score for the Greystones side was Joe Prendergast, from play on 54 minutes.
Kiltegan really just needed to tip along in the second half, but while their shooting hardly improved, they still managed to get the scores they needed to keep Éire Óg well at bay. They added a third goal five minutes from time, after Shane O’Toole flicked the ball on to Seán O’Neill, who was dragged down in the box by Danny Nolan. Paul Porter signalled for a penalty, which was taken by JJ Phelan. His effort wasn’t the strongest, but he netted it all the same, and he finished with 1-4, going some way to making up for his earlier inaccuracy from placed balls.
Kiltegan might have had another goal two minutes from time, but substitute Éanna Waters blasted over for a point instead. Over the crossbar or under, it hardly mattered, as Kiltegan would ultimately cruise into the decider with 18 points to spare, and it’s probably no bad sign that they can win by such a large margin while not always putting on a show.
Kiltegan: Eoin O’Neill, Niall Gartland, Ciarán Doyle, Malachy Byrne, Ronan Flanagan, Colm O’Connor, Noah Hayes, Steven Coogan (1-0), Matthew Jackson (0-1), Josh Byrne (0-2), JJ Phelan (1-4, 1-0p, 2f), Daniel Byrne (0-3), Dean Davis (0-2), Seán O’Neill (0-2), Matthew Doyle (1-0). SUBS USED: Shane O’Toole for M Doyle (51), Éanna Waters for Hayes (51), Aidan Byrne for Gartland (51), Seán Kelly for S O’Neill (57), Séamus Coogan for C Doyle (59)
Éire Óg, Greystones: Marty Byrne, Pa Scanlon, Danny Nolan, Joe Prendergast (0-1), Joey Molloy, Mick Arrigan, Kevin Byrne, Dáire Corcoran, Craig Byrne, Graham Mahon, Jason Doyle, Eoin Dorgan, John Cahill, Ger Whyte, Hugh O’Neill (0-5, 1f). SUBS USED: Ross Lally for Nolan (inj), Conor Power for Cahill (47)
Junior men’s football
Éire Óg Greystones 3-16: Dunlavin 3-9
14 August
Éire Óg made it two wins from two in the Junior B Football Championship after a seven-point victory over Dunlavin.
The hosts started brightly, Paddy Marrinan kicking a score seconds into the match. But Dunlavin responded well with a goal down at the other end. Mikey O’Rourke played a great pass to set up Harry Reid, and the corner forward fired it into the net.
Greystones then went on a scoring spree, with four points in three minutes. Marrinan found the first two, before a successful free courtesy of Gearóid Murphy and another point from Marrinan.
The home side netted their first goal in the eighth minute. The ball came through to Dunlavin goalkeeper Conor Deering, but pressure from Marrinan caused him to drop it, and it went in off the wing-forward’s leg.
The visitors then got their first point of the match, Alan Miley with a great score from long range.
It would be nine minutes before there was any further scoring. On that occasion, Murphy ran straight through the Dunlavin defence before splitting the posts himself.
After that, Daniel Connerty popped the ball over from close range, before a huge boot from Murphy cleared the crossbar to extend the gap to seven points. Dunlavin then found consecutive points, Adam Brewster scoring from close range before O’Rourke slotted over a straightforward free.
The hosts closed out the first half in style; a successful Marrinan free was followed up by a composed finish into the goal by Eoin Howlin, and Greystones held a nine-point lead at half-time.
The visitors came out much stronger after the break. O’Rourke scored a point early on, before Daire Dunne tapped over from inside the 21. O’Rourke followed that up with two more scores from frees.
With their lead down to five points, Greystones found their third goal 20 minutes from the end. Connerty played Darragh Shanahan in. The wing forward’s shot took a deflection off the goalkeeper before going into the back of the net.
The home side had all the momentum now, and Daniel Healy kicked an impressive two-pointer to make it a 10-point game.
Dunlavin found a goal to keep the game alive, O’Rourke’s attempt being turned in accidentally by a Greystones defender. But the hosts were not deterred, and Marrinan scored two points before Brendan Cunningham finished off an excellent move by his team.
The away side managed a third goal, O’Rourke slotting his penalty past the goalkeeper, and a point from the corner forward kept them in it. But two superb points courtesy of Connerty and Shanahan soon removed any doubts about the outcome. Dunne scored one last point for Dunlavin, meaning Éire Óg ran out winners by a seven-point margin.
Éire Óg: Billy Norman; Rónán Hannaway, Michael Cannon, Shaun Horan; David Dunne, Brendan Cunningham (0-1), Robert Moore; Gearóid Murphy (0-3), Daniel Healy (0-2); Darragh Shanahan (1-1), Cian O’Lonaigh, Paddy Marrinan (1-7); Corey O’Brien, Daniel Connerty (0-2), Eoin Howlin (1-0); Subs: Dónal Conlon, Piaras Healy, Cian Hynes, Seán Lehane, Jamie McDonald, Richard McNally, Donagh Mellett, Seán O’Neill, Dominic O’Brien.
Senior football
Éire Óg Greystones 3-20: Dunlavin 1-10
9 August
Oisin Murphy scored his second goal in the 43rd minute to put the result beyond any doubt as Éire Óg Greystones hammered Dunlavin 3-20 to 1-10 in their final group game.
It gave Éire Óg an unlikely shot at qualification for the quarter-finals, but results did not quite go their way the following day.
David Rooney got the scoring started with a sweetly-hit, left-footed, curling effort over the bar from just beyond the D as Greystones won the throw-in and immediately went on the attack.
Two minutes later, Cillian Keane doubled Éire Óg’s advantage with another curling effort, on the left foot this time and from a more acute angle.
Dunlavin had to wait until the sixth minute for their first meaningful attack. MJ Moran was sent through on goal, he shot and beat Greystones keeper, Rob Nolan, but Kevin Booth made the save. Gary Allen followed up on the sliding, but Booth stopped again, this time clearing the ball.
Greystones were clearly on top and added four more points before Dunlavin got their first score in the 15th minute, a two-pointer off the boot of Mark Murtagh.
Keane, with a free, and Sam Thompson cancelled out that score in the two minutes that followed, however.
It was already looking a tough task for Dunlavin, but they got their goal in the 18th minute, breathing some life into the game. Murtagh firmed a heavy hit in midfield and sent a long ball to Seán Doyle in the left corner; Doyle took on his man and finished it well, to the right of Nolan.
That goal ended up being a false dawn, however, as Murphy got his first goal two minutes later. Thompson was running at the Dunlavin defence, Murphy moved inside to receive the ball, and with Dunlavin’s keeper Conor Deering running out, the full-forward tapped the ball over him and into the net.
Greystones added five points before the end of the half: two from Joe Prendergast and Colin O’Shea, and one from Danny Wood. This gave them a lead of 11 points going into the dressing room at 1-13 to 1-2.
Prendergast and Doyle exchanged scores at the start of the second half before Dunlavin got their tails up with a two-pointer from James O’Reilly in the 34th minute. Cian O’Sullivan then scored a free and a two-pointer to cut the deficit to six points.
However, that was as good as it got for Dunlavin as Greystones got their second goal in the 38th minute. Tom Shields won a free on the opposition 65, and a quick tap and go left him in acres of space, running at the Dunlavin goal. He laid the ball off to O’Shea, who finished with ease.
Murphy added a point three minutes before his second goal came in the 43rd minute. Keane played it to Thompson, located wide of the goal, and he played it to Murphy, running into the box. Murphy slapped the ball home, effectively putting the game to bed.
Prendergast and Keane got the next two points, and Dunlavin did respond to cancel these out with two in a row from substitute Matt Miley. Wood added his third while Prendergast got his fifth to stretch the margin out to 15 points as the game went into time added on, however.
Rooney got the final score with a free in injury time as Greystones ran out 16-point winners.
Senior hurling: 21 July
Glenealy 2-19 Éire Óg Greystones 2-12
A ten-point haul from Gavin Weir saw Glenealy run out comfortable winners over Éire Óg in their Senior hurling championship match on Saturday evening in Arklow.
From the referee’s opening whistle Glenealy took complete control of this opening round game.
They had taken a two-point lead early on with strikes from Gavin Weir and Danny Staunton.
The first major turning point of the game arrived eight minutes in when Weir controlled a ball before rounding the defender but his goal-bound effort was kept out by opposition netminder Dan O’Neill, who touched it over the bar.
In the same play, Éire Óg centre-back Stephen Kelly came off with an ankle injury, this led to a number of positional changes for his side. In the next play a long ball into the Éire Óg square was bundled into the net by Gary Hughes with ten minutes on the clock.
Once this purple patch ended, a James Cranley free, after a great run from James Cahill, narrowed the gap slightly before Hughes added a minor to his tally.
The second quarter of the half began with another Cranley free for the north Wicklow side.
Glenealy were finding scores easier to come by as two Weir dead balls and a fine effort by James Byrne followed.
With six minutes left on the clock Staunton managed to catch a ball from goalkeeper Driver to slot over; he did the same moments later in between an effort from Paddy Marrinan.
The final scores of the half came from the free takers Weir and Cranley.
The second half started off with a bang as recent transfer back to Greystones Andy Walsh rose higher over Warren Kavanagh before rattling the back of the net.
Within a minute Walsh nearly doubled his goal tally, but his effort flew over the bar.
Another Pooch (Cranley) dead ball had put Éire Óg right back into this tie.
A change of markers on Walsh seemed to change the game as Sam O’Dowd kept Walsh from causing any more damage.
At the other end Staunton doubled his account for the game in between another effort from Alan Driver.
The response from Greystones was immediate as ‘Pooch’ moved out to the half-forward line to raise two white flags. There was confusion in the ground as the scoreboard had Glenealy much further ahead.
Just as it looked like the momentum was swinging back in the favour of the north Wicklow side the opposition had other ideas.
Staunton rose highest before laying off a ball to team-mate Matthew Traynor, who drove through the defence before firing home the second major of the day. With a quarter of the game to go both sides started to empty the bench and Cormac Byrne made an immediate impact, firing over to extend his side’s advantage before the aforementioned Weir added two more to his tally for the day.
This game and especially the final ten minutes of this tie turned into a shoot-out between Weir and Cranley. It was Cranley who scored first before Weir cancelled his effort out. It was then the turn of Marrinan to get in on the act.
The last five minutes were quite exciting as the two sharp-shooters kept slotting over. In what was the final play of normal time Walsh caught his final ball of the game before being dragged down.
This led to a penalty which was expertly dispatched by O’Neill who came up from his net.
In almost a fitting ending to the game Weir made sure his side would come out victorious while he would finish on double figures.
Junior hurling
Bray Emmets 3-10: Éire Óg Greystones 1-16
6 August
Éanna Hayes’ last-gasp goal rescued a point for Bray Emmets with Éire Og Greystones in an O’Neill’s Electrical Junior Championship local derby.
The game started scrappily, with Greystones doing most of the attacking. Adam Bushe burst out from the Bray full-back line to clear on a number of occasions to stop any chance of a goal.
Enda Forde opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a hard, low shot just beyond the 21; Hughie O’Neill won the resulting Bray puck out and sent it right back over, putting Greystones up by two.
Macdara Ó Mídheach popped over one from play a minute later to halve the deficit after Brian McCann hit a quick free to him on the 65.
Forde popped over his second point next, but this was cancelled out moments later by an Ó Mídheach free.
The real separation came in the 11th minute when Forde got his goal. He was on the 21, at the sideline, and hit the ball low into the box, and a handling error by Bray’s keeper, Adam Windsor, led to the ball going into the net.
Greystones began to strut their stuff over the next eight minutes. O’Neill popped over a sideline, Mick Arrigan scored a long-range free, while Forde and O’Neill again got a point each from play to have them leading by eight points by the 20th minute.
In that minute, Bray got their first goal. McCann shot from a free, Kevin Byrne in goal for Éire Og made the save, but his clearance only went to McCann, who saw the open net and finished to the top corner.
McCann popped over a free five minutes on but, again, Greystones entered a scoring patch, getting four points in a row, two for Forde and one each for O’Neill and Arrigan, making it 1-11 to 1-3 as the half-time whistle blew.
It took nine minutes for the first score to come in the second half, McCann with a 65, before he scored two in a row from play – and from some distance – to get Bray back in the game.
Dáire Corcoran broke that streak, getting Greystones’ first score of the second half in the 42nd minute.
This didn’t faze Bray as they were now able to score more freely. Hayes, McCann and substitute Dáithí Ebbs got one each to bring the deficit down to three with 10 minutes remaining.
Mikey Ryan was on hand to push his side’s lead out to four in the 51st minute with a sweet strike, however this lead was quickly cut down to one as McCann powered a free from out wide into the net.
Hayes followed up with a point straight away to equalise and bring the game towards an intriguing conclusion.
Greystones responded well to this comeback and got the next three scores. O’Neill added one from a free and one from play, while Forde lashed over his sixth with about 30 seconds left to push their lead back out to three points.
From the puck-out Bray, worked it long and eventually sent it into the full-forward line, where Hayes was in position. He gathered the ball, ran across the 21, and shot low and hard to level the game.
Éire Óg tried to work the sliotar back down the field, but thanks to heavy pressure from Bray, they were delayed from doing so for long enough, holding out for the draw.
Bray Emmets: Adam Windsor; Donncha MacMaoláin, Adam Bushe, Danny Eglington; Colin Salmon, Jamie Ryan, Rory Mulcahy; Éanna Hayes (1-2), Luke O’Reilly; Shane Slattery Macdara Ó Mídheach (0-2, 1f), Ross Binley; Eoin Fox, Brian McCann (2-5, 1-1f, 1 ‘65’), Darragh Ward. Subs used: Barry Buckley, Aaron Ryan, Dáithí Ebbs (0-1)
Éire Óg Greystones: Kevin Byrne; Pa Scanlon, Ross Lally, Joey Molloy; Craig Byrne, Mick Arrigan (0-2, 1f), Dáire Corcoran (0-1); Mikey Ryan (0-1), Ryan McCormack; Dara McGowan, Enda Forde (1-6), Hughie O’Neill (0-6, 1f, 1 s/l); Conor Preniston-Bird, Paul Nolan, Matt Hayes.
Senior football: 14 July 2025
Éire Og Greystones 0-12: St Patricks, Wicklow 2-19
An Tóchar and Bray Emmets’ clash in Aughrim didn’t quite provide the fireworks you’d like to see on the opening night of the Senior Football Championship. Up the road in Ashford, Éire Óg and St Pats were facing off at the same time, and St Patricks’ full-forward Tommy Kelly certainly couldn’t be accused of not sparking the competition into life.
His 10-point haul was the bedrock of the Wicklow men’s 13-point victory over Éire Og Greystones, a result that certainly adds flavour to Group Three.
Greystones had started brightly, with corner-back Colin O’Shea giving them the lead with a point from play in the very first minute. A minute later, he was catching the ball on his own goal line, thwarting a Dean Healy attempt at a three-pointer. Healy’s Wicklow inter-county team-mate Joe Prendergast got the next point and, in the fifth minute, Cillian Keane popped over Greystones third from play.
Indeed, Pats were scoreless until the 11th minute, when Jordan Petticrew finished over the crossbar after some patient build-up play.
Healy got his first score of the game two minutes later from play, but from the following kick-out, Prendergast went down the other end to cancel Healy’s effort out.
In the 15th minute Pats got level; Evans scored a two-pointer from a free, but bigger things would follow. Pats won the next kick-out and worked the ball down the right side, where Conor O’Brien was given a run at goal. From an acute angle, he finished it low and underneath Rob Nolan in goal for Éire Og, putting Pats in front by three points.
Evans popped over another free, and Bryan Doyle got his first of the day to put the Pats up by five points with 21 minutes gone.
Éire Óg had the chance to hit back but instead registered two wides in a row, and Pats had completely taken over the contest.
Pats had a chance for their second goal in the 25th minute, but Éire Og snuffed it out and broke, eventually winning a free high up the pitch, which Keane slotted over.
Shane Doyle hit the kick-out for Pats and struck it long to Healy in the middle. He caught it and ran at the Éire Óg defence. He was being fouled but didn’t stop going and handed it off to Paddy O’Keane, who was set through on goal. With only Nolan to beat, he put it into the left corner and sent Pats seven points up.
Healy popped up with his second point next, which Cillian Keane cancelled out with a free moments later, but Kelly finished the half with his second two-point free as his side went into the dressing room leading by nine points, at 2-9 to 0-6.
Evans, with another free, got the scoring going in the second half, putting the deficit into double digits in the 31st minute. The Greystones side needed a goal if they had any hope of getting back into the game, and they got a chance in 38th minute. Fionn O’Carroll ran at goal and shot, but his effort was too tame; Shane Doyle gathered and was fouled by the pressing Éire Óg players. Things went from bad to worse for Greystones in the 39th minute when substitute Darragh Shiel received a black card for tripping a Pats player on the break.
David Rooney slotted over a two-point free for Éire Óg, but this gave them fleeting hope at best as Kelly slotted over another free a minute later.
Danny Wood and Kelly exchanged frees next before Greystones full-back Tom Shields powered forward in the 48th minute to get a point of his own from play.
There was another exchange of frees between Kelly and Rooney, and then Matthew Trainor and Darren Hayden exchanged points, this time from play, to have Pats eight clear with five minutes to go.
From there, Pats steamrolled Greystones. doyle scored one from play to go with a free, while Ryan McConnell scored a point from play as the game went into added time. Doyle added a 45 while Kelly finished it with one from play to leave the final margin at a sizeable 13 points.
COUNTY MEN’s FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE FINAL
Rathnew 1-14
Éire Óg, Greystones, 2-10
14 June 2025
The somewhat muted post-match celebrations from Rathnew tell you everything you need to know about the value they place on the League next to Championship. But it utterly contradicted the action over the 60 minutes prior to Jamie Snell lifting the Dunne Cup; Rathnew battled to the final whistle to secure the title having trailed for, almost, the entirety of the contest. Indeed, they only led once, perhaps for a matter of seconds – but they just so happened to be the final seconds of the game.
“It’s only the League”, and all that, but this will sting Éire Óg; they led, literally, from minute one but sustained several injuries that might have just tipped the balance in Rathnew’s favour. Even at that, they nearly clung on.
Though the rain-affected opening quarter was far from thrilling, Éire Óg had something of a roller-coaster start. At the end of a devastating opening counter-attack, Danny Wood supplied the ball to goalscorer Sam Thompson for a dream opening salvo, but the Greystone side’s injury woes started only minutes later. Darren Hayden had to go off injured on five minutes, a potentially crucial blow to Éire Óg, many felt.But on they pushed throughout the first half. Rathnew were held to just two points in the opening 20 minutes, and Éire Óg almost had a second goal just eight minutes in when they had two strikes saved from close range; one save was made by a defender, it seemed; and another by Ronan Doyle. It was an opportunity missed, but a two-point free on 20 minutes by Danny Wood tightened their control at 1-4 to 0-3, and better was to come. Just three minutes later, referee Tiarnán de Hál called for a push in the box against an Éire Óg player, and Thompson cooly slotted home the following penalty .
Rathnew looked to be forcing things in the final third, losing their patience and seeing loose ball swept up by the Éire Óg defence. But as the dreadful rain that had plagued the opening quarter gave way to sunshine, Rathnew seemed to click. Three points in the closing five minutes of the half pushed their first-half tally to 0-7, well within overtaking range of Éire Óg’s 2-5, and Greystones’ keeper Billy Norman had to make a great save on 26 minutes from Adam Byrne, who caused Éire Óg constant trouble with his lightning-fast runs at their defence.
Éire Óg actually extended their lead after the break. Though Eoin Doyle’s third successful free had cup Rathnew’s arrears five minutes into the second period, a Sam Thompson free and a David Rooney two-pointer put the team in red and green in trouble. This was the case despite Éire Óg having sustained another injury early in the half, Alex Baine this time helped off the field. Peter Keane and Kevin Booth would also go off hurt as the half progressed.
But Rathnew’s pressure would eventually begin to tell and, in the 41st minute, they grabbed the score that changed the game. Another fine run by Adam Byrne again unlocked Éire Óg, and this opening would lead to their first goal; though Sam O’Dowd’s shot looked to be off the mark, it was poked back on track – and home – by Doyle.
Rathnew dominated from there, taking a stranglehold over the middle sector of the field, but try as they might, they could not seem to pull level with their opponents. They eventually did so on 55 minutes at 1-12 to 2-9, but they missed two chances from frees – one, a sitter, somehow sent wide by Jack Manley – and it looked as though those misses would kill their title hopes. An excellent ball from Wood found Thompson in the top-right corner, and while Thompson still had plenty work to do, he managed to sneak in towards goal and send over a lead point in injury time for Éire Óg.
Where previous free-takers had failed, however, substitute Toby Curran delivered for Rathnew: twice. His first was far from a gimme, but over it went in the third minute of added time. While the game now seemed poised for extra time, on Tiarnán de Hál played, and another Rathnew free soon cropped up. In the fifth added minute, Curran put his side into the lead for the first time – but there’s no more important time to be in front.
Rathnew: Ronan Doyle, Jack Healy, Jamie Snell, Callum Clarke, Adam Byrne (0-2), Gary Byrne (0-1), Sam Healy (0-1), Seán Coffey (0-1), Ciarán Coffey (0-1), Theo Smyth (0-1), Sam O’Dowd, Philip O’Neill, Robbie Murphy, Eoin Doyle (1-3, 3f), Bill Moorehouse. SUBS USED: Willam Moorehouse (0-1) for B Moorehouse; Toby Curran (0-3, 2f) (H/T); Ross Quinn for Clarke (48); Jack Manley for Doyle (50); Ross O’Brien for O’Neill (55).
Éire Óg, Greystones: Billy Norman, Colin O’Shea, Tom Shields, Seán McLaughlin, Oisín Shanahan, Peter Keane, Darren Hayden, Alex Baines, Kevin Booth, Gearóid Murphy, David Rooney (0-2, 1tp), Cillian Keane (0-1), Sam Thompson (2-3, 1f, 1-0p), Danny Wood (0-2, 1tpf), Fionn O’Carroll (0-1).
Senior men’s football
4 March 2025
An Tóchar 0-9
Éire Óg, Greystones 0-11
ÉIRE Óg Greystones survived a late An Tóchar surge in a low-scoring affair to win in Roundwood on Friday night.
A flurry of different scorers for Éire Óg ensured they would leave Roundwood with two points to stay in the hunt for a league final. Niall Sheehan was on song in front of goals with support from Jordan Brady, but neither could orchestrate a goal to win the match.
Éire Óg got off the mark in the opening play with a fast break, and they worked the ball well through the lines. It was James Wood who kicked the point.
Following this, An Tóchar has much of the possession but found it difficult to break through the Éire Óg defence. Niall Sheehan did kick An Tóchar’s first point on 10 minutes to level the match, but Éire Óg went in front again through a converted free from Darren Hayden. The men from Greystones were putting in a big defensive shift across the 40-metre arc to keep An Tóchar at bay.
An Tóchar’s Oisín Cullen delivered a pin-point pass for Sheean to tap over and level the score once more. Fintan O’Shea covered a lot of grass on the night and this time got on the end of a play he created to swing over a point.
A 45 from Danny Wood and a free from Cillian Keane further extended the Éire Óg lead to three points. They counterattacks were working a treat as they turned the ball over and responded in numbers. Darragh Shiels pointed from a difficult angle on the wing to leave the half-time score at 0-2 to 0-6.
Cillian Keane opened the scoring in the second half for Éire Óg by converting a free in the opening minute. Niall Sheehan responded moments later with a free of his own. An Tóchar made good use of the solo-and-go rule to break up the field and Niall Sheehan finished the move with a point.
Sheehan split the posts from a free to close An Tóchar’s deficit to one on 41 minutes. Cillian Keane settled Éire Óg by converting a free before substitute Stephen Kelly showed his experience by fisting a point over the bar at a critical time for his side.
Fintan O’Shea put some distance between his team and An Tóchar with another well-worked team point. An Tóchar’s Lorcan Smith won the kick-out and kicked a long ball into Jordan Brady, who turned his marker but saw his shot at goal go narrowly wide.
Jamie Salley, Lorcan Smith and Joao Vitor Fagundes kept the pressure on Éire Óg, and Niall Sheehan swung over another fine point on 19 minutes to leave the score at 0-6 to 0-10.
Éire Óg’s Sean McLaughlin further extended his sides lead to put them in control of the final minutes of the match but two quick-fire frees, one being a two-pointer from Jordan Brady, gave An Tóchar a glimmer of hope.
An Tóchar were dealt a blow on 25 minutes when Oisín Cullen was forced off with a nasty -ooking arm injury before Éire Óg lost Fintan O’Shea to a black card for a pull down. The men from Roundwood kept pushing for a goal, but the Éire Óg defense held strong.
Sheehan kicked his final free of the night for An Tóchar as Éire Óg Greystones ran out two-point winners.
ÉIRE ÓG GREYSTONES: Sean O’Neill; Colin O’Shea, Peter Keane, James Wood (0-1); Oisín Shanahan, Daire Devine, Darragh Sheil (0-1); Danny Wood (0-1, 1 45), Kevin Booth; Fintan O’Shea (0-2), Tom Shields, Cillian Keane (0-3, 3f); Eoghan O’Longaigh, Darren Hayden (0-1), Fionn O’Carroll. Subs used: Alex Baines for D Hayden (21), Stephen Kelly (0-1) for E O’Longaigh (10), Darragh Shanahan for F O’Carroll (48), Sean McLaughlin (0-1) for O Shanahan (48).
Senior men’s football, Division 1
Éire Óg, Greystones 3-11 Kiltegan 0-9
07 March ’25
It took goals either side of half-time for Éire Óg to seal this match on paper but, in truth, the result was rarely – if ever – in doubt. Kiltegan were struggling in the County League prior to this – two defeats from two, at a score difference of minus 20 – and Éire Óg always looked to have the potential on Friday night to inflict the kind of hammering that would put them near the top of the first division at this early stage.
The first quarter saw Éire Óg set the tone. Kiltegan had their fair share of possession, but there was little consistency to how they approached the Éire Óg backs, and they never seemed to develop a clear approach to breaking down a Greystones defence keeping its shape easily. When Éire Óg reclaimed the ball – as they always seemed to do – they moved it at pace into the opposition half.
While Éire Óg weren’t cutting Kiltegan open at that point, they worked the ball around patiently and had men who could have a crack – and score – from beyond the Kiltegan cover. Corner-back Colin O’Shea, Eoin O’Neill, and impressive wing-forward Fintan O’Shea all landed points in the first 10 minutes, and while none were from two-point range, all strikes had some distance to travel. A neat passing movement between Darragh Shiel and Fintan O’Shea did break the Kiltegan cover on 14 minutes, creating the opening for Darren Hayden to blaze over his second point, though a goal was there for the taking
Back-to-back frees by Seánie Furlong – also one of Kiltegan’s classiest operators from open play – finally got Kiltegan off the mark on 17 minutes, and while Éire Óg points from Colin O’Shea and Hayden did restore Éire Óg’s four-point lead, Kiltegan did play some of their best football in the second quarter. Furlong cut inside his marker after fielding a long ball from Ciarán Harmon, and landed Kiltegan’s first point from play; and Andy Foley’s strong run up the middle to collect a pass and score made it 0-4 to 0-7 on 28 minutes.
But Éire Óg would cut Kiltegan open again before the break, and Fintan O’Shea was the man at the end of their move to finish low and hard to the Kiltegan net. A late Kevin Booth point ensured a comfortable 1-8 to 0-4 half-time lead.
Kiltegan’s slim hopes were gone within minutes of the restart. After Fintan O’Shea made it 1-9 to 0-4, Emmet Murphy’s kickout went to Hayden. Kiltegan quickly worked through whatever Kiltegan rearguard was in place, and Tom Shields goaled for an 11-point lead.
There was no doubt who was going to win this game by now, but Éire Óg landed a further blow on 43 minutes when a ball across the goal was touched home by corner-forward Fionn O’Carroll to make it 3-9 to 0-5.
It was around this time that Éire Óg started to run their bench, and there was notable drop-off in intensity, slickness, and coherence to their play, but it hardly mattered that they scored just two points in the final quarter. Kiltegan, to their credit, did manage to put some respectability on the scoreline courtesy of a Mike Foley booming two-pointer and two late frees by Furlong, but both sides were going through the motions in a dull final quarter.
The result pushed Éire Óg up to second, two points adrift of leaders Rathnew, while Kiltegan sit bottom of the division with three defeats from three.
ÉIRE ÓG, GREYSTONES: Rob Nolan, Colin O’Shea (0-2), Stephen Kelly, Thade Shanahan, Daniel Keane, Dáire Devine, Darragh Shiel, Danny Wood, Kevin Booth (0-1), Fintan O’Shea (1-2), Tom Shields (1-0), Oisín Shanahan, Eoin O’Neill (0-2), Darren Hayden (0-3), Fionn O’Carroll (1-1). SUBS USED: Cillian Keane for Wood (43), Seán McLaughlin for Fintan O’Shea (45), Eoghan Ó Luanaigh for Oisín Shanahan (45), Peter Keane for Tom Shields (49), David Dunne for Daniel Keane (51).
LGFA Leinster Junior Championship, quarter-final:Éire Óg, Greystones 2-06: Muckalee (Kilkenny) 6-15
Three goals and five points from Katie Nolan helped Muckalee to a 21-point victory over Eire Óg Greystones in the quarter-final of the LGFA Leinster Junior Championship.
Nolan signalled what was to come from the off, scoring the opening point from the first attack and adding the game’s first goal after being played through on goal by centre forward Ellen Lawlor.
Muckalee had 1-4 on the board before Greystones got their first scores, two frees from Laurie Cunningham.
Kate Purcell for Muckalee scored a free of her own before Ella Andrews landed Eire Óg’s first point from play. Nolan slotted home a penalty next, which was followed by a Lawlor point, sending the Kilkenny side in at half-time with a 10-point lead at 2-7 to 0-3.
Muckalee got the first three points of the half to extend their lead to 13 before Greystones scored their first goal, coming from the boot of Cunningham, who cannoned it off the crossbar and over the line.
In the next play, however, her efforts were cancelled out with a goal from Prucell, who jinked past a few would-be tacklers to finish it by looping it over the keeper.
Muckalee got the next two points before Cunningham scored another free, but the travelling side then scored three goals in a row to hammer home their dominance. Firstly, Laura McDowell finished; second was Nolan, completing her hattrick; and finally McDowell got in on the multi-goal act, tucking it into the left side of the goal.
To Greystones’ credit, they never gave up looking for scores, and got a further goal and two points; the points came from Thea Sherritt and Ella Horgan, and Sherritt got the goal, finishing high into the net.
Muckalee: Niamh McDowell; Sinead Kenrick, Edel Coonan, Edwina Keane; Rebecca Roche, Clodagh Hanlon, Martina Walsh; Amy Ring, Kelley Comerford; Hazel Moore (0-1), Ellen Lawlor (1-1), Kate Purcell (1-6, 4f); Laura McDowell (1-1), Sarah Corcoran (0-1), Katie Nolan (3-5,1-0 pen). Subs: Sian Bolger (0-1) for S. Corcoran (45), Grace Buggy for M. Walsh (49), Roisín Hanlon for S. Kenrick (52).
Eire Óg Greystones: Rachel Purcell, Ellie O’Malley, Siobhán Darcy, Megan Maguire, Katie Lawless, Lauren O’Leary, Lorna Hayden, Thea Sherritt (1-1), Megan Healy, Ella Andrews (0-1), Laurie Cunningham (1-3, 3f), Caoimhe Davis, Sophia King, Aisling Duggan, Lucy O’Leary. Subs: Ellie O’Neill for A Duggan (h/t); Alice O’Neill for S. King (45); Ella Hogan for L. O’Leary (45).
20 Oct ’24:Adult camogie Junior Plate Final, Éire Óg, Greystones v Arklow Rocks
Éire Óg Greystones and Arklow Rocks lined out at Pearse’s Park, Arklow, on Sunday, October 20, to contest the Plate final of the Pure Ice Wicklow Camogie Junior camogie championship.
Storm Ashley, which struck the county Sunday last, was beginning to arrive on the East Coast and the game was played in very windy, blustery conditions.
As the final score would suggest, the Éire Óg girls were much stronger than their Arklow opponents.
The game was played with 13-a-side and the Greystones side got quickly into their stride.
Hazel Roche with a goal and points from Isobel O’Sullivan and Siobhan Darcy had Éire Óg ahead by 1-2 to nil by the end of the first quarter, but the Arklow side was putting up stern resistance up to now with defenders Sophie Mooney, Mary Geraghty, Leah Mellon, Meave O’Donovan and Sinead McCarthy battling strongly.
Midfielder Abbey Wolohan opened the Rocks account from a free, but they found the going tough in attack where the Éire Óg defence was well organised and hard to pass. Rocks goalkeeper Stacey Reilly pulled off a great save from Siobhan Darcy, but it was the beginning of continuous Éire Óg pressure from here to half-time.
Darcy set up Grainne Megannety for goal number two. Ellen O’Neill pointed and then took a pass from Siobhan Darcy for their third goal.
Abbey Wolohan got her second point from a free for the locals, but the Greystones side finished the half with further goals from Ellie O’Neill and Graine Megannety plus two further points from O’Neill. 5-5 to 0-2 at half-time.
Éire Óg brought on Ella and Jean Andrews for the second half.
Storm Ashley was beginning to increase in intensity as the game restarted, but Éire Óg continued in the same vein. However, Rocks got the opening score with another Abbey Wolohan pointed free.By eight minutes, Isobel O’Sullivan and Ellie O’Neill (free) had added two more goals. Jean Andrews burst into the game with a goal on 12 minutes and by the 20th minute she had completed her hat-trick of goals with two more.
Ella Andrews completed the Éire Óg scoring with two points from play.
Arklow Rocks, who continued to battle on throughout the second half, completed their scoring with a fourth point from Abbey Wolohan, this score from play.
Éire Óg were winners on a final score of 10-7 to 0-4. Ciaran Goff presented the Plate to the winning captain, Clodagh Kinasewitz-Lane.
Éire Óg Greystones: Clodagh Kinasewitz-Lane; Helen O’Driscoll, Joellen Hanley; Orlagh Divilly, Lucy Daly, Eleanor O’Mahony; Sarah Hayes, Camilla Robinson; Hazel Roche (1-0), Siobhan Darcy (0-1); Ellie O’Neill (3-3, 1f), Graine Megannety (2-0), Isobel O’Sullivan (1-1). Subs: Ella Andrews (0-2), Jean Andrews (3-0), Ciara Patrick ,Leah Fallon, Florence Fogarty, Marie Roche.
20 Oct ’24 :Adult camogie Junior Shield Final, Éire Óg, Greystones v Annacurra
The second game of the camogie double header played at Pearse’s Park in Arklow on Sunday last, October 20, was the contest between Éire Óg Greystones and Annacurra in the Pure Ice Wicklow Junior Camogie Shield final.
The increasing intensity of Storm Ashley as the game progressed was a spoiler for players and spectators alike but in fairness to both sides they handled the conditions well.
Despite the disparity on the scoreboard at the end, it was only in the second half that the Greystones side pulled away.
There was just one score in the opening half – an Éire Óg goal scored with her right foot by full-forward Georgia Cullen after six minutes.
Thereafter, despite being under constant first half pressure, the Annacurra defence played very well and gave the Éire Óg attack little room to shine.
Goalkeeper Fiona McAllister kept a safe goal and dealt very competently and confidently with anything coming her way.
However, despite their best efforts the Annacurra attack could make little progress against an Éire Óg defence which was well marshalled by centre-back Ciara O’Farrell.
Annacurra defenders Sophie Penston, Leah Gerathy, midfielders Lily Henry and Alison Moules, half-forwards Bernadette Darcy, Aine Moran and Amber Lehane battled well throughout that first half and helped to contain Éire Óg in the middle third of the field.
The game reached half time with just that one score – Éire Óg 1-0, Annacurra 0-0.
Greystones brought Caoimhe Davis into the game for the second half and she made an immediate impact on the restart. She had a point from play after two minutes and followed this up with a great pass across goal to Georgia Cullen.The full-forward kicked home her second goal – this time with her left foot. 2-1 to 0-0 now and the Éire Óg attack began to make progress. A point from play by Grace Carey followed by a converted 45 from Ciara O’Farrell had Éire Óg on 2-3 as the game reached the three-quarter stage.
Éire Óg moved the ball more comfortably in the final quarter but the Annacurra defence still curtailed them well with McAllister in goal still very much in control around the square.
Éire Óg added a further 1-4 in that final quarter with points from Grace McDermott, Caoimhe Davis and two from Saoirse Crean.
The final goal came from Grainne Shortt before the end to leave the final score at 3-7.
Wicklow Camogie Chairperson Ciarán Goff presented the shield to joint Éire OÓg captains Ellie Southgate and Michelle Lemay. By now Storm Ashley has arrived in style.
Éire Óg Greystones: Kate Macadam; Bryana Coughlan, Rita Lehane, Maya Maguire; Sofia McDarby, Ciara O’Farrell (0-1, ’45;), Grainne Shortt (1-0); Ellie Southgate, Kate Fennessy; Maisie Grey, Michelle Lemay, Grace Carey (0-1); Grace McDermott (0-1), Georgia Cullen (2-0), Saoirse Crean nic Oireachtaig (0-2). Sub: Caoimhe (0-2)
05.10.24 Ladies Junior A Football Final: Éire Óg Greystones 3-12: AGB 3-8
You can’t beat experience.
That was the moral of the story after Éire Óg were crowned Wicklow LGFA Junior ‘A’ football champions on Saturday afternoon.
Of their starting XV, the average age was just shy of 21, with seven aged 18 or under and three were 15 – Thea Sterritt, Lucy O’Leary, and Ella Andrews.
And yet, it was their evergreen veterans Laurie Cunningham and Lorna Hayden who were the deciding factors. The former was Player of the Match with 2-9, while the latter pushed her close with a stellar showing in Avondale.
They were far from alone and were supported by a cast of talent around them. Rachel Purcell came through in the clutch as Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney staged a late comeback, while the youth of Sterritt and experience of Megan Healy made for a fine balance in midfield.
Andrews transcended her youth to finish the game with 0-2 and was complimented by the tireless workrate of Holly Sheehy and Sophie King while Caoimhe Davis orchestrated matters at centre-forward.
Greystones were pushed to the pins of their collars in order to see out a tense second half that saw Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney stage an unlikely comeback, spearheaded by the outstanding pairing of 18-year-old Abby Healy and 16-year-old Aibhe Cullen.
The teenagers showed tremendous leadership in scoring 3-4 between them.
Had Arklow overturned the deficit that stood at 3-8 to 1-4 at one point, Éire Óg would have put it down to some errant shooting, particularly in the first half.
Greystones ran up three wides in the opening exchanges, while Holly Sheehy struck the uprights with an effort of her own. It was Laurie Cunningham who eventually put them in front with the first of her seven frees before doubling her account four minutes later.
Arklow showed their fighting spirit with the game’s first goal through the outstanding Abby Healy against the run of play, only for Éire Óg to immediately respond with a goal of their own when Lorna Hayden’s shot from out the field dropped over the head of Eve Fitzpatrick.
This was the first of two goals in 60 seconds that turned the game in their favour. The second was much more by design than their first, as Cunningham was picked out with a lovely pass inside before dispatching beyond Fitzpatrick.
Aine McKerr kept Arklow in the fight as the half drew to a close with Eire Og leading at 2-6 to 1-4 but, within three minutes of the restart, their task was made that bit harder by conceding a third goal.
Thea Sterritt and Ella Andrews combined well before the latter fed Laurie Cunningham. The 35-year-old’s finish was clinical, flashing past Fitzpatrick.
Cunningham – whose CV already boasted six Dublin and five Leinster club titles with Foxrock-Cabinteely and two All-Ireland JFC, all of which were won alongside Hayden – extended the lead out to 3-8 to 1-4 with another couple of frees.
To their credit, AGB kept on fighting and very nearly turned the game on its head. Aibhe Cullen scored their second goal before Abby Healy – who had set up Cullen – scored their third to make it 3-10 to 3-5 going down the home strait.
Abby Healy could have completed her hat-trick only to be denied by the game Rachel Purcell, while the goalkeeper was called upon again to make another save in the final five minutes. A Muireann O’Connor shot was repelled as Éire Óg weathered the storm.
Éire Óg: Rachel Purcell; Ellie O’Malley, Siobhan Darcy, Megan Maguire; Katie Lawless, Lauren O’Leary, Lorna Hayden (1-0); Thea Sterritt (0-1), Megan Healy; Lucy O’Leary, Caoimhe Davis, Laurie Cunningham (2-9, 7f); Sophie King, Ella Andrews (0-2), Holly Sheehy. Subs: Kate Bourke for S Darcy (49), Tayla Bouwer for G Furlong (49), Erica Somers for E Andrews (55).
28.09.24: U14 ladies football final: AGB 5-15: 7-04 Éire Óg, Greystones
Laoise Mellon scored four goals and six points as AGB won the Wicklow LGFA U14 ‘A’ championship when beating Éire Óg Greystones in a goal fest by 5-15 to 7-4.
The opening exchanges were quite even with Arklow leading 0-2 to 0-1 before the first goal came in the fifth minute, Nessa Clancy scoring it after a passing move sent her bearing down on goal.
The Gers took over the scoring from here for the next 20 minutes with Mellon firing home her four goals.
The first saw her through on goal after a fluid passing movement, the second after receiving the ball free in front of the goal after a defence-splitting run from Katie Nuzum, the third after a long ball from Méabh Moore found her free in the box, and the fourth after she showed great foot-work to beat her marker and get her shot away.
Moya Andrews got a goal for Éire Óg to keep them in the game, as the sides went in at half-time with AGB leading 5-4 to 1-4.
From the second-half throw-in, Éire Óg Greystones got their second goal. Keela Lawless-Rebelo rose high to win it and ran straight to goal, she gave it to Kitty O’Beirne who handed it off to Poppy smith who finished it.
AGB were quick to cancel this out with points from Mellon, Nuzum and Sophie Hurley.
Hurley got another point before Smith got her second goal of the game when Lawless-Rebelo sent a long ball into the box which Smith ran onto to palm it in.
O’Beirne got her first goal after a Mellon point to bring us into what would be an end-to-end last 15 minutes.
Nuzum scored four points in a row to give AGB back their breathing room, but O’Beirne got her second goal to lasso the deficit back.
Mellon popped over another point before Éire Óg got two goals in a row, the first from Moya Marinan, then a penalty from Lawless-Rebelo as the sides went deep into injury-time.
AGB got the final score of the game to put a seal on the win and stop an outstanding comeback, a point coming from substitute Annie Breslin as her side went out five-point winners in the end on a final score of 5-15 to 7-4.
AGB: Rhea Keogh; Lily-Jo Rowlands, Caoimhe McDonagh, Karla Redmond; Leah Fox, Syne Leonard, Méabh Moore; Saoirse Healy, Nessa Clancy (1-0); Eireann O’Reilly, Sophie Hurley (0-3, 1f), Katie Nuzum (0-5); Joni Craine, Laoise Mellon (4-6), Katie Kinsella. Subs: Anna Hyland for L. Rowlands (40), Emma Guilfoyle for R. Keogh (42), Sophie McCann for M. Moore (51), Annie Breslin (0-1) for J. Craine (51).
Éire Óg Greystones: Niamh O’Neill; Emily Hurley, Chloe Byrne, Alannah Byrne; Naoise Morris, Aoife Wall, Bárbara Lete-Duff; Keela Lawless-Rebelo (1-0, 1 pen), Kate Patchell; Emily O’Driscoll (0-2, 2f), Moya Marrinan (1-0), Poppy Smith (2-0); Ailbhe Davis, Kitty O’Beirne (2-0), Moya Andrews (1-2). Subs: Ciara Kenny for E. Hurley (11, inj), Freja Gustafsson for B. Lete-Duff (34), Niamh Holohan for A. Davis (34), Cliona Foy for M. Andrews (49).
Referee: Ian Culbert (Rathnew).
24.09.24: Senior hurling: Bray Emmets 2-17-Éire Óg Greystones 0-9
They produced their third-quarter burst as expected, they scored 2-17 overall, they hit nine wides, they’ll feel they didn’t play particularly well, and they are now 60 minutes away from making more history as the only team in Wicklow to have ever won six O’Donoghue Cups in a row.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the hurlers of Bray Emmets!Credit to Éire Óg Greystones, they were well in this game until a missed penalty and a damaging 1-1 from the hurl of Diarmuid Masterson at the end of the third quarter, and had they faced a different team in the semi-finals, given their display against Glenealy and last weekend, reaching a semi-final might not have been out of their reach.
The defending champions were put to the pin of their collars in the opening half and held a narrow 1-7 to 0-7 lead over Mick Burns’ side, Christy Moorehouse’s early goal from the penalty spot the difference between the teams on the scoreboard. However, that traditional third-quarter kick transformed that lead into a 2-12 to 0-8 gulf, Diarmuid Masterson rifling home the second goal to more or less put the game to bed despite the best efforts of the Greystones side.
All over the field the Bray Emmets men stepped up to the challenge in the second half, but especially in the middle third where John and Daire Henderson, Luke Maloney, Diarmuid Masterson, Ronan McMahon and the likes took the game by the scruff of the neck.
That missed penalty for Éire Óg Greystones 14 minutes into the second half was a massive moment in this game. Emmet Blanchfield’s strike whizzed past the outside of Conor McNally’s post at the Rednagh Hill end.
Had he converted, the scoreboard would have read 1-11 to 1-8. Moments later, Diarmuid Masterson got on the end of a flying move to fire home past Dan O’Neill and there was no way back for Éire Óg at that stage.
Mick Burns’ side’s performance in the first half was excellent. They set themselves up to limit the Bray dangermen, Peter Keane marking Moorehouse, Billy Cuddihy on Padraig Doyle and Chester Kelly pushed up to midfield. And for a time, this worked a treat. Bray didn’t score from play until the 23rd minute, and they only managed two in total in that opening half, Christy Moorehouse bagging 1-5 from placed balls, the penalty arriving after 13 after referee Max Molloy had spotted something in the square as a free was being delivered from deep.
Éire Óg were causing the Bray defence plenty of problems in those opening 30 minutes, Emmet Blanchfield with two frees, Padraic O’Keeffe and Mick Walsh with singles and the excellent James Cranley with three from play, two late on in that first half, one a stunner from the bank sideline.
But even though you can hold this Bray Emmets side for one half of hurling, very few can manage it for two.
Three Moorehouse frees and a point from play from Eoin McCormack made it 1-11 to 0-8 after 10 minutes of the opening half, and then came the penalty miss which was swiftly followed by Masterson’s wonderful goal at the end of the third quarter.
Bray pushed on relentlessly from here, Andrew Conway, Davy Maloney, Moorehouse (two frees) and Shane Lohan sending them to a 2-17 to 0-9 victory, an Emmet Blanchfield free Éire Óg’s only reply. It’s a Bray Emmets v Carnew Emmets county final again. Carnew will cause them problems without a shadow of a doubt. The question is, can they cause them enough?
Bray Emmets: Conor McNally; Daire Lohan, Seanie Maloney, Ben Kearney; Cian Lohan, John Henderson, Daire Henderson; Luke Maloney, Diarmuid Masterson (1-1); Ronan McMahon, Padraig Doyle, Davy Maloney (0-2); Andrew Conway (0-2), Christy Moorehouse (1-10, 10f, 1-0pen), Eoin McCormack (0-1). Subs: Marc Lennon for E McCormack (50), Arran Murphy for D Henderson (50), Brian Nesbitt for L Maloney (50, inj), Shane Lohan (0-1) for C Lohan (55), James Anders for D Lohan (57).
Éire Óg Greystones: Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Peter Keane, Sean Lawless; Kevin Booth, Billy Cuddihy, Kevin Cronin; Stephen Kelly (0-1, f), Shaun Cranley; Mick Walsh (0-1), Padraic O’Keeffe (0-1), James Cahill; Emmet Blanchfield (0-3, 2f, 1 65), Anto Byrne, James Cranley (0-3). Subs: Leon Browne for J Cahill (42), Daniel Burns for K Cronin (49), Luke Dorgan for J Cranley (58).
Referee: Max Molloy (Annacurra)
14.09.24: Senior Men’s Football Championship: Kiltegan 1-12: Éire Óg Greystones 1-9
Going into this Boom & Platform Hire Senior football championship quarter-final, Kiltegan could be forgiven for letting last year’s exit at the hands of Rathnew get in their heads.
Having led both this quarter-final and last year for large parts of the contest coming down the home stretch, doubts must have come into the Kiltegan heads as Éire Óg Greystones went a point up with eight minutes left.
But big players make big plays and when Seanie Furlong was dragged down in the Greystones box six minutes later, all those fears just washed away as Rory Finn was coolness personified from the spot.
Kiltegan, playing with the elements, started like a house on fire and had a crowd behind them that gave every score that extra bit of sauce.
Stephen Farrell kicked off what seemed a run-away train with a 45 and the train really got motoring following a free each off the boots of Seanie Furlong and Shaun Cranley, while Danny Wood’s 16th-minute black card proved costly, given for a foul on Padraig O’Toole, Jack O’Toole converting the subsequent free.
The west Wicklow men would go on to score a further five points, made up of two more O’Toole frees, a Brandon Ryan point and a Stephen Farrell point along with an audacious Rory Finn score from a mark.
In this period, only Joe Prendergast could force some flag-waving as Darren Hayden put him through with an over-the-top pass which spelled goal only for Prendergast to go just over.
At half-time, the talk around the stand was Kiltegan were going well but how many points was the wind worth? At the break, the west Wicklow men led by seven.
In what was almost a game of two halves, Greystones put in a massive effort to shift momentum.
Shaun Cranley began the second half with a 45 to eat into the deficit, but Padraig O’Toole hit back with a powerful run and score off the left.
Stephen Farrell and Oisin Murphy then traded points before an Éire Óg purple patch, with Cranley finding first a free and then a sweet point of his weaker left foot which surprised the stand.
Joe Prendergast would follow that up with an equally jaw-dropping score from well outside the 45.
Momentum now with Greystones. Sometimes you make your own luck in sport, and when a long Cranley free rebounded of the crossbar, it was Daniel Keane who managed the situation the best and collected the break before roofing a strike to make it a one-point game.
Kiltegan struggled on the next kick-out and Éire Óg launched an attack and gave Conall Deeney the opportunity to pull on a break inside and see his effort which could have been for a point or goal go over.
Level for the first time since the first minute. Joe Prendergast would see to it that that statistic would not be relevant for long by finding himself in a nice bit of space on the ‘D’ and confidently kicking Éire Óg Greystones into the lead.
With time getting away from Kiltegan, a response was needed, and when Ciaran Harmon sent in a probing ball from midfield you only had to guess who came up with the ball.
Seanie Furlong won what was an awkward pass and turned for goal only to be fouled by a multitude of Greystones backs, winning a penalty which Rory Finn converted.
A further Finn point in injury-time ensured Kiltegan’s passage safely through after a mammoth effort.
Éire Óg Greystones: Rob Nolan; Colin O’Shea, Stephen Kelly, Dan Healy; Daniel Keane (1-0), Daire Devine, Conall Deeney (0-1); Danny Wood, Kevin Booth; Fintan O’Shea, Darren Hayden, Joe Prendergast (0-3); Oisin Murphy (0-1), Shaun Cranley (0-4, 3f), Fionn O’Carroll. Subs: Cillian Keane for D Keane (52), Luke Prendergast for D Healy (55).
Kiltegan: Cathal Fitzgerald; Colm Keogh, Blaine Harmon, Kieran Conway; James Boland, Bryan Kearney, Jack O’Toole (0-3, 3f); Liam Keogh, Rory Finn (1-3, 1p, 1m); Padraig O’Toole (0-1), Seanie Furlong (0-1, 1f), Stephen Farrell (0-3, 1f); Mike Foley, Brandon Ryan (0-1), Ciaran Harmon. Subs; Mitch Kelly for C Keogh (54), Adam Wynne for J O’Toole (54), Aaron Byrne for M Foley (54).
08.09.24: Senior hurling championship: Éire Óg Greystones 1-16: Glenealy 2-13
The Éire Óg Greystones hurlers stayed in their post-match huddle along with team manager Mick Burns and coaches Eoghan Dunne and Jim D’Arcy for a considerable length of time after the final whistle of their exciting drawn game with Glenealy in Pearse’s Park in Arklow last Sunday.
They had just cleared a very significant hurdle when it simply had to be cleared, the point earned off Glenealy enough to send them through to the Lightning Protection Ireland Senior hurling championship semi-final where they will take on Bray Emmets.
Although the superb victory recorded by St. Patrick’s over Kiltegan in Echelon Park Aughrim at the same time had left both teams on three points, the victory enjoyed by Mick Burns’ side over the Dunbur men in the earlier rounds meant that the Éire Óg men were through on the head-to-head rule.
Skin-of-the-teeth stuff, but who cares when you’ve booked your ticket to the last four where you get the chance to halt a historic push for six Senior titles in a row before it even gets to county final day.
Whether the long chat in the huddle was about the journey to this point or about what’s to come or perhaps a bit of both is unknown, but what was obvious when the Éire Óg players headed for the dressing room was that there was a look of relief on their faces but an air of steely determination.
These proud hurlers won’t be going to Echelon Park Aughrim to make up the numbers, and if sport has taught us anything over the years, it’s that anything is possible with the right attitude, plan and belief.
This was a tough day for Glenealy. This has been a tough campaign for them, too, but one they’re more than capable of bouncing back from.
They had some positives. A very healthy first half had them leading by 2-8 to 0-6 at the break, Gary Hughes looking on fire when blasting home two fantastic goals, Cian O’Neill, Warren Kavanagh and Ronan Manley dealing with the vast majority of threats on their goal, Andrew Lynch, Sam O’Dowd and Joey Driver impressing, as were Tommy Doyle and Alan Driver while Gavin Weir was looking fairly ruthless on the frees and Michael Óg O’Neill was having a fine game in the attack.
One worry was the impact Peter Keane was having on the influence of Danny Staunton. The Reds would need him in the second half in a big way.
Liam Dunne’s side led by 1-3 to 0-3 by the 16th minute, Hughes firing home past the impressive Dan O’Neill and adding a point along with two from Gavin Weir.
For Éire Óg, Emmet Blanchfield started in a really positive way with two points, either side of a fine effort from James Cranley, but Glenealy looked really threatening, and when Hughes fired home a screamer at the end of the half, Éire Óg looked in bother.
But nobody told Mick Burns or his soldiers that! Kristin Flynn would be given the task of limiting the impact of Gary Hughes, a job he performed superbly. Stephen Kelly did what Stephen Kelly does best: be class. Peter Keane battled with Danny Staunton and kept the Glenealy wizard to a few flashes of brilliance. Mick Walsh went inside, Paric O’Keeffe impressed, Anto Byrne began to ask serious questions and the impact from the bench from James Cahill and Leon Browne can’t be overlooked.
They closed to within four six minutes into the second half thanks to two Anto Byrne points, three from Blanchfield and a pair from James Cranley with Gavin Weir shining for Glenealy to leave the scoreboard reading 2-12 to 0-16; fair scoring on 16 points in less than 40 minutes of hurling.
The big moment arrived on the 26th minute when Anto Byrne fired home past Cian Staunton to send Éire Óg in front for the first time in this game, and then Leon Browne added a fine point to give the Greystones men serious belief that they could get the job done.
Two Gavin Weir frees left things unbearably tense in the closing stages, and Éire Óg’s championship goosed looked cooked when Gary Hughes won a ball ahead of Kristin Flynn.
The Glenealy attacker took aim from a difficult angle but the Éire Óg defender managed to get the hurl to the ball and block and John Keenan’s final whistle sounded much to the relief and delight of the Greystones men.
It’s a step in the right direction for Mick Burns’ side. How special would it be if they were to manage to take another one? Nothing is impossible.
Éire Óg Greystones: Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Billy Cuddihy, Paddy Igoe; Kevin Booth, Stephen Kelly (0-2), Sean Lawless; Shaun Cranley (0-1), Peter Keane; Mick Walsh (0-2), Paric O’Keeffe, Alec Bartek; Anto Byrne (1-2), Emmet Blanchfield (0-7), James Cranley (0-3). Subs: James Cahill for A Bartek (37), Leon Browne (0-2) for J Cranley (52).
Men’s senior football championship
Éire Óg Greystones 1-10: Rathnew 0-12
01.09.24
A Shaun Cranley goal early in the second half would prove a vital score for the Éire Óg men as they ended up hanging on for a narrow victory against a Rathnew team who ran out of time when Liam Keenan’s final whistle went.
Whether or not James Stafford deserved a penalty in the dying seconds after he plucked a dropping ball from the sky at the Rednagh Hill end before ending up on the ground in the Éire Óg square was the topic being discussed immediately after the game and in the days since, but no penalty was awarded, and Rathnew’s subsequent final attack would result in a point when only a goal would allow them keep their unbeaten record.
Quality defensive work from Éire Óg allowed them go in 0-5 to 0-4 ahead at the break, Rathnew really struggling to break them down and being forced to shoot from distance.
Cranley’s goal and points from Fionn O’Carroll (2) and Danny Wood left the Greystones men 1-8 to 0-6 up at the end of the third quarter, but they were never going to get out of Aughrim without a Rathnew resurgence, and it duly arrived via white flags from Robbie Murphy, Theo Smyth with two bombs, JT Moorehouse and Sam O’Dowd. But Éire Óg responded well, pushing two clear with time almost up.
Stafford showed all his class to gather the long ball but calls for a spot-kick fell on deaf ears, and Sam Healy’s free seconds later for a separate foul flew inches over Rob Nolan’s crossbar.
Éire Óg will take on Kiltegan in the SFC quarter-finals while Rathnew will get to reacquaint themselves with Martin Ging’s Tinahely.
Éire Óg Greystones: Rob Nolan; Colin O’Shea, Stephen Kelly, Luke Prendergast; Daniel Keane, Daire Devine, Conall Deeney; Danny Wood (0-2), Kevin Booth; Fintan O’Shea (0-1), Dave Rooney, Joe Prendergast (0-1); Sam Thompson (0-1), Shaun Cranley (1-3, 1f), Fionn O’Carroll (0-2). Subs: Gavin O’Shea for C Deeney (46), Oisin Murphy for S Thompson (54), Darren Hayden for D Rooney (56), Brendan Cunningham for K Booth (57).
U13 ‘A’ Cup final
Éire Óg Greystones 2-12: Rathnew 2-9
02.09.24
Éire Óg Greystones produced a quality second-half display to inflict a three-point defeat on a very impressive Rathnew side in Ballinakill on Monday night.
Trailing 1-5 to 1-3 at the break, the Greystones side pushed on in the second 30, outscoring their village opponents by 1-9 to 1-4 and proving that they are the best football team in the county at this age group.
Goals from Éire Óg’s Aiden Corrigan and Rathnew’s Robbie Doyle arrived in quick succession at the end of the first quarter but the Rathnew lads would finish the half strong with three super points from Robbie Doyle and another from Fionn Fitzgerald to leave them two up at the break.
The Greystones lads must have heeded their mentors during the half-time break because they emerged with fire in their bellies and had 1-2 on the board in the opening five minutes, Gethin Davies with the green flag.
Back came Rathnew through Fionn Fitzgerald who blasted home to the back of Ross Kavanagh’s net but a quartet of points from the boots of John Byrne (2), Dexter Whyte and Conor O’Farrell left Éire Óg leading by 2-9 to 2-5.
But no Rathnew team are ever easily beaten, and the outstanding Robbie Doyle fired over three crackers to pull them right back into this tie, Éire Óg’s Conor Morahan replying as the clock headed towards 30.
The villagers were chasing a goal but it wouldn’t come, and two late points from Conor Keaveny and Scott Tinsley secured the U13 ‘A’ Cup crown for Éire Óg Greystones.
Éire Óg Greystones: Ross Kavanagh, Donnacha Browne, Alex Porter, Cillian Barrett, Andrew McCarron, Dexter Whyte (0-2), Scot Tinsley (0-3), Connor O’Farrell (0-1), Noah Thompson, Chris O’Brien (0-1), A.J. Long, Aiden Corrigan (1-1), Ryan Goff, Conor Morahan (0-1), John Byrne (0-2). Subs: Finn Connerty, Conor Keaveny (0-1), Elliot Mulligan, James Ward, Gethin Davies (1-0).
17.08.24
Senior hurling championship: Carnew Emmets 1-23-Éire Óg Greystones 1-9
A sweetly struck Eoin Kavanagh penalty right on the stroke of half-time turned this Lightning Protection Ireland Senior Hurling Championship clash with Éire Óg Greystones from a two-point advantage to a five-point gap and proved to be the boost that Eamonn Scallan’s men needed to drive on and maintain their unbeaten record in this year’s campaign.
The victory sets up a winner-takes-all kind of joust with defending champions Bray Emmets with the victors from that fixture receiving what will be a massive psychological boost ahead of the semi-finals but also avoiding the teams in second and third on the table.
For Éire Óg Greystones, a competitive first half display fell away somewhat in the second as the Carnew Emmets men turned playing against the breeze and up towards the Rednagh Hill end very much to their advantage, with Eoin Kavanagh in blistering form along with Wayne Kinsella, John Doyle Jnr, Pádraig Doran and Jack Doyle while defensively there were good displays from Conall McCrea, Tommy Collins, Aaron Kinsella, Martin O’Brien, Cormac Redmond and Ruairi O’Brien.
There was plenty to like about Mick Burns’ side’s efforts here and they will now face a huge game against Glenealy where – on the dangerous assumption that Kiltegan will have too much for St. Patrick’s in their battle in the last group game – the winner will secure the last semi-final berth that will see them take on either Bray Emmets or Carnew Emmets.
It was a frantic but successful day for Carnew Emmets goalkeeper Aaron Redmond who played the full game in the Junior ‘A’ hurling final just before this Senior battle and the lined out for Eamonn Scallan’s side immediately afterwards for another 60-odd minutes of hectic hurling action.
And aside from a blunder in the 17th minutes from a long Stephen Kelly free that ended with the ball in the back of his net, the netminder looked very competent, with some of his puck-outs resembling missiles and for the most part finding their targets.
When that major went in, the game was suddenly level at 0-6 to 1-3, the electric Eoin Kavanagh getting Carnew on the board, the classy Paric O’Keeffe replying for Éire Óg before Scallan’s men opened up a 0-4 to 0-1 gap thanks to white flags from Jack Doyle, Pádraig Doran and an Eoin Kavanagh free.
The impressive Alex Bartac rifled over a fine score after 11 but he probably could have opened up the legs even more and headed for goal if he had realised the room he had, and James Cranley sizzled over a free to leave just one between the sides.
Wayne Kinsella was in excellent form for Carnew and had Kevin Booth for company but still managed to split the sticks thanks to a Jack Doyle cross-field ball, and this was followed by a second from Wayne Kinsella after good work from Pádraig Doran and Jack Doyle.
The goal arrived then, and was a big boost for Éire Óg who also added points from Paric O’Keeffe and a bomb of a free from Stephen Kelly, John Doyle Snr chipping in with a single for Carnew, but Mick Burns’ men also added six wides and dropped two efforts short to Redmond in the closing stages of the second half.
Carnew Emmets finished strong, Jack Doyle, Kavanagh and Damien Aylward firing over excellent scores, Alyward’s coming from great work from Cormac Redmond.
An Aaron Redmond restart that found the hand of Jack Doyle resulted in a long ball to Eoin Kavanagh who gathered superbly, bore down on the Éire Óg goal before being bundled over in the square.
Kavanagh stepped up to take the penalty and buried it past Dan O’Neill in the Éire Óg Greystones goal to give Carnew a 1-10 to 1-5 lead at the break, but with the Greystones men having the breeze at their backs in the second.
It would be 13 minutes into the second half by the time Éire Óg registered their next score, that from James Cranley, but the scoreboard now read 1-14 to 1-6, Kavanagh (3) and John Doyle Jnr with the Carnew points upon the restart.
Damien Aylward picked up what looked to be a worrying injury on the knee that saw him miss the last 12 months of hurling at the end of the third quarter, but hopefully it’s not as serious as it looked initially.
The Kilkenny native was replaced by Kenneth Cullen who put in another steady show as he has done all season.
Carnew were opening up the shoulders now, Éire Óg picking off the odd score here and there but they had no answer for the power of Eoin Kavanagh, John Doyle Jnr, Wayne Kinsella and Pádraig Doran to name just a few.
A resounding win for Carnew Emmets. They’ll take the confidence gained and the improvement to their hurling into the collision with Bray Emmets where there’ll be no room for shadow boxing in the last group game with the winner topping the table and setting up a semi-final showdown with the fourth-placed side.
Carnew Emmets: Aaron Redmond; Cormac Redmond, Ruairi O’Brien, Martin O’Brien; Damien Aylward (0-1), Conall McCrea, Aaron Kinsella; Justin House, Tommy Collins; Pádraig Doran (0-2), John Doyle Snr (0-2), Jack Doyle (0-2); John Doyle Jnr (0-2), Wayne Kinsella (0-4), Eoin Kavanagh (1-9, 5f, 1-0pen). Subs: Kenneth Cullen for D Aylward (45, inj), Dan Redmond (0-1) for J Doyle Snr (51).
Éire Óg Greystones: Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Billy Cuddihy, Bill O’Toole; Sean Lawless, Stephen Kelly (1-1, 2f), Daniel Burns; Alec Bartac (0-1), Peter Keane; Kevin Booth, Paric O’Keeffe (0-3), James Cahill (0-1); James Cranley (0-3, 2f), Mick Walsh, Shaun Cranley. Subs: Nathan Unwin for B O’Toole (38).
17.08.24
Junior ‘A’ Hurling final: Carnew Emmets 0-19: Éire Óg Greystones 1-8
The introduction of Fionn D’Arcy at half-time and a stirring reaction to the concession of 1-1 early in the second half were key factors in Carnew Emmets lifting the O’Neill Cup following the Wicklow Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship final played in Echelon Park Aughrim on Saturday afternoon.
The sides were level at a paltry 0-4 apiece at the break with Éire Óg Greystones shooting a damaging 10 wides in the opening 30 minutes, a stat that would come back to haunt them as this game edged towards its conclusion.
Dr. Brendan Cuddihy’s and Mick Burns’ charges looked to have found their rhythm with seven gone in the second half when Enda Forde fired home a fine goal after good work from Nathan Unwin and Hugh O’Neill with O’Neill adding a point seconds later to push Éire Óg 1-6 to 0-8 ahead.
But that was as good as it got the Greystones men as Carnew, boosted by the fresh energy and sharp hurling of Fionn D’Arcy around the middle third and the accuracy of Michael Collins from play and placed balls, took over and opened up a 0-17 to 1-6 lead by the time the busy Josh Barry notched their next score with seven left in the game.
There were some cracking battles over the 60 minutes. Hugh O’Neill and Killian O’Keeffe went at it hard and mostly fair from the first minute to the very last. Sam Molloy was locked in a mighty struggle with the physically impressive Billy Rickerby. William Kenny and Nathan Unwin locked horns while Mark Barry looked to mind the house when the lethal Cormac Doyle was prowling.
Aaron Redmond (65) and Cormac Doyle opened up a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after nine but Éire Óg would hit seven wides in the opening quarter.
They stopped the rot with Josh Barry and the lively Luke Dorgan firing over only for Michael Collins to land a brace (one free) to push Carnew out to a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.
Two further Éire Óg wides followed with the breeze at their backs but Josh Barry and Nathan Unwin sent the sides in level at 0-4 apiece with Carnew turning to enjoy the benefit of the breeze in the second.
A Michael Collins free and a fine Jody Byrne point made it 0-6 to 0-4 but then Éire Óg landed 1-1 and looked set to push Carnew Emmets all the way.
However, that was not how it turned out. Billy Rickerby replied with a fine point and Fionn D’Arcy added another and from here on in it was the Carnew Emmets show, Cormac Doyle cutting loose inside and Michael Collins on fire from the frees.
The Carnew Emmets team and supporters celebrate after the Junior ‘A’ championship final.
This was a wonderful win for Carnew Emmets against a gallant and very useful Éire Óg Greystones side and secures a sweet league and championship double.
SENIOR MEN’S FOOTBALL 10.08.24
Éire Óg Greystones 2-11 AGB 2-9
Éire Óg produced a stirring second-half comeback to boost their chances of making the Wicklow Senior Football Championship quarter-finals with a stunning win over AGB.
Down by four points, Greystones came out firing in the second-half and, inspired by goals from David Rooney and Colin O’Shea, and a quite sensational showing from Joe Prendergast, among many others, led them to a statement victory in Aughrim.
Éire Óg have been tested thus far in the championship campaign. After a terrific league campaign, their championship season got off to a rough start with defeat to Dunlavin,
Victory over Barndarrig got them back on track but Saturday was Conor Mackle’s side’s biggest statement yet, against an Arklow side with designs on making it to the latter stages of the championship but which now faces a tenuous path out of the pool stage.
Mackle remarked afterwards that they had to be patient and pragmatic in the first-half playing against a strong breeze. Indeed, with the breeze at their backs, Arklow made the brighter start and, after ten minutes, led 0-4 to 0-1.
Arklow’s bright start led to their first goal on 14 minutes. Aaron O’Brien fired a long kickpass into JP Hurley, who held off his man, spun at goal and dispatched into the back of the net.
They could have had a second on 18 minutes, but for Sean Hurley to shoot wide but, with ten minutes left in the half, AGB were in a strong position, with Hurley extending their lead out to 1-6 to 0-3 from a free.
But crucially, Éire Óg stuck around, with David Rooney and Daniel Keane registering the final two scores to send them into the break down by four.
Arklow should have had their second goal within 60 seconds of the restart, only for Andy Maher – a lively presence in the first-half in particular – to slice a wild shot wide of the post when he should have hit the target at the least.
They would very quickly rue those missed goal chances.
David Rooney brought the two sides back to within two points before he then rattled the back of the net on 37 minutes to give them the lead for the first time since the third minute.
AGB bounced back well to get their second goal through a cracking Paidi Kavanagh goal within a minute of Greystones’ goal, but the momentum was starting to flow in Éire Óg’s favour.
Shaun Cranley hit the post with a shot for a point and, on 45 minutes, they got the second goal to retake the lead that they would not give up. Danny Wood picked out the marauding Prendergast.
He kicked a good ball into Colin O’Shea who, having done a tremendous job defending against Brian Hurley at one end, popped up from corner-back to provide the finish touch for the second goal.
Unlike after their first goal, Éire Óg would not give up this lead and would instead extend it as the game wore on, with a quickfire brace of Shaun Cranley scores extending their advantage out to four points with five minutes left to play.Christopher O’Brien and Thomas Lynch added the final two points for Arklow but it was mere consolation as Éire Óg Greystones saw out the well-deserved and stunning statement 2-11 to 2-9 victory
JUNIOR HURLING
Éire Óg Greystones 2-14
St. Patrick’s 0-10
Éire Óg Greystones secured their place in the Wicklow GAA Junior ‘A’ hurling championship final when getting the better of St. Patrick’s in Ballinakill last Tuesday evening.
With Arklow Rocks unable to field for their game against Carnew Emmets at the same venue and time, that means that the Greystones men will lock horns with Carnew Emmets in the decider on Saturday, August 17, in Echelon Park Aughrim at 2.30pm.
A heavy shower in the hour before this game in Ballinakill didn’t augur well but thankfully, we got through the game before rain arrived again.
Two goals separated the sides at the half time break at 2-7 to 0-7 in favour of Éire Óg but that was as close as Pat’s got with the Greystones men pulling away in the second half to win on a final score of 2-14 to 0-10.
Éire Óg hit the ground running from the throw in and had points on the board from Hugh O’Neill and Enda Forde before Pat’s had time to draw their breath.
However, the Wicklow town lads steadied and had the sides level at 0-2 each by the sixth minute with scores from Jim O’Brien and Wayne Farrell.
St. Pat’s were doing well enough in these early stages and further points from Cole Byrne and Jim O’Brien had them ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 by 10 minutes.
However, with Michael Arrigan and midfielders Luke Dargan and Nathan Unwin coming strongly into the game for Éire Óg, the Pat’s defence began to come under pressure.
Hugh O’Neill, who had looked dangerous all along, exploded into the game. By the quarter-hour mark he had first timed a shot past John O’Brien to the St. Pat’s net.
Taking a pass from Enda Forde he had time to pick his spot for goal number two and added a point to an earlier free leaving Greystones ahead by 2-4 to 0-4.
St. Pat’s steadied again and with John ‘Dee’ O’Brien in goal, James Stafford and John G O’Brien in the full-back line defending well plus some excellent play from Adam Hume at centre-back, they got back into the game.
Two pointed frees from Bill O’Brien had Pat’s back on track, but three points in a row for Éire Óg from Ryan McCormack, Enda Forde and Hugh O’Neill and one point in response from Wayne Farrell left the half-time score at 2-7 to 0-7 in favour of Éire Óg.
The Greystones side brought John Cahill and Sean Meyler into the game for the second half while St. Pat’s introduced Myles O’Brien and Darren O’Brien.
While the level of intensity was never high, St. Pat’s began to fall back in the early stages of the second half.
Two points from Craig Byrne and Hugh O’Neill had Éire Óg back on the scoring trail again. A Bill O’Brien pointed free was the only early response from Pats as the Greystones lads put up the shutters.
Tom Meyler, Mark Barry and Sam Molloy were comfortably in control at the back.
From the 10th minute on, the only scores for Éire Óg came from Hugh O’Neill. He added a total of four points, two from frees and two from play.
St. Pat’s had run out of steam at this stage, but George O’Brien pulled back two points in the final 10 minutes.
Éire Óg failed to score in that final 10 minutes, but they were coasting at this stage and content to play out the time.
The rain was arriving back as the referee blew for full-time leaving Éire Óg comfortable winners on a final scoreline of 2-14 to 0-10.
Éire Óg Greystones: Ger White; Tom Meyler, Mark Barry, Sam Molloy; Pa Scanlan, Michael Arrigan, Paddy O’Sullivan; Luke Dorgan, Nathan Unwin; Craig Byrne (0-1), Daire Corcoran, Ryan McCormack (0-1); Hugh O’Neill (2-9, 3f), Enda Forde (0-3), Robert Martin. Subs; John Cahill, Sean Meyler.
St. Patrick’s: John ‘Dee’ O’Brien; James Stafford, John ‘G’ O’Brien, William Connors; Jim O’Brien (0-2), Adam Hume, Luke Connors; Cole Byrne (0-1), Conor Doyle; Bill O’Brien (0-3, 3f), Wayne Farrell (0-2), Ronan O’Brien; Geoge O’Brien (0-2), Jim Connors, Tadhg Keating. Subs: Myles O’Brien, Darren O’Brien.