Fixtures: Tuesday, May 15: MFL Division One v Killanny (Home) at 7.30pm

Wednesday, May 16: RFL Division Four v Aghabog (Home) at 7.45pm

Thursday, May 17: Development HL S-F v Inniskeen (Home) at 7.30pm

Friday, May 18: O’Duffy Cup Quarter-Final v Scotstown (Home) at 7.30pm

Saturday, May 19: Under-14 FL Division One v Donaghmoyne (Away) at 12pm; U-14 FL Division Five v Drumhowan (Away) at 12pm

Monday, May 21: Under-14 HL v Cootehill (Home) at 7pm

Wednesday, May 23: RFL Division One v Clontibret (Home) at 7.45pm

 

Monaghan Harps Lotto: Numbers 1, 15, 20 and 26. Jackpot of €5,350 not won. Residual prizes: €100 Nan Donoghue c/o Nicholas Treanor; €40 Austin Hamill c/o Séamus Treanor; €40 Amy Dalton c/o Jim Dalton (Hurling Club); 40 Darren Connolly c/o Paddy Donnelly. Jackpot for Sunday, May 20 is €5,500 and Seán and Kathleen Boyle and Tessie Connolly are on duty. Lotto draw takes place in the clubhouse every Sunday night. All welcome.

 

Seniors: The seniors got back to winning ways in the league with victories at home to Castleblayney and away to Magheracloone last weekend.

An early point by Shane Coyle and a brace of frees by Donal Hahessy had our lads two points up in Friday’s game against Blayney, but it was level by half-time (0-3 apiece). A brace of frees by Donal, either side of points from play by Nicholas Scott and Emmett McArdle, got us off to a good start in the second half and Donal added another few points to increase our lead. After Blayney threatened a comeback, Niall Greenan came off the bench to land a fine point, before scores from Donal (free) and Ronan Garvey sealed a 0-13 to 0-7 victory.

Team and scorers: Conall McKenna; Paul Rushe, Stephen Driver, Conor Galligan; Nicholas Scott (0-1), Aodhán Óg McAnespie, David Hughes; Peter Coyle, Gary White; Donal Hahessy (0-8, 7f), Shane Coyle (0-1), Shane Smyth (Capt.); David Loughran, Dean Fanning, Emmett McArdle (0-1).

Subs: Paul Kelly for Fanning (inj., 2 mins), Niall Greenan (0-1) for Kelly (41), Ronan Garvey (0-1) for P Coyle (inj., 58).

The lads followed that up with a 1-8 to 0-8 win in Magheracloone on Sunday. The teams swapped points twice in the opening quarter, with David Hughes and Emmett McArdle getting our scores, before Gary White hit a cracking goal to send the Harps in at half-time leading by 1-2 to 0-4. Shane Coyle (two), David Loughran, Liam and Donal Hahessy and Gary White added points in the second half to keep our lads ahead despite Magheracloone converting a series of frees.

Team and scorers: Conall McKenna; Paul Rushe, Stephen Driver, Conor Galligan; Nicholas Scott, Aodhán Óg McAnespie, David Hughes (0-1); Peter Coyle, Gary White (1-1); Liam Hahessy (0-1), Shane Coyle (0-2), Shane Smyth (Capt.); David Loughran (0-1), Emmett McArdle (0-1), Donal Hahessy (0-1f).

Sub: Nicholas Treanor for McArdle (inj., 37 mins).

Next up for the seniors is a home game against Clontibret on May 30.

 

Reserves: The Crawley Cup team fell to a 1-11 to 1-6 defeat away to Emyvale last Saturday. We patched a team together, with the help of a few players making comebacks. After a very slow start, some good free-taking by Niall Greenan and a goal by Thomas Keelaghan made the scoreline respectable, but we left it too late to take anything from the game. We had a home game against Aghabog last night (Wednesday).

Team: Andrew Mullen; Fionntán Cassidy, Niall Brannigan, Finnian McKenna; Thomas Keelaghan, Johnny Sherry, Séamus Brannigan (Capt.); Lorcan McAdam, Conor Callan; Adam Cullen, Niall Greenan, Dermot Brannigan; Terry McElvaney, Dean Treanor, Colm Shalvey.

The O’Duffy Cup team play a championship quarter-final at home to Scotstown this Friday at 7.30pm. All support welcome. We also host Clontibret in the league next Wednesday.

 

Golf Classic: We are staging a Golf Classic at Rossmore Golf Club on Friday, June 8. Keep an eye on the club notes and website in the coming weeks for more details.

 

Minors: The minor footballers lost at home to Castleblayney last Tuesday evening. Blayney hit the first three points and although Fearghal McMahon got our lads off the mark, the visitors then found the net to open up a five-point gap by the end of the opening quarter. Shane Loughran got a point back, but our lads still trailed by 1-4 to 0-3 at half-time. Evan Doherty kicked the first point of the second half and well-taken scores by Brendan McQuaid and Fearghal kept the Harps in touch, although Blayney did enough to stay ahead throughout. Fearghal won and scored a free before setting up Michael Galligan to cut our deficit to two points, but Blayney held firm to win by 1-7 to 0-8.

Team and scorers: Ryan Shields; Pauric Murphy, Anthony Croarkin, Turlough Clerkin; Mustafa Gamal, Michael Galligan (0-1), Carl Foentjies; Niall Treanor, Evan Doherty (0-1); Conor Forde, Paul Smyth, Brendan McQuaid (0-1); Jason McHugh, Shane Loughran (0-1), Paul Byrne (Capt.).

Subs: Fearghal McMahon (0-3, 1f) for Smyth, Francie Lynch for McHugh, Conor Burns for Foentjies.

The minors are at home to Killanny this evening (Tuesday) in the last game before the break for the Leaving Cert.

 

U-16: The Under-16 footballers had a good win away to Emyvale last Thursday on a scoreline of 0-15 to 1-5. The lads’ next game is at home to Donaghmoyne on Thursday week (May 24).

 

U-14: Our Under-14 football teams are both away from home on Saturday. The Division One side go to Donaghmoyne, while the Division Five lads travel to Drumhowan. Both games throw in at 12 noon.

 

U-12: Well done to our Under-12 teams who represented the club very well at the Spring League Finals in Cloghan last Saturday. The B team, managed by Jimmy Croarkin and Pauric Callan, were unlucky to lose narrowly to Castleblayney. Our lads made much the better start with some good scores by Hubert (three), Orin and Shea giving us a 5-3 lead at half-time, but we were left to rue not being further ahead. Hubert found the net again in the second period, but Blayney added four scores with the wind at their backs to win by seven scores to six.

Team: Kelvin; Killian, Lochlainn, Andrew, Justas; Hubert (2-2), Ógie; Orin (0-1), Luke, Oisín, Shea (0-1).

Subs used: David, Jamie, Liam..

The first team, in a change to the schedule, took on Donaghmoyne and ran out deserving winners by nine scores to seven. With Oisín Power and Stephen Ward sweeping up to great effect at the back, Colin Peppard and Seán Conway competing well at midfield and Shane McCabe and Conor McCrystal on form in attack, this was a real team effort where all 13 players involved contributed. Scores by Colin, Shane, Conor and substitute Corey McArdle won it for our lads, who then played another two quarters against another group from Donaghmoyne.

Team: Dáire; Oisín, Stephen; Lorcan, Adam; Colin (1-1), Seán; Killian C, Dylan; Shane (1-1), Conor (1-3).

Subs: Corey (0-1), Killian McA.

Everyone is now looking forward to the Under-12 Leagues starting on Saturday week, May 26. Photos from the Finals Day can be seen on the Monaghan GAA website. Go on and have a look

 

Congratulations: To the Monaghan senior ladies footballers who beat Cork in the National League Division One Final last Saturday.

 

Coaching: Thanks to everyone who helped out last Wednesday at our first ‘Coaching in the Community’ session which took place on the Pound Hill. This was a great success for our first attempt and we hope to take the initiative to other neighbourhoods around the town. With over 100 kids registered for our Saturday morning coaching, we need as much help as possible, so contact Una Forde at 087 6107329 if you want to get involved.

 

Meeting: At last Thursday’s club meeting for May, a vote of sympathy was passed to Michael O’Donoghue and family on the death of his grandmother Alice Swift. Former club player Marc McArdle was congratulated for captaining Monaghan Rugby Club to win the Gordon West Cup.

 

Hurling: Our Under-14 hurlers continued their winning run with a 5-6 to 1-1 defeat of Truagh on Monday. Andrew Connolly and Seán McKenna were among the goals, as was super-sub Oisín Power, who marked his introduction by scoring 2-1. The senior hurlers host Inniskeen in the Development League semi-finals this Thursday.

 

Blackwater 10k: Well done to our club members and everyone else who took part in the annual 10k run/walk last Sunday, raising money for Monaghan Arch Club, Special Olympics and Monaghan Hospice.