The big throw-in...
10.03.09
Inishowen GAA football
season gets underway
Report: Inishowen Independent
THE Inishowen underage Gaelic football season gets under
way on Friday night with the start of the minor
competition under floodlights.
And the formal launch of under-age football in the
peninsula takes place tonight, Tuesday, at the Scarvey
in Buncrana with Donegal legend Martin McHugh and
current player Neil Gallagher in attendance. Under-12
players from each competing club, along with coaches,
parents, officials, referees and sponsors will all be in
attendance with special coaching sessions for the
children taken by coaches from clubs other than their
own.
McHugh and Gallagher will speak about their experiences
as county and club footballers and coaches. Martin
McHugh, in particular, has been vocal in recent times
about the inadequacy of structures employed by the GAA
in the county. |
Improved coaching in
schools, an increase in the number of floodlit pitches,
the improvement of coaching at under-age county level
and the implementation of proper under-age structures in
urban areas, especially Letterkenny, were all
highlighted by McHugh as vital to improving the
standards of Gaelic football in the county.
With over 100 games involving around 200 young players,
last year’s under-12 competition was hugely successful
and culminated in an exciting Championship final in
Connolly Park, Malin, where Burt needed a goal deep in
injury time to overcome the challenge of defending
champions Buncrana. The win was Burt’s first at the
grade in 25 years. |
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In the Shield final,
Moville overcame the challenge of Carndonagh while Urris
proved too strong for Buncrana’s second team in the B
final.
The under-12 competition starts on Tuesday week, 24
March, under floodlights in Buncrana, Carn and Moville.
A competition for under-12 B teams also starts on
Tuesday week with most clubs hoping to field a second
team.
And this Friday night, the Inishowen minor championship
gets under way with good use being made of floodlights
in Carn, Moville and Buncrana over the next three weeks.
Before the time changes later this month, nine games
will have been completed over three rounds and the
competition switches to Wednesday nights for the first
three weeks in April before the Northern Board league
starts.
On Friday, Carndonagh are at home to Urris, Moville are
at home to Burt while defending champions Malin travel
to Buncrana, who they defeated in last year’s final. The
games have a 7pm throw-in.
Inishowen under-16 football starts on Tuesday 31 March,
while the under-14 competition starts on Friday, 15 May.
Competition sponsors for 2009 are as follows: Under 10
(Malin) Stonecliff Developments; Under 12 Bank of
Ireland (Moville); Under 13 (Carndonagh) Inishowen Oil
Co Ltd; Under 14 (Urris) TBC; Under 16 (Burt) John Ryan
Milk Products; Under 18 (Buncrana) P.A. Dorrian & Co;
Senior (Naomh Pádraig) Kevin Lynch Electrical.
Under-12 A & B fixtures
Tuesday, 24 March 6.45pm and 7.30pm
Moville v Malin
Buncrana v Naomh Pádraig
Carndonagh v Burt
Tuesday, 31 March 6.15pm and 7pm
Urris v Burt
Naomh Pádraig v Carndonagh
Moville v Buncrana
Tuesday, 7 April 6.15pm and 7pm
Burt v Naomh Pádraig
Urris v Moville
Malin v Buncrana
Under-18 Fixtures
Friday 13 March, 7pm
Carndonagh v Urris
Buncrana v Malin
Moville v Burt
Friday 20 March, 7pm
Carndonagh v Malin
Buncrana v Urris
Moville v N Pádraig
Friday 27 March, 7pm
Carndonagh v N Padraig
Buncrana v Burt
Moville v Malin
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the
Inishowen Independent. |
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