With just a few days elapsed since the autumn equinox, Ballela’s grounds, the setting for this year’s Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield, illustrated by way of example the change in seasons. As the sun tucked itself neatly behind a passing cumulus cloud, the northerly breeze became prominent and challenged even the hardiest on the sidelines, sending many back to the car for a coat but as the sun emerged again and the temperature climbed, some coats found a resting place over the spectators fence. A day of bitwixt and between as they say.
Set amongst a scattering of drumlins that characterise the area, Ballela was a fine setting for Saturday’s Minor Shield and offered us a fitting historical backdrop as past Down GAA senior hurling championship winners. Ballycran’s opposition for the Shield were St. Monnine’s GAA Club, Killeavy from Armagh. Killeavy were brought into the Shield competition to augment playing opportunities and Saturday’s match offered plenty of that.
Referee Dominic Kearns took the sun on his back and rolled in the sliotar to commence the game. Playing into the breeze, Ballycran settled into their stride with an opening point from Conor Corcoran (11), followed soon after with another point from Eoin Kelly (14). It would be six minutes on the clock before Killeavy would register their first score of a point from play from Shea O’Meara (14).
As the minutes ticked by, Eoin Kelly would shape his own game of the season with a dominant presence in the full forward position and seemed to have an abundance of space created largely by his pace and hunger to find the target. An early goal by Kelly raised hopes on the sidelines that perhaps all of the hard work put in by the players and management just might offer up that elusive reward.
Killeavy swung back into the game and notched up several points alongside Kelly’s accurate free taking and additional points from play to post an early score of 1-05 to Killeavy’s 0-04, when Ballycran’s Sean McCarthy dodged his way through Killeavy’s defence, getting close enough to punish the back of the net with a great goal.
On sizzling form, Kelly would crank the goal tally up with back to back goals but Killeavy would rally round to punish Ballycran for resting early on their laurels with a fine opportunistic goal from Miceal Rice (11). Patrolling the Killeavy goal area, Ballycran’s Xander McMullan found the sliotar bobbling in front of him and with a determined pull, found the back of the net and jumped with joy to take the score line to a half time tally of Ballycran 5-07 (22) Killeavy 1-06 (9).
In full credit to Killeavy’s half time team chat, despite having the breeze into their face, the St. Moninne’s players recommitted their desire to take the match and scuppered Ballycran’s plans for a similar dominant second half with a goal from Uel O’Neill (10) and five more points before Ballycran’s captain Conor Corcoran called to his side to settle, refocus and play to the plan. Soon after, Kelly floated another two points over the bar with one from Eoin Torney (15) before Killeavy would strike another blow from a penalty, well taken by Miceal Rice that closed the gap to just five points with Ballycran 5-10 (25) Killeavy 3-11 (20).
Ballycran eventually started to win their puck outs and finding Kelly, he pounced on another goal scoring opportunity to shake Killeavy once again. With sideline support from manager Gary Savage encouraging more from his forward structure, Corcoran obliged with a searing goal topped off with a final point from Kelly to close the game Ballycran 7-11 (32) Killeavy 3-13 (22). Congratulations to the Minor squad and management for a well deserved win and commiserations to Killeavy, who were acknowledged in Corcoran’s winner’s speech as offering Ballycran the best game of the year.
Ballycran
Sean O’Hanlon (1) , Peter Clarke (2) , Patrick McGrattan (3), Dominic McGrath (4), Pearse McCluskey (5), Dara Rodgers (6), Jerome Bell (7), Ronan Breen (8), Manus Gilmore (9), Declan Byers (10), Conor Corcoran (Captain) (11) [1-01], Sean McCarthy [1-00] (12), Xander McMullan (13) [1-00], Eoin Kelly (14) [4-09], Eoin Torney (15) [0-01], Ben Savage (17), Nathan Clarke (18), Ben Hamilton (20), Joe Brown (21).
Killeavy
Antoine Britton (1), Shea Doran (2), Conor O’Kane (3), Cathal Trainer (4), Mark Goodman (5) [0-01], Eoin Ferron (6), Gareth McMullan (7), Darren McMullan (8) [0-03], Daire Walsh (9), Uel O’Neill (10) [1-01], Miceal Rice (11) [2-04], Ruairi Hanlon (12), Kai Rice (13), Shea O’Meara (14) [0-01], Fergal Boylan (15) [0-03].
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – Ballycran – 1
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – Killeavy – 2
Referee Dominic Kearns with Captains Conor Corcoran (Ballycran) and Darren McMullan (Killeavy) – 3
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 4
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 5
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 6
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 7
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 8
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 9
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 10
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 11
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 12
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 13
Sean McCarthy slots in goal number two – 14a
Sean McCarthy slots in goal number two – 14b
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 15
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 16
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 17
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 18
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 19
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 20
Ballycran’s Eoin Kelly lines up for his third goal – 21a
Ballycran’s Eoin Kelly lines up for his third goal – 21b
Ballycran’s Eoin Kelly strikes for his third goal – 21c
Ballycran’s Eoin Kelly strikes for his third goal – 21d
Ballycran’s Eoin Kelly savours his third goal – 21e
Half time huddle in the Minor Shield – 22
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 23
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 24
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 25
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 26
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 27
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 28
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 29
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 30
Ballycran’s talisman Eoin Kelly on another goal run – 31
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 32
Joe Brown patrols the full forward line under the stewardship of the captain – 33
Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 34
Delighted parents and supporters – 35
Liam Quinn presents the Minor Shield to Ballycran’s captain Conor Corcoran – 36
“I said Ballycran won…I can’t hear you” – 37
Winners of the Down GAA Fionán Lynch Memorial Minor Shield – 38
Additional photograph courtesy of Dermot Donnelly – 39
Additional photograph courtesy of Dermot Donnelly – 40
Additional photograph courtesy of Dermot Donnelly – 41
Additional photograph courtesy of Dermot Donnelly – 42
Additional photograph courtesy of Dermot Donnelly – 43
Additional photograph courtesy of Dermot Donnelly – 44
