Hurling
Maguire Cup Ulster Champions 2024
Maguire Cup Hurling Final U16.5 – Dean Maguirc College v St Conor’s Clady/Kilrea
Tuesday 09/04/24 – St Martin’s Desertmartin
In a game played in all four seasons the Final of the Maguire Cup went down to the wire in a competitive manner from the first whistle to the very end.
St Conor’s had the advantage of a strong breeze in the first half and made the most of it after the two sides settled to the task. The first quarter of the game was evenly matched with the scores tied with Rory Woods scoring 2 frees and Padraig McCrystal along with Sean Donnelly firing over points for the Tyrone school.
The conditions worsened at this point and with St Conor’s midfield getting on top they fired a series of points. Some excellent play from Ruairi McElduff, Ciaran McKenna and Rian Martin in the full back line helped keep St Conor’s at bay for the next period of the game. Then Sean Donnelly grabbed a vital goal to bring the game level but St Conor’s finished the half strongly with 2 goals from long balls to go in 2-07 to 1-04 up at half time.
On the turn around the Dean, with the wind advantage fired over 3 points from play through Conor McPhillips, Padraig McCrystal and Rory Woods to bring it back to a one score game. Again, with conditions changing for the worse the game turned attritional with only a free from Rory Woods added in that time. Caolan Grimes and Michael McCallan began to exert more of an influence at this point with good support from Cal McAleer and Phelim McCrory.
With the clock ticking into the final quarter the game took a new lease of life when Conor McPhillips scrambled in a goal for the Dean after a ruck to lead by a point for the first time.
St Conor’s then managed to exert some pressure and a breaking ball from a free was pulled into the net. In the next play from a long Jack Devlin puck out and a foul on Caolan Fox the 21 yard free was delivered to the net by Sean Donnelly. Shortly after, the final whistle blew and Dean Maguirc had won the Maguire Cup for the first time. The game was played in a truly sporting manner and both teams should be applauded for their efforts in some horrendous conditions at times.
Dean Maguirc Squad and Scorers:
Jack Devlin, Ruairi McElduff, Ciaran McKenna, Rian Martin, Tadhg Clarke, Caolan Grimes, Cal McAleer, Padraig McCrystal (0-03), Michael McCallan, Pearse McDonald, Sean Donnelly (2-01), Phelim McCrory, Caolan Fox, Rory Woods(0-04, 3F), Conor McPhillips (1-01), Peter Paul Kerr, Fionan Magill, Ruairi Daly, Conal Bennett, Ryan Donaghy, Conla Coney, Cathain Fox, Setanta McElhatton.
Danske Bank Casement Shield Win For Dean
Dean Maguirc College, Carrickmore 5-12 Castleblayney College 0-9
Four goals and four points and a player of the match display from TTM Young Hurler of the Year Aidan Woods helped project Dean Maguirc College Carrickmore to a first Ulster schools’ senior hurling title with victory in the Danske Bank Casement Shield final over Castleblayney College on Thursday afternoon in Middletown.
While the mercurial Woods was the game’s stand out player he was well supported by a team that was defensively sound and didn’t allow Castleblayney a single score from open play. Francie Hurson and Shea Munroe also asked serious questions of the Monaghan side every time they moved forward.
Despite being under severe pressure for most of the game Castleblaney’s Nathan McArdle was excellent at the heart of the Castleblayney defence while his younger brother Tim proved very reliable and deadly accurate from placed balls. A return of nine points from frees is more than decent shooting on any day.
Tim Mc Ardle got the first of his nine points in his team’s first attack, but, after Kevin Cuddy found the net for Dean Maguirc, the Tyrone side took control and were never really troubled after that. Woods added two goals before the break and Carrickmore led by 3-6 to 0-7 at the break.
Woods soon completed this hat-trick and then added a fourth goal and two more points while Hurson kept the pressure on from the dead ball.
Earlier in the day, goals from the Loughran sisters, Annie (two) and Eilís, made it a double for the school with a 3-4 to 0-3 victory over Our Lady’s Castleblayney in the quarter-final of the Rosina McManus camogie shield.
Carrickmore, who beat Bailieborough CS to win Sciath Bhríde at junior level last month, now face the same opposition in the senior semi-finals.
Dean Maguirc: A Woods 4-4, K Cuddy 1-0, F Hurson 0-5 frees, S Munroe 0-2, C McGlinchey 0-1.
Castleblayney: T McArdle 0-9 frees.
Dean Maguirc: Tiernan Mullin, Cillian Kerr, Caolan Grimes, Ciaran McKenna, Michael Coyle, Daithi McElhatton, Francie Hurson, Caolan Martin, Pauric McCrystal, Shea Munroe, Conor McGlinchey, Finbarr Donnelly, Aidan Woods, Kevin Cuddy