Go ahead given to convert St Brigid’s Hall into a house

St Brigid’s Hall on the Point Road

An Bord Pleanála have decided to uphold Dundalk Town Council’s decision from February of this year to grant planning permission to turn the former community hall at St Brigid’s Hall on the Point Road into a house.

As part of the application by Gerard and Alice Hoey of 13 Belfry Avenue, St Alphonsus Road, there is permission for alterations and an extension to the property.

Patrick and Monica Cheshire had appealed the decision of the council to give the development the go-ahead on the basis that they owned “a significant area of ground” that the development was due to be built on.

However, despite their appeal An Bord Pleanála decided to uphold the council’s decision of February 24^th last to give the Hoey’s the go-ahead for their plans.

Three changes to Louth team for Sunday’s clash with Monaghan

Louth have made three changes to their side for Sunday’s Allianz National Football League Division Two clash away to Monaghan in Clones.

Padraig Rath, Derek Crilly and Eoin O’Connor all return to the side while Gerard Hoey, Darren Clarke and U-21 star Patrick Reilly make way.

Clarke picked up a knock in the heavy defeat to Down last weekend while Reilly is likely to have been rested ahead of the county’s Leinster U-21 Championship quarter-final replay with Meath in Navan on Wednesday.

The team in full is: N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan, K McLaughlin; J O’Brien, D Crilly, L Shevlin; P Keenan, B Duffy; A Reid, C Judge, D Byrne; A McDonnell, E O’Connor, D Maguire.

Throw-in at Clones on Sunday is at 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, the Louth hurling team for Sunday’s clash with Monaghan has also been named.

It is as follows: O’Reilly; McCormack, Carter, McCrave; Ryan, Hayes, Byrne; Callan, Condon; Smith, Rellis, Mackin; Kettle, Murphy, Mahony.

That game will take place at Aughnamullen at 12 noon.

Louth panel for 2014 is named

Louth boss Aidan O’Rourke has named his provisional panel for the 2014 season.

Included in the panel are five newcomers – John Kermode of the Newtown Blues, Keith McLaughlin of the Sean O’Mahony’s, Naomh Mairtin’s Stephen Campbell, Cian Doyle of the O’Connells and Patrick Reilly of St Brides.

The full panel is: Neil Gallagher, Shane McCoy, Padraig Rath, Keith McLaughlin, Darren O’Hanlon, Gary Connolly, Liam Shevlin, Dessie Finnegan, Adrian Reid, John O’Brien, Derek Crilly, Gerard Hoey, Patrick Reilly, Conor Rafferty, Paddy Keenan, John Kermode, Andy McDonnell, Bevan Duffy, Brian Donnelly, Gary O’Hare, Brian White, Eoin O’Connor, Stephen Campbell, Kevin Rogers, Cian Doyle, Derek Maguire, Colm Judge, Patrick Sheelan, Darren Clarke and Declan Byrne.

Meanwhile, Louth’s O’Byrne Cup opener with DCU will now take place on Saturday January 4^th at 7.30pm in Haggardstown.

The county’s trip to Donegal in the National League on Sunday March 30^th will also now take place in Ballyshannon, as opposed to Ballybofey.

Geraldines celebrate Leinster success

The Geraldines are celebrating this morning after landing the AIB Leinster Club IFC title with a 0-13 to 0-9 win over Naomh Olaf in a replay at Parnell Park yesterday.

After rescuing a replay courtesy of two late Jim McEneaney points a week earlier, the Blackrock and Haggardstown men took full advantage of their second bite of the cherry to become only the second Louth club to win the Leinster club title after the Dundalk Gaels a decade ago.

The foundations for the win were laid in the opening 10 minutes when the Gers raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead courtesy of points from McEneaney, Glen Traynor, Shane O’Hanlon, Johnny Breen and Stephen Reidy. Naomh Olaf did manage to up their game approaching half-time but still trailed by 0-8 to 0-4 at the break.

The Dublin outfit upped their game on the restart and had the deficit back two two points at 0-10 to 0-8 with 12 minutes to go.

There was just a point between the sides by the 56^th minute but late scores from Dara Hamill, McEneaney and Josh Arrowsmith ensured the Geraldines ran out convincing winners in the end and they can now look forward to an All-Ireland semi-final against Monaghan’s Truagh in the New Year.

Geraldines: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Thornton, Nicky Mackin, Tiernan Hand; James Craven, Gerard Hoey, Kevin Pepper; Stephen Reidy 0-1, Michael Rogers 0-1; Sean Callan, Jim McEneaney 0-4 (2 45s, 2 fr), Shane O’Hanlon 0-2; Glen Traynor 0-2, Barry Hamilton. Johnny Breen 0-1. Subs: Josh Arrowsmith 0-1 for J Breen, Dara Hamill 0-1 for G Traynor.

Jim McEneaney lifts the cup at full-time

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Rogers keeps his nerve to book Geraldines a place in Leinster final

The Geraldines booked themselves a place in the Leinster Club IFC final after beating St Fintan’s of Wexford by 1-17 to 2-13 after extra time in Wexford yesterday.

Michael Rogers’ free two minutes from the end proved the decisive score as the Haggardstown men set up a clash against St Olaf’s of Dublin in two weeks time.

The Gers will have been relieved to have secured the win having squandered sizeable leads on two occasions. They led by six points at the break and five points entering the closing stages only for the hosts to fight back to force the game into extra-time.

Eamon McEneaney’s side led by four points in the first half of extra-time but once again were pegged back until Rogers settled it.

Shane O’Hanlon led the way for the Gers with a personal tally of 1-9, with his goal giving the visitors a 1-8 to 0-5 lead at the interval.

St Fintan’s refused to lie down, however, with a last gasp free leaving the final score 1-12 each and forcing extra-time.

The Gers surged ahead again in extra-time but a goal from the hosts meant they trailed by just 1-16 to 2-12 at half-time. They then leveled matters in the second half before Rogers kicked the crucial score to send his side into the final.

They now meet St Olaf’s in the final on December 1^st with the game provisionally penciled in for Drogheda – something the Geraldines are hoping to challenge as they feel McGeough Park is capable of hosting the game.

Geraldines: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Watters, Nicky Mackin, Tiernan Hand; James Craven, Gerard Hoey, Kevin Pepper; Stephen Reidy, Michael Rogers 0-3; Sean Thornton, Johnny Breen 0-1, Paddy Hoey; Glen Traynor 0-2, Shane O’Hanlon 1-9, B Hamilton 0-1. Subs: Sean Callan for S Watters, Brendan Connolly for T Hand, Josh Arrowsmith 0-1 for J Breen, Dara Hamill for S Thornton, Liam Boyle for G Traynor.

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Geraldines book their place in last four of Leinster Club IFC

The Geraldines booked their place in the Leinster Intermediate Club Championship semi-finals with a 3-11 to 1-8 victory over St Malachy’s of Westmeath in Haggardstown yesterday.

Goals from Glen Traynor, Stephen Reidy and Sean Callan proved decisive as Eamonn McEneaney’s side booked a last four meeting away to St Fintan’s of Wexford next weekend.

There was no such luck for the Newtown Blues, however, who went down to Summerhill in Drogheda in their SFC quarter-final on a 2-13 to 1-13 scoreline.

Geraldines: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Watters, Nicky Mackin, Tiernan Hand; James Craven, Gerard Hoey, Kevin Pepper; Stephen Reidy 1-0, Michael Rogers; Sean Thornton, Johnny Breen, Paddy Hoey; Glen Traynor 1-4, Shane O’Hanlon 0-5, Barry Hamilton. Subs: Sean Callan 1-0 for S Watters, Josh Arrowsmith for B Hamilton, Dara Hamill 0-1 for J Breen, Benny Connolly for S Thornton.

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Geraldines captain Jim McEneaney holds aloft the Seamus Flood Cup after his side’s win over St Brides

The Geraldines will be playing senior football next season after overcoming St Brides by 2-15 to 2-5 in yesterday’s Intermediate Championship final in Dowdallshill.

The win, their first Seamus Flood success since 2005, completes a great year for the Blackrock and Haggardstown outfit after they also captured the Minor Championship at the end of last month.

In truth, this game was over by half-time. Despite there being just two points between the sides at 0-5 to 0-3 on 18 minutes, the Geraldines – under the management of former Louth boss Eamonn McEneaney – stepped things up with five scores without reply, including a goal from Shane Callan.

Any hopes that the Brides had of a turnaround were then hugely dented on the restart when the first score of the half was a goal from Glen Traynor that left it 2-9 to 0-3.

David Dunne did pull two goals back for the Knockbridge men but it was the Geraldines who ran out convincing 10 point winners in the end as captain Jim McEneaney lifted the trophy at the end following a personal haul of nine points.

GERALDINES: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Watters, Nicky Mackin, Tiarnan Hand; James Craven, Gerard Hoey 0-1, Kevin Pepper; Michael Rogers, Stephen Reidy; Sean Thornton, Jim McEneaney 0-9 (4 fr, 1 45), Shaun Callan 1-0; Barry Hamilton 0-1, Shane O’Hanlon 0-2, Glen Traynor 1-1. Subs: Josh Arrowsmith 0-1 for B Hamilton, Patrick Hoey for S Thornton, Benny Connolly for S Callan, Johnny Breen for G Traynor, Aaron Murray for S Reidy.

ST BRIDES: Darren Breen; Andrew Smyth, David Dunne 1-0, Conor Deane; Greg Kehoe, Cillian Kirk, Niall Mackin; Paddy Reilly, Shane Kerrigan 0-1; Ross Kehoe, Ray Kelly, Joseph Hanna; Kevin Hearty 0-1, Aaron Hoey 0-2, Conall Devin. Subs: Aidan McNally for N Mackin, Richard Halpenny for K Hearty, Kevin Kirk 0-1 for C Devin, Padraig Marry for J Hanna, Paul Prendergast for C Kirk.