Sean O’Mahony’s book place in first ever Louth Senior Championship final

Dundalk side the Sean O’Mahony’s will contest the Louth Senior Championship final for the first time in their history next month.

The Point Road outfit overcame last year’s beaten finalists the Dreadnots on a 1-12 to 1-8 scoreline in Haggardstown on Saturday night to set up a final clash against holders St Patrick’s GFC in Drogheda on Sunday October 4^th.

The O’Mahony’s, winners of the Louth and Leinster Intermediate titles last year, raced into a 0-5 to no score lead inside the opening 17 minutes with Conor Finnegan scoring three points in between other scores from Stephen Fisher and Gary Mulligan.

Liam Shevlin finally managed to respond for the Clogherhead men five minutes later but another point from Fisher was followed up with a goal from Conor Crawley that left it 1-6 to 0-1.

Finnegan added two further points before the break with Shevlin responding as the O’Mahony’s led by 1-8 to 0-2 at half-time.

The gap remained at nine points when Finnegan and Ben McLaughlin cut out earlier scores from James Califf and Peter Kirwan but heading into the final quarter the Dreadnots mounted a serious charge.

Califf added a few frees when Shevlin hit the net to leave it 1-11 to 1-7 with five minutes to go.

Finnegan then scored a vital insurance point and although Califf fired over a late reply for the Dreadnots, it wasn’t enough to prevent the O’Mahony’s from advancing to the County Final.

Sean O’Mahony’s: Kevin Brennan; Michael Clarke, Ronan Byrne, Kurt Murphy; Keith McLaughlin, John O’Brien, Gary Mulligan 0-1; Conor Martin, Shane Brennan; Peter Nixon, Stephen Fisher 0-2, Conor Finnegan 0-8 (5f); Stephen Kilcoyne, Conor Crawley 1-0, Johnny Connolly. Subs: Ben McLaughlin 0-1 for J Connolly, Pat O’Brien for M Clarke.

Meanwhile, eight points from Barry O’Hare and a goal from Liam Carthy helped Roche Emmets beat the Glen Emmets by 1-12 to 0-14 at Clan na Gael Park on Friday night to book their place in the Junior Final.

Six points from William Woods and a goal from Jack Butterly saw Naomh Fionnbarra beat Stabannon Parnells by 1-8 to 0-4 in the other semi-final.

Finally, Clan na Gael will take on Kilkerley Emmets in the Intermediate Championship final on Sunday in Haggardstown. Throw-in is at 4pm.

Louth GAA Championship draws are made

St Patrick’s GFC will be hoping for more silverware this year after clinching a championship and league double last season. They are pictured here celebrating their league success

County champions St Patrick’s have been paired with Mattock Rangers and the O Raghallaigh’s in the group stages of this year’s Carrickdale Hotel Senior Football Championship.

The Lordship men were drawn in Group 4 following last night’s draw in Darver and will face a stiff test from the outset against a Mattock side who won back-to-back titles as recently as 2010 an an ever-improving O Raghallaigh’s side.

Elsewhere, last year’s beaten finalists the Dreadnots were drawn in Group 1 alongside St Mary’s and Naomh Mairtin while intermediate champions the Sean O’Mahony’s have been drawn in Group 2 alongside the O’Connells and Cooley Kickhmas.

Meanwhile, there will be a local derby in Group 3 where both Dundalk Gaels and the Geraldines have been paired alongside 2013 champions the Newtown Blues.

Meanwhile, in the CTI Business Solutions Intermediate Championship last year’s beaten finalists St Fechin’s have been drawn in Group 4 alongside Na Piarsaigh and St Mochta’s.

In Group 1 last season’s relegated outfit Kilkerley Emmets have been paired with fellow former senior heavyweights Clan na Gael and Glyde Rangers while in Group 2 are Naomh Malachi, Hunterstown Rovers and St Joseph’s. Dundalk Young Irelands are in Group 3 with St Brides and junior champions Oliver Plunketts.

In the Junior Championship, Roche Emmets will be hoping to bounce back to the intermediate grade straight away but face a tough pairing in Group 1 alongside Naomh Fionnbarra and the Sean McDermotts.

In Group 2 are the county’s newest club Cuchulainn Gaels, the John Mitchels and St Nicholas while Group 3 contain sides who all either won the Christy Bellew Cup or came close to it on numerous occasions in the Noughties – St Kevin’s, Dowdallshill and the Westerns.

Finally, Group 4 is made up of Lannleire, the Wolfe Tones, Glen Emmets and Stabannon Parnells.

For all three grades the winners and runners up of Group 1 will face the winners and runners up of Group 3 with the winners and runners-up of Groups 2 and 4 doing likewise.

In the Senior Hurling Championship, holders Knockbridge have a bye with Mattock Rangers facing Pearse Og and St Fechin’s playing Naomh Moninne.

The Dreadnots book their place in Louth SFC final

The Dreadnots booked their place in their second Louth SFC final in the last three seasons when they overcame Dundalk Gaels on a 0-16 to 0-13 scoreline in Saturday’s semi-final replay in Dublin.

They now go on to meet St Patrick’s in what will be a repeat of the 2012 decider.

There was little between the sides for a long time but four points in-a-row at the start of the final quarter from James Califf (2), Cian McEvoy and Anthony Williams gave the Dreadnots some breathing space before injury time points from Califf and Pat Lynch helped see them over the line.

Meanwhile, the Oliver Plunketts clinched the Louth Junior title with a 2-6 to 0-9 victory over the Glen Emmets in Stabannon on Sunday courtesy of goals from Stephen Keely and Cian Matthews.

There was also celebrations for the Newtown Blues, who clinched their first ever Ladies SFC title with a 2-9 to 0-7 victory over Stabannon Parnells in Castlebellingham on Sunday.

Laura Collins led the way for the Drogheda side with 1-6, with their other goal coming from Kate Gerard.

Draws made for Louth football championships

Newtown Blues’ Stephen Moonan lifts the Joe Ward Cup after his side’s victory over Cooley Kickhams in last year’s senior final

County champions the Newtown Blues will face their Drogheda neighbours the O Raghallaigh’s and Dundalk Gaels in the group stages of this year’s Carrickdale Hotel SFC.

The draw for the championship was made last night in Darver with the three teams being paired in group one.

Last year’s runners-up Cooley Kickhams have been drawn in group four – arguably the group of death – with the O’Connells and Mattock Rangers while their neighbours St Patrick’s will be in group two alongside Naomh Mairtin and the Dreadnots.

Meanwhile, newly-promoted the Geraldines have been given a kind draw having been placed in group three with St Mary’s and Kilkerley Emmets.

In the Anglo Printers IFC, the stand out group is group two which includes the Dundalk trio of Sean O’Mahony’s, Dundalk Young Irelands and Clan na Gael.

The other big Dundalk club, Na Piarsaigh, have been drawn in group one with St Fechin’s and St Joseph’s while newly-promoted Hunterstown Rovers are in group three with St Mochta’s and Naomh Malachi.

Finally, in group four Glyde Rangers, St Brides and Roche Emmets will all be vying for a return to senior football following relegation in recent years.

Elsewhere in the Integral Fitness & Leisure JFC, Dundalk outfit Dowdallshill will be in a four-team group in group four that also includes the Oliver Plunketts, Stabannon Parnells and the Sean McDermotts.

Group one includes the Westerns, the Wolfe Tones and Glen Emmets, with St Kevin’s, John Mitchels and Cuchulainn Gaels making up group two. Finally, in group three are St Nicholas, Naomh Fionnbarra and Lannleire.

The draw in full is as follows:

Carrickdale Hotel Senior Football Championship Draw 2014

• Group 1 – O Raghallaighs, Newtown Blues, Dundalk Gaels
• Group 2 – St Patricks, Naomh Martin, Dreadnots
• Group 3 – Geraldines, St Mary’s, Kilkerley Emmets
• Group 4 – O’Connells, Cooley Kickhams, Mattock Rangers

Anglo Printers Intermediate Football Championship 2014

• Group 1 – St Fechins, Na Piarsaigh, St Josephs
• Group 2 – Sean O’Mahonys, Dundalk Young Irelands, Clan na Gael
• Group 3 – St Mochtas, Hunterstown Rovers, Naomh Malachi
• Group 4 – Glyde Rangers, Roche Emmets, St Brides

Integral Fitness & Leisure Junior Football Championship 2014

• Group 1 – Westerns, Wolfe Tones, Glen Emmets
• Group 2 – St Kevins, John Mitchels, Cuchulainn Gaels
• Group 3 – St Nicholas, Naomh Fionbarra, Lannleire
• Group 4 – Oliver Plunketts, Dowdallshill, Stabannon Parnells, Sean McDermotts