Loughgiel U14 Girls Retain Their Title & Bring Home a Fourth All Ireland for the Shamrocks

The Loughgiel Shamrock under 14 girls started the weekend of the Feile in fighting form and as the defending All Ireland champions were well drilled and ready for any opposition they were ready to face. On Friday evening after the girls had welcomed their guests they took to the field to play neighbouring rivals Dunloy which they held scoreless & progressed to their next game with a scoreline of 2-4 to 0-0. They then took on St Fiachras Kilkenny who also were held scoreless when the shamrocks young guns beat the Kilkenny side 5-11 to 0-0. On Saturday the girls were to face their host club Kilruane MacDonaghs when friendships that had been forged would be left outside the pitch for 30 mins the girls finished the game with a score line of 4-7 to 1-0. The girls had to change venue to McQuillans Ballycastle for the next game having to move had no effect on them as they defeated Ruairi Og Cushendall 5-11 to 0-01. On Sunday as the girls travelled to Owenbeg they were up against Inagh Kilnamonagh of Clare and again were on scoring form and beat the southern side 2-4 to 1-0. The girls had reached the final against Newbridge, Derry and were only 30 mins away from bringing that All Ireland Cup back home. Against the breeze in the first half but battled for every ball, block & hook. In the second half the scores came thick & fast for the young cailini of Loughgiel and there was no doubt that the All Ireland title would remain in Loughgiel for 2015. A bunch of players that gave everything they had for the shamrock Jersey and put in performances worthy of any All Ireland final.

The U14 boys may have exited the Feile Na nGael at quarter final stages but over the course of the games played also gave everything they had the boys produced a thrilling nail biting game against rivals Ballycastle beating them by a single point in the first game of the weekend. They then faced St Brigids Dublin beating them 4-08 to 1-02 and finished the Friday of the tournament unbeaten. On Saturday like the girls the boys would face host club Padraig Pearses and what a game it was seeing the Loughgiel lads put on a masterclass on how the game of hurling should be played with one of the best displays of goal keeping ever to be seen in Fr Healy Park by Loughgiel U14 goalie Kevin McAuley to finish winners and progress to face Naas in the cup quarter final. This was to be the end of the games for the weekend for the young boys but what a team they are and will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.

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