Easy to see why this is refereed to as The Toughest.
Three teams scraped through to an All-Ireland club final this afternoon with just a point to spare. Another two teams couldn’t be separated after extra time.
That picture up there? That’s only Kerry man John Dowling who ripped up his All-Ireland final ticket back in September in place of 2,000 euro for his club. His club, incidentally, haven’t lost since that day and Dowling will return to Croke Park with Ardfert on Saturday, February 14 for a shot at the AIB GAA All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship.
The Kingdom champions overcame a stiff Warrenpoint challenge in Portlaoise when a John Egan goal helped them through a dogged 1-8 to 0-10 win against the Down side.
Facing them in the decider, St. Croan’s of Roscommon who staved off Seán O’Mahony’s with another minimum deficit.
In the junior semis, The Rock and Brosna will have to do it all again after the Tyrone and Kerry outfits went the distance over 80 ding-dong minutes. Eamon Ward hit the net for the Red Hand champions in a game that finished 0-10 to 1-7 after extra time.
Lancashire club, John Mitchel’s, await the winners of the replay after they saw off Westmeath’s select, Moate All Whites. Cian Bradley raised a green flag for the Lake County champs but a Kieran Lynam goal was the difference as John Mitchel’s ran out three-point winners.
Over in the hurling intermediate semis, two Thomas Morgan goals inside the first eight minutes did the damage for the Antrim men as O’Donovan Rossa advanced to the decider over Cappoquin with seven points’ breathing space.
London’s Kilburn Gaels join them at headquarters after their slender win ahead of Cappataggle of Galway.
Vincent Morrisey and Paddy Duggan led the way for Fullen Gaels when they beat Castlblaney in the junior semis and they’ll meet Kilkenny’s junior outfit, Bennettsbridge, in the final on February 15. Two goals in two minutes from Liam Blanchfield and Cormac Wafer in the second period did the damage over Annaghdown.
AIB GAA All-Ireland IFC semi finals
Ardfert (Kerry) 1-8 Warrenpoint (Down) 0-10
St. Croan’s (Roscommon) 0-14 Seán O’Mahony’s (Louth) 2-7
AIB GAA All-Ireland JFC semi finals
Brosna (Kerry) 0-10 The Rock (Tyrone) 1-7 (AET)
John Mitchel’s (Lancashire) 1-9 Moate All Whites (Westmeath) 1-6
AIB GAA All-Ireland IHC semi finals
O’Donovan Rossa (Antrim) 2-12 Cappoquin (Waterford) 1-8
Kilburn Gaels (London) 0-11 Cappataggle (Galway) 0-10
AIB GAA All-Ireland JHC semi finals
Fullen Gaels (Lancashire) 2-18 Castleblaney (Monaghan) 1-7
Bennettsbridge (Kilkenny) 2-19 Annaghdown (Galway) 0-9
Thanks to Ursula O’Keefe for the photo from Ardfert’s win.
