by Damian Dowds, Inishowen
Independent
CARNDONAGH may have exited the Ulster Junior
Football Club Championship at the first hurdle when
they were defeated by Monaghan side and eventual
provincial champions Drumhowan, but Inishowen
interest in the competition continues with strong
representation from the peninsula on the John
Mitchel’s (Liverpool) team that defeated Leinster
champions Moynalvey (Meath) in the All-Ireland
quarter-final in Navan on Sunday.
Rocky Ivers and Declan Noone (Urris), Joe Donaghey
and Conal Reddin (Burt) and Willie Carter (Buncrana)
were all part of the Mitchel’s squad that defeated
Moynalvey by 1-10 to 1-8 to set up an All-Ireland
semi-final meeting with Connacht champions Killala
next Sunday week.
“We’re absolutely delighted with ourselves,” Joe
Donaghey said yesterday. “Nobody would have given us
much of a chance coming over the play the Meath boys
at home, but we’ve a good side with a lot of good
players and we’ve been training hard for this
match.”
Mitchel’s qualified for the All-Ireland series
having won the Lancashire final in September and
then progressing to defeat Welsh and Scottish
opposition en route to the All-Britain final where
they defeated London side Tara. Mitchel’s are the
first British team from outside London to reach an
All-Ireland quarter-final.
“It’s a great achievement for the club, we only
reformed three years ago and we’ve won every
competition we entered this year,” said club PRO
Shane McCann. “We’ve got our own pitch now, and
we’re starting to put down good roots here in
Liverpool. We have a friendly next weekend against a
local university and after that it’s over to
Carrick-on-Shannon for the Killala game.”
“We were 0-6 to 0-2 down at half-time, but we opened
the second half scoring hitting 1-3 without reply
and managed to hold onto that lead until then end,”
Donaghey said.
It is, perhaps, a sign of the economic times that so
many local men are playing football on foreign
fields, and Donaghey is appreciative of the value of
belonging to a GAA club abroad.
“It’s a real home away from home,” Donaghey, a
teacher, says. “There’s a big Donegal connection in
Mitchel’s, with eight players on the squad. All our
players are living and working here in Liverpool,
we’ve no students on the team at all, and it gives
you a chance to meet and socialise with people from
home that you wouldn’t otherwise meet.”
Rocky Ivers was the only one of the Inishowen boys
to command a starting place on Sunday, although
competition for places in the 25 man squad will be
fierce in the lead-up to the semi-final. Buncrana’s
William Carter was the regular goalkeeper, but he’s
currently recovering from a knee injury.
“He’s just got a job in Qatar and leaves for there
later this week, but he’s talking about flying back
for the semi,” Donaghey said. “It’s an All-Ireland
semi-final and, like the rest of us, he’s probably
thinking that the chance to play in one mightn’t
come again so he’d better grab it while he can.”
John Mitchel’s will play Killala in Páirc Sean
MacDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon at 2.30pm on Sunday
25 January. |
