By Cian O'Connell

Two well contested CúChulainn League Finals took place at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday.

In the Division Two decider St Fechin's edged out Naomh Eoin, emerging victors by 2-17 to 1-17.

The Division Three showpiece went the distance as Carrickmacross eventually prevailed 2-20 to 2-15 against Monaghan Harps.

Unsurprisingly, the Division Two match provided plenty of entertainment. Seaghan Conneely's 2-2 contribution was vital for St Fechin's against a Naomh Eoin outfit, prompted by the excellent O'Kelly-Lynch brothers.

Joint St Fechin's captain Peter Fortune is encouraged about how the CúChulainn League is being embraced. "It is the beauty of this competition, you don't really know too much about the side you are coming up against," Fortune says.

"Once the game got going at the end of the first half for the second half there was some great hurling played by both sides.

"It has been a super competition for us this year, we found it difficult in previous years to get challenge games, to match our times with other counties.

"This has been brilliant, knowing you have a good run of games with the club when the county lads are away."

Naomh Eoin were defeated, but Bill O'Kelly-Lynch acknowledges that the CúChulainn League has been a really worthwhile experience.

"Some of the point taking from both sides was very good," O'Kelly-Lynch reflected. "We probably created more goal chances, but to be fair to the St Fechin's goalkeeper, he did very well.

"He made some excellent saves, another day they might have went in. That is sport, you take the wins and the losses.

"It has been great, our Championship in Sligo runs over three or four months.

"The Cúchulainn League fills in the gaps between so it has been great to have regular games over the last six weeks. There is a chance for every player to get a game."

Oran and Pete Clinton were in brilliant scoring form for Carrickmacross, combining to register 0-17 between them.

Ronan McMahon and Shane Slevin planted goals for Carrickmacross, who finished strongly.

Seán Conway, Dylan McAree, and Conor Flynn were prominent for Harps, but Carrickmacross prevailed.

Carrickmacross manager John Slevin was delighted to secure silverware. "It was a good competiton, we were lucky enough that we won most of our games. It was a tough battle against Monaghan, it went to extra-time.

"Once you win this cup it is a trophy, it is marvellous, it is a stepping stone now for the rest of the year. We have an awful lot of youth, an awful lot of young boys. They don't win much stuff so this is a great stepping stone for them for the rest of the year.

"We played different teams, that is great - we are playing different teams. In Cavan and Monaghan you have a small number of hurling clubs in the two counties, so it is great that you can go to play other clubs."

Carrickmacross will face Monaghan Harps again, though, in the first round of the Monaghan SHC on Wednesday evening.

Séamus McLaughlin, the Monaghan Harps manager, is encouraged about the progress being made.

"It was great for us to play a team like Carrick in the final, a lot of people talk about us being nowhere near that ability," McLaughlin says.

"I think we have proved in the semi-final and in this final, that we are starting to get up there and starting to get in the mix."

Scorers for Carrickmacross: Oran Clinton 0-12 (9fs), Pete Clinton 0-5, Ronan McMahon 1-1, Shane Slevin 1-0, Stephen Corrigan 0-1, Eoghan Hoey 0-1.

Scorers for Monaghan Harps: Seán Conway 1-9 (6fs, 165), Dylan McAree 1-3 (2fs, 1 sideline), Conor Flynn 0-3.

Carrickmacross: Paddy Birmingham, Stephen Corrigan, Jack Guinan, Darragh Cassidy, Ryan Nelson, Shane Slevin, Ciaran Guinan, Oran Kienan, Aaron McGee, Stiofan McKenna, Pete Clinton, Jason O’Rourke, Eoghan Hoey, Ronan McMahon, Niall Birmingham, Conor O’Rourke, Jamie Guinan, Brian Finn, Michael Maguire, Darragh Finnegan, Eoghan Hoey, Ciaran Slevin, James Slevin, Darragh Watters, Fiachra O’Gorman, Sean Duffy, Shane Tierney, Stephen Murnaghan, Jack McNally, Liam Mohan, Niall Keenan, Oisin Maguire.

Monaghan Harps: Maurice McKenna, Cathal Power, Dermot McMahon, Conor Duffy, James Brady, Conor Flynn, Adrian Dalton, Mark McManus, Tiernan Bramley, Enda Brady, Sean Conway, Vincent Woods, Dylan McAree, Raymond Lee, Luke Milligan, Shane McCabe, Michael Gissane, Liam Conway, Conor O’Neill, Eoin McQuaid, Eithan Flynn, Rylan McCooey, Shane Smyth, Nathal O’Donoghue, Aron Nutley, Cillian Sherry.

Scorers for St Fechin’s: Seaghan Conneely 2-2, Ruairí Morrissey 0-7 (5fs), Seán Kerrisk and Jack Murray 0-2 each, Seán Hodgins, David Stephenson, Brian O’Connell, and Ross Berkery 0-1 each.

Scorers for Naomh Eoin: Tony O’Kelly-Lynch 1-6 (4fs), Robert O’Kelly-Lynch 0-3, Ronan Callaghan and Paul O’Brien 0-2 each, Fergal O’Kelly-Lynch (f), Darragh Cawley, and Niall Feehily 0-1 each.

St. Fechin’s: Dan O’Neill, Paddy Reddy, George Allen, George Allen, Conor Higgins, Ciarán Brennan, Peter Fortune, Cathal Ryan, Seán Hodgins, Donal Ryan, Paddy Lynch, Seaghan Conneely, David Stephenson, Barry Devlin, Ruairí Morrissey, Brian O’Connell, John Crosbie, Seán Kirrisk, Ross Berkery, Oisín Byrne, Stephen Hackett, Conor Matthews, Jack Murray, Donnchadh County, Cormac McAuley, James Griffin, Colin Griffin, Mícheal Byrne, John Murtagh, Paddy Keane.

Naomh Eoin: Stephen Fleming, Niall Campbell, Donal Keaveny, Stephen Sheridan, Darragh Cawley, Niall Feehily, Thomas Davis, Tony O’Kelly-Lynch, Liam O’Kelly Lynch, Donnchadh O’Brien, Ronan Callaghan, Ronan Callaghan, Paul O’Brien, Fergal O’Kelly-Lynch, Joe Carroll, Robert O’Kelly Lynch, Brendan Munnelly, Senan O’Rourke, Paul Gallagher, John Hanbury, Thomas Moran, Cathal Jordan, Gerard O’Kelly Lynch, Donal Fidgeon, Corey O’Dowd, Ethan Scully, Matthew Percy.