Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Hurling

hurling

Turloughmore revel in successive Féile triumph

The Turloughmore team that won the John West Féile na nGael Division 1 Hurling title. 

The Turloughmore team that won the John West Féile na nGael Division 1 Hurling title. 

By John Harrington

Bonfires lit the way home for the triumphant Turloughmore hurlers after they won the John West Féile na nGael Division 1 title in Cork yesterday.

The Galway boys produced an exhibition of hurling to defeat Na Piarsaigh of Cork by 3-6 to 1-1 in Sunday’s Final.

It was almost ten o’clock last night by the time their cavalcade reached the Turloughmore centre where an estimated crowd of 1,500 well-wishers waited to cheer them to the rafters.

Many of these players also won a Division 1 Feile medal last year. To win back to back titles truly is an incredible achievement for the Galway club.

“It's an unbelievable, it's such big achievement for the kids and the club, it's absolutely brilliant,” said Turloughmore’s Declan Kearney, who managed last year’s winning team and was a selector with this year’s team.

“When we started back in January we didn't know what way it was going to go, but the closer it got to the Feile the more optimistic I would have been.

“I remember we had a meeting on the Wednesday night with them and I just said to them, ‘Lads, we're going to win it again this year’. I was putting that into their heads.

“But you don't know how the team would travel when you get to Cork and things like that. And you don't know what to expect from other teams either.

“We just prepared as best we could and said we'd go out and give it a rattle and see how we got on. Thanks be to God, we won it!”

Division 9 champions Longford Slashers also won back to back titles at this year's John West Féile na nGael. 

Division 9 champions Longford Slashers also won back to back titles at this year's John West Féile na nGael. 

Winning back to back Feile Division 1 titles isn’t the sort of thing you do by happy accident.

Turloughmore, who also won the Feile Division 1 title back in 2010, are a very pro-active club who have put in huge work at underage level and are now reaping the rewards.

“There has been a lot of work, alright,” said Kearney. “Three years ago we were unlucky as well not to win Galway in the Feile. We got beat by a point in the Final of the Galway Féile. So for the last three years we've been in the Galway Féile Final.

“We won the Galway feile, the National feile, and the Galway Championship as well last year. This year we have two trophies won and we're out again next week in the semi-final of the Galway Championship.

“So we're still in with a chance of winning three trophies again this year with this U-14 team.”

The Turloughmore players will have fond memories of this Feile success that will last a life-time, and most likely the experience will stand them in good stead as far as their future hurling careers are concerned to.

If you track the progress of Feile winning teams over the years you often find that the boys become men who also bring the club glory in the senior grade.

Éire Óg players celebrate after winning the John West Féile na nGael Division 1 Camogie title. 

Éire Óg players celebrate after winning the John West Féile na nGael Division 1 Camogie title. 

Kearney is certainly hoping that Turloughmore’s golden generation of underage hurlers stick with it and have even more bonfires lit in their honour in the years to come.

“You've four years of good lads there together now and once they're out of minor with the help of God they'll all be playing senior hurling,” he said.

"I think myself that's when things will be really, really strong in the club if we can keep them all together and progressing up along.

"We'd be always saying to our young lads that his is a stepping stone for them. And that with the help of God that they'll be the lads who go on and represent their club successfully at senior level.

"That's what they're aspiring for. That's what they want themselves. Hopefully we can just keep them hurling, that's what we need to do."

2019 John West Féile na nGael winners

Boy’s Cup results

Div 1 Turloughmore (Galway) 3-6, Na Piarsaigh (Cork) 1-1.

Div 2 Kilcormac/Killoughey (Offaly) 1-6, Valley Rovers (Cork) 0-6.

Div 3 Castleknock (Dublin) 1-12, Glen Rovers (Cork) 0-3.

Div 4 Tullamore (Offaly) 1-9, Clontarf (Dublin) 0-2.

Div 5 Bandon (Cork) 4-8, Four Roads (Roscommon) 3-5 AET.

Div 6 Killeagh/Ita's (Cork) 3-8, Mullinavat (Kilkenny) 0-4.

Div 7 Ruairi Og (Antrim) 2-7, Grenagh (Cork) 0-4.

Div 8 Bennettsbridge (Kilkenny) 0-6, Bishopstown (Cork) 0-4.

Div 9 Longford Slashers (Longford) 3-3, St Mark's (Cork) 1-1.

Div 10 Micheal Breathnach (Galway) 2-6, Southern Gaels (Westmeath) 0-4.

Girl’s Camogie Cup results

Div 1 Eire Og (Cork) 0-5, Sarsfields (Cork) 0-2.

Div 2 Clonakilty (Cork) 2-5, Loughgiel (Antrim) 1-3.

Div 3 Ardrahan (Galway) 1-3, Na Fianna (Meath) 1-2.

Div 4 Moycarkey (Tipperary) 2-2, Mallow (Cork) 1-4 AET.

Div 5 Ballyhea/Milford (Cork) 1-8, Causeway (Kerry) 0-4.

Div 6 Four Roads (Roscommon) 3-1, Nemo Rangers (Cork) 1-2.

Boy’s Shield results

Div 1 Erins Own (Cork) 1-6, Naas (Kildare) 0-7 aet.

Div 2 Inniscarra (Cork) 2-5, Bride Rovers (Cork) 0-1.

Div 3 Watergrasshill (Cork) 1-4, St James (Wexford) 1-3.

Div 4 Whitechurch (Cork) 2-8, Ardfert/St Brendan's (Kerry) 0-0.

Div 5 O'Rahillys (Down) 4-4, Ibane Gaels (Cork) 1-3.

Div 6 Ballygiblin (Cork) 2-3, Padraig Pearses (Roscommons) 0-4.

Div 7 Durlas Og (Tipperary) 2-3, Carrig na bhFear (Cork) 2-2.

Div 8 Castleblaney (Monaghan) 2-3, Ahan Gaels (Cork) 0-1.

Div 9 Carndonagh (Donegal) 3-2, St Laurences (Kildare) 0-3.

Div 10 St Dominics (Roscommon) 3-3, Kilmessan (Meath) 1-5.

Girl’s Camogie Shield results

Div 1 Dicksboro (Kilkenny) 1-3, Newcastlewest (Limerick) 0-3.

Div 2 Nass (Kildare) 3-5, St Mullins (Carlow) 2-5.

Div 3 St Ibar's (Wexford) 2-3, Kilmaley (Clare) 0-6.

Div 4 De La Salle (Waterford) 1-3, Bishopstown (Cork) 0-1.

Div 5 Bray Emmets (Wicklow) 2-1, Grenagh (Cork) 1-4, shield shared AET.

Div 6 Aughrim (Wicklow) 1-5, Edendork (Tyrone)