Sun June 2 - Orla Benson Cup Final: Boston Shamrocks v Connacht Ladies

Connacht Ladies 0-5 Boston Shamrocks 3-17

Boston Shamrocks retained the Orla Benson Cup with an emphatic win to open the summer of competition between local the Ladies teams.  It was a dominating performance with the Shamrocks on top in all areas of the field.  The Shamrocks never let up for the hour and in the second half banged in some goals to embellish the score. 

Boston Shamrocks Captain Laura Kiernan presented with the 

Orla Benson Cup by Boston Northeast Chairman, Peter Murray.

The Shamrocks dominated the opening exchanges and held the Connaught Ladies inside their own half of the field for long spells over the first 30 minutes.  Sara Jane McDonald was the danger woman for the Shamrocks, and showed strength on the ball.  This was epitomized by a solo run that the Donegal native embarked on right after the Connacht Ladies had pointed twice on the trot.  McDonald made a mazy 40 yard run, beating several opponents, and then burying the ball into the net with just the keeper to beat.  Laura Kieran was also to the fore for the Shamrocks.  Kiernan tallied 3 points herself and showed a clean pair of heels on a number of occasions.

Connacht Ladies had to defend for long spells.  Getting the ball into the hands of full forward, Jane Ward, was key to their scoring chances.  Ward pointed from a free and center forward, Ciara Heffernan, added a second.  The scores stemmed a string of 6 Shamrocks points, but then came the goal from McDonald.

Another Orla Benson Cup for the Boston Shamrocks/

The second half started with a goal from the Shamrocks to really put a damper on any hopes of a comeback from the Connacht Ladies.  Ciara Murphy got goal to celebrate her birthday after netting from close range, after winning the ball on the edge of the square.

The Shamrocks continued to keep Connacht Ladies in the back foot with some quick passing and points were added by Shannon Kelly and Valerie Courtney.   It was a losing battle for Connacht as they tried to find a way out of their own half, but the Shamrocks were able to turn it over and get on the attack again.

Connacht Ladies:  Leann McColgan, Irene Greene, Catherine Cullen, Regina Brady, Ciara Forde, Shauneen McAleer, Stacey Gallagher, Aisling Kerr, Niamh Hynes, Joanne Kennedy, Ciara Heffernan, Liz Hunt, Katelyn Hegarty, Jane Ward, Colette Folan.

Boston Shamrocks:  Anne Marie McDonnell, Cathy McEleaney, Stacey Fuller, Allie D’Amico, Katie O’Sullivan, Caitlin Slattery, Erin Cody, Shannon Costello, Laura Kiernan, Ciara Mallon, Shannon Kelly, Sara Jane McDonald, Valerie Courtney, Lauren McGuigan, Ciara Murphy.

By Rory O'Donnell

GAA Season Opens at the Irish Cultural Center

The senior football championship begins this Sunday, June 3, at the Irish Cultural Center, Canton Ma.  With the Irish Festival also taking place, Men’s and Ladies footballers will get the ball rolling for the season on the main field, while the junior hurlers of Portland and Hartford will do battle at 2:00 on Field B as part of the Junior C Hurling championship, which has already begun. 

With the Pat O’Brien Cup decided 2 weeks ago, action resumes with Aidan McAnespies and Galway.  The early season spoils went to Aidan McAnespies who triumphed over Donegal in the Pat O’Brien Cup two weeks ago with a man of the match performance from Kildare native, Eoin Delmer.  Galway will face last year’s championship finalists in the opening game at 1:15.  Wolfe Tones and Donegal meet again having drawn their cup encounter 3 weeks ago at 3:45, while the Shannon Blues and the Connemara Gaels meet at 5:00.  The Boston Shamrocks will defend the Orla Benson Cup at 2:30 versus Connacht Ladies.

Judging from the May action on Field B, it looks like there are some strong home based panels out there.  Paul Clifford, Eoin Delmer, and Robbie Croft are back for McAnespies, and the team also features Caolan Harvey who not so long ago (it seems) was cheering his father, Martin, on from the sidelines in Canton.  Wolfe Tones also feature a second generation player in Jack Lynch.  Jack’s father, Mick, was a stalwart for Cork.  Still loyal to the rebel cause, Jack represents Cork at junior level.  Dean Curran, Ronan Jones, and Conladh Deeney also look like featuring significantly for the Tones this year.  Donegal will have brothers, Brian and Sean Donnelly ready to face the Tones, Darren Grant and Sean Tim Doherty ready to face the Tones on Sunday.  Despite bowing out early in the cup, the Blues have a promising side with Darren Wallace and Dermot McElligott in the side and will face the Gaels whose long standing players include David Black, Coleman Mulkerrins and Noel Graham.  With registration still open for the summer, clubs are adding to their home based panels.

The Boston Shamrocks and Connacht Ladies will contest the Orla Benson Cup.  It will be an all home based affair with s Shamrocks team featuring Cathy McEleaney, Ciara McCormack and Ann Marie McDonnell facing Jane Ward, Aisling Kerr, and Maria Kelly for Connacht.  The annual competition carries on the memory of Orla Benson, a young student from Killarney who was brutally murdered in 1995 in Allston while in Boston for the summer. 

By Rory O'Donnell

Orla Benson Cup - First Half Performance Wins it for Shamrocks

Boston Shamrocks 2-12 Connacht Ladies 0-6

The Boston Shamrocks retained the Orla Benson Cup with a mostly one sided victory on Sunday afternoon.  After Ciara Murphy opened the scoring the remainder of the first half was mainly one way traffic.   The forward running of Claire Kenny from wing back was kept Connacht Ladies on their heels, while the finishing of Tessa Crowley widened the gap between the teams as the game wore on.  Connacht Ladies made a much better fist of things in the second half, and had they taken their chances the final score would have been much closer.

Consul General, Fionnuala Quinlan, presents the Orla Benson Cup to

Ann Marie McDonnell and Ciara MaCormack

The first half saw Crowley net on two occasions.  The corner forward was played in nicely by Ciara McCormack and made no mistake with the finish from close range.  The second came in similar fashion late in the half, and again there was no hesitation from Crowley.  Connacht Ladies managed to muster a handful of attacks with a well taken score from Kelly Kenneally the sole reward. 

It was a different Connacht side that played the second half.  It was the Shamrocks turn to spend lengthy spells defending, and the scoreboard began to take on an air of respectability.  Maria Kelly, Sarah Clarke, and Jane Ward all hit the mark, and were it not for a good handful of wayward efforts at goal, the distance between the sides might have been within reach for Connacht Ladies coming down the stretch.

As it was, the Shamrocks half time lead of 14 points was more than enough of a cushion to see them over the finish line to their second Orla Benson Cup in a row.

Shamrocks: Sinead Hession, Michaela Murphy, Stacy O’Dowd, Kayla Foran, Ciara McCormack, Claire Kenny, Laura Kiernan, Shannon Mullen, Ellie Kennedy, Ann Marie McDonnell, Liz McVeigh, Ciara Murphy, Tessa Crowley.

By Rory O'Donnell

Connacht:  Jackie McDonagh, Joanne McDonnell, Shannon McAleer, Katie Lynch, Catherine Boyle, Meg Mullen, Maria Kelly, Aisling Kerr, Rachel Tubridy, Jane Ward, Kelly Kenneally, Tara Doherty, Sarah Clarke.

Orla Benson Cup Final

Boston Shamrocks 3-5 Connacht Ladies 1-4

The ladies footballers had their first outing of the season with Boston Shamrocks and Connacht Ladies taking the field on a wet, drizzly afternoon to decide who would take the Orla Benson Cup.  The game was evenly contested with Jane Ward leading the way for Connacht Ladies and for the Shamrocks it was Mairead O’Driscoll the playmaker.  With the game tied half way into the second half, the Shamrocks hit with two quick goals to effectively decide the contest.   

2016 Orla Benson Cup Champions - Boston Shamrocks

The teams were all square at the end of the first half.  The Shamrocks got off to the early lead courtesy of a Mairead O’Driscoll goal from a penalty.  O’Driscoll was adjudged to have been shoved from behind in the box, and the center forward put the ball away herself.  Jane Ward had pointed for Connacht Ladies with a well taken effort, and was followed by Jackie McDonagh who finished a nice move.  The game moved from end to end with the defences largely holding the upper hand, however, as things moved on, each side started to find a groove.  O’Driscoll put back to back efforts over the bar to restore the Shamrocks lead, but just before the break the sides were level.  Ward pumped a free from about 40 yards into the box and the ball found its way into the back of the Shamrocks net.  A goal and two each at the break.

Jane Ward and Cathy McEleaney tangle.

The teams traded two points each to get the second half off the mark, Ward and Catherine Boyle for Connacht Ladies and O’Driscoll and Maebh Barry for the Shamrocks.  The Shamrocks then hit with 2 goals in quick succession.  The first was a result of Ciara Murphy and Elaine McLaughlin combining well.  McLaughlin broke through the last line of defence and hit the back of the net with her shot.  Murphy worked hard to block a clearance for the second goal and fed Louise Larkin who finished well.  

Now in the drivers seat the Shamrocks turned it up a notch.  The half back line mopped up well, with Ann Marie McDonnell working hard, and O’Driscoll was to be found also helping in defence.  O’Driscoll made it a three score difference with a calmly taken point and time was running out on Connacht Ladies.

The Orla Benson Cup is played in memory of Orla Benson, an Irish student visiting Boston for the summer, who was brutally murdered in 1995.

Connacht Ladies:  J. Moen, J. McDonagh, A. Kerr, O. McDonagh, K. Kenneally, J. Ward, A. Corrigan, E. Kelly, M. Meehan, M. Mullen, I. Green, C. Boyle, A. Feeney.  Boston Shamrocks:  E. Kerin, S. O’Dowd, B. Maguire, L. Larkin, M. Collins, E. McLaughlin, C. McEleaney, L. McCrystal, A. McDonnell, M. O’Driscoll, M. Barry, C. Murphy, V. O’Brien.

By Rory O'Donnell

Orla Benson Cup First Round

By Rory O'Donnell

Tír na nÓg 2-10 Boston Shamrocks 2-4

Tir na nOg overcame the Shamrocks with
a second half turnaround.

It was a game of two halves for the first round of the Orla Benson Cup between defending champions, Boston Shamrocks, and Tír na nÓg.  The Shamrocks came to grips with the game first.  Bríd Devlin, Sheila McLaughlin, and Katie Scanlon each got on the scoreboard.  Scanlon netted as the Shamrocks kept up the pressure, and a second goal came from the boot of Devlin as she lobbed in a high taking a sideline kick that the Tír na nÓg defecne failed to deal with.  Lisa Brick kept the flag flying for the Brighton side with two points, and another two from Maggie Sayers kept them in touch at the break.

The second half was a mirror image of the first with Tír na nÓg closing the gap, and then putting the Shamrocks in the rearview mirror.  Tír na nÓg forced an early save, making their intentions clear early.  Points then started to flow from Niamh Daly, Niamh O'Neill, and Sayers.  With the gap almost closed, Sayers netted, followed with a point and then blasted home a penalty to draw first blood in 2014.

Gaelicsportscast update with Denis O'Brien

I spoke with Denis this morning regarding the latest GAA developments in Boston.

http://www.gaelicsportscast.com/2013/05/21/499-quiet-before-storm-in-boston/

Gaels and Galway into Cup semis, Connacht Ladies Debut.



Connacht Ladies made their debut in the Orla Benson Cup on Sunday in Canton,
 but lost out to the Boston Shamrocks.

The Boston Shamrocks picked up a win over the new Connacht Ladies side on Sunday.

Armagh-Notre Dame 0-1 Galway 3-9

Galway had an easy win to advance to the semi-final stage of the Pat O’Brien Cup. Armagh-ND had earned a second game in the competition thanks to last week’s win over Christopher’s. With the addition of Leon Kelly to partner Ollie Doherty in the middle of the field, Galway were always in control. Jamie Kehoe bagged a first half goal, and in the second it was Gearoid O’Connor and Kehoe again who rattled the back of the net. Armagh-Notre Dame for their part battled hard but did not have the power to match their opponents. Galway will have their work cut out for them when they face a very strong looking Wolfe Tones in the semi-final.

Armagh-ND: O. Murphy, S. Murney, S. McKenna, F. Meehan, A. Donovan, N. Lowry, Galway: P. McComiskey, G. Bannon, R. Vickars, JJ O’Neill,JJ Doyle, S. Gallagher, O. Doherty, L. Kelly, G. O’Connor, P. Nolan, T. Walsh, D. Reddin, J. Kehoe.

Connemara Gaels 2-7 Shannon Blues 0-12

Connemara Gaels had the slenderest of wins over the Shannon Blues on Saturday afternoon. In an entertaining, open game of football, the Gaels looked well in control at the end of the first half. The Gaels enjoyed a 1-5 to 0-5 advantage and early in the second stretched that lead to six points. Goals from Rosmuc native Sean Conneely and David McDonagh from Leitir Mor put the Gaels in the drivers seat. The Blues made a late run to try and bridge the gap and got within a point, but it was the Gaels who hung on to win a semi-final place against Donegal next week.

By Rory O'Donnell

Orla Benson Cup Final: Tir na nOg no Match for Shamrocks

Boston Shamrocks 5-13 Tir na nOg 1-4



The Boston ladies teams play each year for the Orla Benson Cup. The cup is named in memory of a young girl from county Kerry who, like so many thousands of students before and since, had spent the summer in Boston.  Orla was murdered in a playground in Allston having spent the night out with friends just before she was due to return to Ireland. This year is the 15th anniversary of her death.

The Boston Shamrocks did not give Tir na nOg
much space on Sunday.

The game itself did not come close to living up to the excitement generated by ladies finals of years past. After a one sided first 20 minutes the Shamrocks had established a 7 point lead. Tir na nOg got on the scoreboard with a Sinead Bannon free followed by a point from Emer Power. Tir na nOg could not cope with Shamrocks center forward Catriona Treanor who registered some beautifully taken points. The Shamrocks combined well on several occasions, Cathy McEleaney finished one good move, Shannon Guarge another, and Nicola Hust popped a free over the bar. Tir na nOg had a couple of wides and struck the post high on one occasion, and had these chances been taken the half-time deficit would have been much closer than the 0-7 to 0-2 in the Shamrocks favour.


After Guare and Treasa Doherty extended the Shamrocks lead, Michelle Walsh goaled for Tir na nOg. Walsh won the break from a hop ball on the 21 and fired home to reduce the deficit to four points and there was hope for the Brighton side. Unfortunately for them, the remainder of the game featured 5 Shamrocks goals as the Shamrocks shelled their opponents into submission. Ciara Murphy, Guare, Hurst, and two from Doherty near the end of the game made sure Tir na nOg would not be harboring any comeback notions. Bannon and Michelle Walsh did manage late consolation scores for the Brighton side. Shamrocks captain, Stacy O’Dowd, graciously accepted the cup and put things in perspective by reminding everybody present of the purpose of playing for the trophy, and called for a moment of silence to be observed in memory of Orla Benson.



Shamrocks: N. Hayward, N. Nugent, J. O’Connell, S. O’Dowd, A. McDonnell, N. Hurst, T. Doherty, E. Burns, C. McEleaney, T. Doherty, C. Treanor, S. Guare, G. Bailey, B. Kelly, C. Murphy. Tir na nOg: C. Kelly, E. Kelly, L. Brick, L. Gilmore, J. Davoren, T. Moran, B. Matti, A. Creegan, N. Daly, N. O’Neill, C. Hanley, S. Moran, E. Power, M. Walsh, S. Bannon.


By Rory O'Donnell

Cup Finalists Decided

Galway and Aiden McAnespies will contest the Pat O'Brien Cup Final next Sunday, May 17 at 3:00. Galway defeated western rivals, Mayo, while a strong McAnespies side defeated the Connemara Gaels 1-20 to 3-4.

Tipperary had a good win over cup holders Fr. Tom's and will face current Boston champions Wexford in the Kieran Sheehan Cup final. The Boston Shamrocks will defend the Orla Benson cup title against challengers Tir na nOg. Both games take place on Sunday, May 24 at 1:15 and 2:30.

Senior Football Championship play also begins Sunday week, May 24. At 3:45 Christopher's play Armagh-Notre Dame, and at 5:00 Kerry will open their season versus The Wolfe Tones.

The Cup

The Cup schedule carries on next week, Sunday May 10, with the semi-finals.

There will be a new name on the Pat O'Brien Cup as holders Donegal were knocked out the first hurdle this year. The footballers of Mayo and Galway meet at 2:00 in a battle of The West, while the Boston and North American champion McAnespies meet the Connemara Gaels at 4:00.

In hurling, Tipperary and holders Tom's meet at 3:00 in the Kieran Sheehan Cup semi final, while at 1:00 the Orla Benson Cup holders, the Boston Shamrocks meet fierce rivals Roscommon as the ladies begin to it their stride.

Incidentally, the last team to win a cup and the Boston championship in the same year were Aiden McAnespies in 2007. Last year Donegal won the Pat O'Brien Cup and were beaten in the championship final, Tom's won the Sheehan Cup and had a poor hurling championship, and the Shamrocks won the Orla Benson Cup and did not figure in the Ladies football final. Some argue that the cups are a distraction from focusing on the championship, others see them as an opportunity to get more competitive games in early in the year. Few will argue that getting into a winning habit is not a good thing.