AGM for Boston Board set for February 20

Paddy Kelly, shadowed here by Christopher's Chris Alyward, 
enjoyed sweet victory with Donegal in the senior football championship.

One of the biggest questions on my mind going into the 2010 Boston Senior Football Championship was whether reigning champions Christopher’s could make another run at the championship. As it turned out, Christopher’s did not make the semi-final, but in a playoff knockout game, gave eventual champions Donegal, the best challenge they received in their last 3 games. Donegal themselves had sputtered through the season, however, once full fitness returned to some key players, the northerners proved to be too powerful for both Wolfe Tones in the semi-final and McAnespies in the final. Fielding a physical and fit side, Donegal showed hardly a vulnerable point in their final performance. Laois duo, Ger Reddin at Center Back, John O’Loughlin at midfield, shone in the final, while Malin man Brian Kelly produced a virtuoso performance in the forward line to bring the Donegal club the third senior football championship in the club’s history.



Cronan Dempsey, pictured here with Jimmy Grogan,
 captained a strong Tipperary side
to the Sheehan Cup and the Boston Hurling CHampionship.

 Galway broke the hoodoo over their Brighton rivals, Wexford, and made it to the senior hurling final for the first time in a several years. Unfortunately for the Tribesmen, they faced a Tipperary team that was tooled to repeat their championship victory of the previous year. Kieran Joyce, an up and coming prospect for his native county of Kilkenny, anchored the back line, while the prolific free taker and Kilkenny intermediate player, Martin Boran, kept the scoreboard ticking over throughout the game and Galway never had a chance to make any kind of run.


With the field in the ladies championship reduced to the two “original” teams, Tír na nÓg easily won the best of 5 games at 3-1 over the Boston Shamrocks. This represented an inverse of sorts from the early years of the Boston ladies competition when the Shamrocks held an air of invincibility. The Shamrocks, however, took the Orla Benson Cup on final day and won the junior championship making it two out of three trophies for the ladies in green and gold.

Tir na nOg's Andrea Bowie was a huge factor in the Brighton based team
winning the Ladies senior championship.

Shannon Blues captured the intermediate championship with a five point win over arch-rivals, Kerry. A point of note was that the Blues fielded two American Born players in the final, Pat Murray and Conor Fitzgerald. Two more championship medals for players who came through the youth system to follow on the remarkable Christopher’s victory of a year ago at senior level. Donegal almost stole the junior A championship from Aiden McAnespies in the most dramatic of the local finals. McAnespies looked to be on their way only for Paul Boyce to put Donegal a point to the good with an opportunist goal. James McCrudden proved to be the hero for Macs with two poised scores to deliver the trophy to the Southie boys. The Connemara Gaels won the junior B title with a win over Galway in the final. Tyrone men Kieran Cox and Kevin Owens provided two of the Gaels’ goals, while Aaron Jenkins provided the third in a comprehensive win. Fr. Tom’s had something to cheer winning the junior hurling championship over Wexford with a last minute goal from the unlikeliest of sources, Robbie Croft. Croft usually ply’s his trade in the corner for the Kerry footballers, but proved to be a valuable poacher for the Tom’s junior hurlers. Croft scored a goal in similar fashion to propel Tom’s into the final, and facing defeat did the same, getting on the end of a John Cuddy free to net with time running out.

In the face of what has proven to be a very difficult environment for the Boston GAA, and the wider GAA in North America for the last several years, the Boston division continues to field more than 40 adult teams in eight competitions. This is a huge credit to the clubs and the board. In addition, there is a budding underage movement. Last season saw some new underage clubs form in Milton, Brighton, Hartford and Springfield. The seeds for the future are being planted.

The AGM for the Boston Division is on February 20 at the Irish Cultural Center. Last year saw some controversial issues arise, not least the no-show for most of the Boston champions at the North American Finals in Chicago. No doubt there will be much discussion on the issue, as well as changes to sanction player rules for this coming season, and the effort required to make 2011 a successful year for the local GAA.

By Rory O'Donnell

Sam Maguire Comes to Boston

With a chance to rub shoulders with Graham Canty, Daniel Goulding, Terry O’Neill, and of course, the Sam Maguire Cup, there was not a spare seat to be had in Florian Hall at the Cork Gaelic Football Club’s celebration banquet last Saturday night. Sam took center stage and was busy partaking in photographs with practically everybody who was in attendance, as were both of the star players.

Cork Captain, Graham Canty,
and All-Ireland Final Man of the Match, Daniel Goulding,
 at the Cork Boston GFC celebration banquet.
Florian Hall, Dorchester, Mass.

Terry O’Neill, one of the Cork selectors, had a chance to catch up with some friends from his years in Boston in the late 1980’s. Terry was involved with the Cork football club while he was here and generated plenty of laughs as he related several stories from those days, from run ins with Joe Lydon on the sideline of Dilboy field to foot races down the Lower Mills end of Dorchester Ave. Graham Canty also had a stint in Boston when he was just out of minor, and played for the Cork Boston club in the summer of 1999.



Graham Canty addresses the packed hall with Sam alongside.



I was fortunate enough to have a chance to chat with the two football stars. Cork came through the back door last year and had to come from behind in both the semi-final and final to win their first football All-Ireland in 20 years. I asked Daniel about that and the Ovens native explained that this year Cork were presented with different challenges compared to previous years. “For three or four years we had gone up and found it hard to close out the game,” said Daniel. “Last year we were 4 or 5 up at one stage in the final. This year we were under pressure against Limerick and Wexford in the qualifiers and that stood to us. In the semi-final and final there was no panic and the lads maintained their composure to see it through.” I also asked about the kind of pressure involved when taking frees in the biggest game of them all, and pointed out that he had pointed three ’45’s in a row in the crucial stages of the final. “It’s all about routine when free taking”, explained Daniel. “At that stage in the game you are in a groove and after the first one (’45) went over I had the confidence to put the other two over.”



Corkmen Brendan and Mike Fleming with the Sam Maguire Cup.



Now that we are 3 months removed from the joy and euphoria of Cork’s victory I asked about next year and when you start thinking about the challenge of defending the title. Graham explained that each player is doing their own training program and players and management are staying in touch. The team will be heading for a well deserved holiday in South Africa, and when they get back in January the job of defending the title will begin in earnest. Both players expressed great appreciation to the Cork football club in Boston for the exceptional hospitality shown to them, as well as the chance to spend a weekend to celebrate with the people of Cork living here in Boston. With the cup doing the rounds around the gathering places for the Irish, Daniel remarked that he didn’t realize that there was such a crowd out here and also on the great sense of community that he experienced. As for myself, I can tell you I had a great night and finally got my hands on the Sam Maguire. Next September I’ll be hoping that it will be a Dubliner’s hands raising it to the roof of the Hogan Stand – though Daniel and Graham might have other ideas about that!



By Rory O'Donnell

NACB Convention

I just read the minutes from the North American Board convention posted on NAGAA.ORG by incoming PRO, Tim Flanagan from Buffalo.  It is with regret that I saw that Chicago based Eamonn Kelly decided not to run again as PRO this year.  Over the 10 years that I have reported on the games, in particular at the NACB finals, Eamonn has been great to work with in ensuring that I got whatever I needed.  A fellow Dubliner who attended school just down the road from myself, Eamonn has always been courteous and professional over the years.  Enjoy your retirement Eamonn, and best of luck to Tim for the coming GAA season.

Cork Boston Gaelic Football Club Celebration Banquet



Graham Canty and Sam, along with
Daniel Goulding and Terry O'Neill 
will be at Florian Hall December 11.

Tickets are on sale for the Celebration Banquet which is taking place at 7.30PM Dec 11th in honour of the All Ireland Winning Cork footballers. It should be a great night and all are welcome.


Come and meet Graham Canty, Daniel Goulding & Terry O'Neill. Get a picture taken with the Sam Maguire Cup.

For tickets please ca...ll 617-763-0485 or email the club secretary - secretary.corkfootball.northeast.usa@gaa.ie.

 

 

 

Pick of Boston 2010

With the Boston GAA season well over by now, I wondered what a Pick of Boston football team would look like. When I started writing reports on the games in Canton almost 10 years ago, Boston All-Star football and hurling teams were a fairly easy pick as there were so many home based players. In fact, until two years ago, there was an All-Star banquet where home-based players were recognized with All Star and player of the year awards. Things have changed drastically in the time since. Clubs are working harder than ever to field top quality teams, trying coax the veterans into giving one more year, and filling out the home base with early arrivals. There have been some positive developments on the home-based front however. There are American Born players now coming through the youth systems that have been in place for more than 10 years. Brendan Kelly and Dan Kenneally, who play with Christopher’s, and Pat Murray with the Shannon Blues, make my Boston team, however, there are also American Born players coming through with other clubs who will make their mark at the highest level in the years to come. In addition, many of the junior football teams are seeing increasing numbers of kids who have learned the game here in Boston filling their ranks, and many will progress to senior level. The New England Celtics, a team composed entirely of local boys, with nary a sanction player to be found, made the semi-finals in their first foray at Junior A level. Also, right at the root, there is a growing youth league. There are now more than 6 underage football clubs in the New England area compared to one youth program 3 years ago. All that, combined with the hurling clubs in New Hampshire and Maine, means that the GAA is becoming more deeply rooted in the New England area then it ever has been.


Pat Murray 
 is one of the talented local born players
making an impact with the Boston GAA.



Thar an Trasnán

Boston Team of 2010

Goalkeeper: Willie O’Dowd (Wolfe Tones)

Right Corner Back: Pat McNicholas (Connemara Gaels)

Left Corner Back: Frank Meehan (Armagh-Notre Dame)

Right Half Back: Brendan Kelly (Christopher’s)

Center Half Back: Neil Donaghy (McAnespies)

Left Half Back: Sean Gallagher (Galway)

Midfielders: Michael McGinty (Donegal), Dan Kenneally (Christopher’s)

Right Half Forward: Colm McCrory (Aidan McAnespies)

Center Forward: Pat Murray (Shannon Blues)

Left Half Forward: Joey Farrell (Wolfe Tones)

Right Corner Forward: Robbie Croft (Kerry)

Left Corner Forward: Marty Farrell (Wolfe Tones)

Connemara Gaels bring back Junior B Shield

The Connemara Gaels junior B team went to Chicago for the North American County board finals, and came back with the junior B shield to add to their Boston Junior B championship.  Many players got the first plane from Logan Friday morning to be in Chicago for the first game Friday afternoon, and the Boston representatives were defeated by a score of 3-13 to 0-8 by the Chicago Patriots.  Fatigue worked against the Boston side, and the local team's superior fitness eventually wore down the Gaels.  The Chicago side went on to win the championship.


However, the Gaels still had a chance to take some silverware home in the shield competition.  The following day the Gaels beat the Pittsburgh Celtics by a score of 3-19 to 1-4 in the quarter final.  Sunday morning was the semi versus the LA Wild Geese and it was the Boston boys that came out on top of this opposite coast battle by 1-20 to 2-3.  Martin Kerr's intrepid heroes faced Charlotte in the shield Final and came out on top by a score of 1-22 to 1-4.  With silver coming in at this rate an extra shelf will have to be installed behind the bar at JJ's on Dorchester Ave.


The team that traveled to Chicago was: Brian Joyce, Coleman Conroy, Kieran Lowe (Capt.), Vinny O’Malley, Pat Mac, Mikey McDonagh, Gary O’Malley, Tommy Sally, S. Conneeley, M. Conroy, Kevin Owens, Chris Lafferty, Conor Lohan, Steve King, Martin Kerr, Pat McTavish.

The Boston Shamrocks junior ladies did not fare as well and were beaten by San Fran in the semi-final.  Like wise the junior C hurlers from Partland Maine who beat Denver in the quarter final, but were soundly defeated by eventual winners Chicago Cusacks in the semi-final.

Listen to a run down of the Boston GAA Finals with Denis O'Brien at GaelicSportsCast.com

#136 Donegal and Tipp win Boston titles

Siansa 8 Question of the Month Winner!

There were several correct answers to the August question.  The question was: Under the current format, what county was the first to win the All-Ireland football championship without having appeared in their provincial final and what year?

Answer: Galway in 2001.  (Roscommon beat Mayo in that year's Connaught Final.) 


The winner of a $50 gift certificate is Val McGlynn, of Ardsley, New York.  Congratulations Val!