Celbridge All-Ireland Under-10 Festival of Football.

A panel of under-10 players from Shamrocks travelled to Celbridge on Saturday to take part in the host club’s tournament. Shamrocks began their campaign with a comprehensive victory against Leixlip St Marys (21 to 6) and immediately after this game took the pitch against the famous Crossmaglen Rangers from Armagh. The youngest generation of Crossmaglen players were out played by Shamrocks (24 to 6) and this was followed by the key match of the division against Kilmacud Crokes who had been beaten by Shamrocks earlier in the season in the final of our own under-10 blitz.  

This proved to be the biggest test of all. Both teams put their all into the game and even though Shamrocks produced a great performance victory escaped the boys in green. Shamrocks had enough chances to win, it would be inaccurate to say we deserved to win and Kilmacud Crokes prevailed by 17 to 15. They then went on to win the competition outright.

The runner-up position in the most competitive of groups put Shamrocks into the Shield competition where the boys were pitted against another Westmeath team, very familiar to Shamrocks, young and old: Garrycastle. Shamrocks led at the interval (9-1) and at the final whistle had extended this lead to comfortably qualify for the semi-final (27-4).

An Riocht (Down) were next in line for Shamrocks. The Down lads were a big well drilled team and the Shamrock warriors produced their best game of the season to overcome this challenge. Scores were exchanged throughout the game, neither team registered a wide and the teams were level an amazing eight times during the match but with a magnificent final push Shamrocks edged ahead in the final 30 seconds (30-27).

This qualified Shamrocks for the Shield final where Castletown of Wexford, another club with a great tradition of football, awaited. After 100 minutes of football it came down to another 20 minutes to determine the destination of the title.  The efforts of the semi-final against An Riocht told its tale. A team of tired Shamrock boys were out on their feet and although they had their chances, they just could not break down a good Wexford team.  The match was played when the weather was its most atrocious and in the terrible conditions of the evening Castletown ended three points to the good (9-6). (9 Points).

Well done to all the young players and to team managers Tom Ormsby and Barry Maguire and especially to our county star Killian Daly who was on the spot all day to give his advice to the boys. With young men like Killian prepared to make such commitments, the future of the club is secure.  Celbridge GAA club can be proud of their organisation of what was a great football tournament.  

Mullingar Shamrocks, on this occasion, were represented by T. J. Flood, Conor Heffernan, Peter Finch, Ryan Kelly, Criostóir Ormsby, Pauric Casey, Ronan Byrne, Donnacha Maguire, Peter Finch, Gavin Pierce, Matthew Shaw, Matthew Doyle, Ben McNamee and James Flynn.