Intermediate All Ireland League Cup

On Monday, 1 December, the St Mary’s Intermediate Gaelic Football Team travelled to Dromore in County Tyrone for the Intermediate All-Ireland League Final against Sligo IT. This match had promised to be an interesting tussle between the top two universities, and the game did not disappoint. St Mary’s struggled to get their hands on the ball in the first quarter of the game, and, as a result, found themselves three points down after ten minutes. By the twentieth minute, they started to find their feet and produced some brilliant play, resulting in scores and leaving them just a point adrift at the break.

The introduction of Emmett Bradley and Harry Loughran at half time seemed to inspire the St Mary’s side. Three unanswered scores rallied the team. With minutes remaining on the clock and a point between the teams, the game could have gone either way. Luckily the St Mary’s men dug deep and scored a late goal, securing their first ever Intermediate All-Ireland League Cup.

Full Time Score: St Marys 1.11 Sligo IT 0.10.

Ryan Cup Final
 
On Wednesday, 3 December, the senior team travelled to the Athletic Grounds in Armagh to face Dublin City University (DCU) in the Ryan Cup Final, hoping to secure victory for the first time since 1985. When Jerome Johnston hit the back of the net early in the second half, things looked promising for St Mary’s, as Barry O’Hagan tagged on another score to lead by four. Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for St Mary’s, as poor decision-making effectively cost them the game. St Mary’s boss Paddy Tally was fuming at the result of two key scores, “You concede two goals in a game, and it takes seven points to beat it, and it’s hard, especially against a team like DCU, who are so physically strong.”

The St Mary’s team had a brilliant league campaign, beating Queen’s University Belfast, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Sligo IT, University College Dublin and Dublin City University prior to the final. They went in to the game with confidence, knowing that they had played well leading up to the final. It was disappointing, however, for Tally and his troops as Wednesday’s performance was nowhere near their best this year.

Full Time Score: St Marys 1.9 DCU 2.11

After Christmas sees the start of the McKenna Cup competition followed by the Sigerson starting in February.

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