Turlough’s rising stars power to Feile Division 1 glory again
Turloughmore 3-6
Na Piarsaigh 1-1
ONLY three teams have captured back-to-back National Feile na nGael titles and Turloughmore etched their way into the history books when they became the first Galway team to complete this outstanding achievement by capturing the Christy Ring Trophy for the second year in succession.
For the second time, Turloughmore have defeated Na Piarsaigh of Cork in a final having also overcome the Cork club in 2010 when they won their first Division 1 title in Ennis.
It was a weekend of top class performances from the Galway champions where they played six matches and apart from some hiccups in their quarter final against Dicksboro of Kilkenny, they won all their games with relative ease.
The large Turloughmore band of supporters who travelled to the Rebel county saw the Turloughmore side cast aside the challenge of Na Piarsaigh of Cork in the final, a team coached by the legendary Sean Og O hAlpin, with President of the GAA John Horan on hand to present the Christy Ring Trophy to joint captains, Jack Lonergan and Eanna Monaghan, when the final whistle sounded.
Turloughmore had got off to a blistering start in the final when a brace of points from Sean Duggan and another from Ryan Rabbitt had the title holders three clear after just four minutes of play.
Na Piarsaigh looked to have secured a goal when Turloughmore’s outstanding custodian Ciaran Wilde was beaten, but full back Evan Gill raced across the goal and cleared the ball to Cillian Trayers at midfield and he delivered a long ball into the hands of Eanna Monaghan, who crashed the ball to the back of the Na Piarsiagh net.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.