Skills on display at Mayo Cumann na mBunscol hurling finals

Following last week's football action, hurling took centre-stage at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park today (Monday), writes Patrick Hennelly.

Four Cumann na mBunscol hurling finals were played at Mayo GAA headquarter, with titles going around the county.

In the Division 4 decider, a resilient St. Attracta’s, Ballaghaderreen, defeated Claremorris NS in the first of game of the day at MacHale Park.

The Ballaghaderreen school’s penchant for goals proved crucial, with the influential Paddy Hoskins netting a hat trick for his team over the course of the game.

The south Mayo side began the tie in a bright fashion and their custodian Donnacha Collins landed an outrageous long-range free after four minutes.

The heavy downpour of rain during the first half added an extra zip to the pristine surface and led to a fast-paced game. St. Attracta’s made full use of the elements, netting the first of their three goals on six minutes courtesy of the in-form Hoskins.

This game continued to produce moments of magic and Claremorris edged in front on nine minutes when Nicole Ciweck’s precise chipped strike flew over the St. Attracta's 'keeper and ended up in the back of the net.

Before the break, Claremorris added their second goal of the joust when their custodian Donnacha Collins saw his long-range free fortuitously hit the back of the net, and they led 2-1 to 1-0 at the interval.

St. Attracta’s played some bright hurling at the start of the new half and their playmaker Hoskins scored his second goal of the contest on 21 minutes. Just one minute later, the energetic Hoskins snatched his second goal, and suddenly the border outfit held a two-point cushion.

Claremorris valiantly searched for a way back into the tie but their comeback efforts ran out of time as St. Attracta's won on a 3-0 to 2-1 scoreline.

The Division 3 final was contested by Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca and St. Colmcille's NS (Quay), Wesptort, with the forming securing the title with a 4-8 to 2-7 win.

This epic contest was the game of the day and had plenty of drama from first whistle until last. The embryonic stages were even, although the Quay went 0-2 to 0-1 up after seven minutes, their points notched by Ben McLoughlin and Aaron Cullinan.

Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca’s Liam Mac Tomáis had opened the scoring in this final from a free after three minutes, and he also scored the first goal of the contest on eight minutes to give his team a 1-1 to 0-2 lead.

The remainder of the half continued to ebb and flow. After Uileog de Búrca’s Leo Ó Cionaoith and Westport’s Katie Conway exchanged points on 13 and 14 minutes, the sides were level at 1-3 to 0-6.

St. Colmcille’s were eager to end the half on a positive note and scored a goal just before the break when Kira Suleymanova’s strike found the back of the net, subsequently giving her team a 1-6 to 1-3 half-time lead.

Uileog de Búrca’s Ó Cionaoith guided over two quick-fire points at the start of the second half but the Westport scholars responded in devastating fashion when Aaron Cullinan’s scrambled effort crossed the goal-line.

Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca refused to wilt, however, and a superb individual goal from Ó Cionaoith on 19 minutes (15 minutes per half) seemed to rejuvenate the Claremorris school’s comeback hopes.

They continued to chase and harry, and Ó Cionaoith scored a cracking goal from a near impossible angle on 22 minutes to give them a slender lead (3-5 to 2-6).

Both sides were full of endeavour during the closing stages of the game but the Claremorris pupils secured the silverware when Shannon Ní Chionaoith guided home a superb goal.

In the Division 3 final, a local derby between Aghamore NS and Knock NS, the former's ability to net goals proved vital as they won on a scoreline of 5-5 to 1-1.

The energetic Ben Hunt was in scintillating form, ending up with a tally 4-1 for the victors. Yet it was Knock who started in a positive fashion, showing great ingenuity for their opening score when Adriana Keane deftly flicked Daniel Buckey’s free over the crossbar.

Aghamore pounced for two goals in the space of a minute, both scored by Hunt, to turned the game around.

A point from Kealan Glavey on nine minutes helped glean a 2-1 to 0-1 interval lead for Aghamore, and Hunt completed his hat trick of goals just one minute into the new half.

Glavey netted a fourth green flagged effort for the leaders on 20 minutes (17 minutes per half), but Hunt was not finished with his goal-scoring exploits, adding his fourth and his team's fifth goal of the joust on 25 minutes.

Killian Connor managed to net a goal for Knock on 30 minutes, showing the great character in a team that kept plugging away until the full-time whistle.

Finally, for the fourth year in a row, Tooreen National School and Brackloon National School clashed in the Division 1 final, with the latter celebrating after the contest on this occasion.

Brackloon had defeated Tooreen in the 2023 county final but the last two years had seen the east Mayo side win back-to-back titles.

Prior to throw-in it was very difficult to predict a winner, but Brackloon were first to trouble the scoreboard operator when Conor O’Regan guided over a point on 10 minutes.

Tooreen levelled matters on 17 minutes when Tom Burke’s long-range effort forced the umpire to reach for the white flag.

However, the game took a decisive swing in Brackloon’s favour just before the break courtesy of a goal from Kevin Moran, and the west Mayo school led 1-1 to 0-1 at half-time.

Brackloon were the better side during the second half and, aided by the strong wind, they landed points from Eoin Ó Raghallaigh (four) and David Maloney, which helped secure a coveted county title at Mayo GAA headquarters on a 1-6 to 0-1 scoreline.

*This week's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph, on sale tomorrow (Tuesday), features comprehensive coverage of the Mayo Cumann na mBunscol football finals, played over two days last week in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar