Club Notes Archive - 2021

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October

5 October

Football
A Saint Eunan's side stung by criticism of recent performances and playing on home turf just had too much for Aodh Ruadh in Sunday's third round senior championship clash. Aodh Ruadh had the breeze with them in the first-half, and stuck with the Letterkenny men rightly. Early points from David Dolan and Darren Drummond were answered in turn by Saint Eunan levellers. The hosts then took the lead for the first time only for Philip Patton to fire over from long range to leave it 0-3 apiece at the first water break. Early in the second quarter Aodh Ruadh were counting their blessings as Niall O’Donnell sent a penalty the wrong side of the post. But then two points from Philip Patton left it all-square with time practically up in the half. The homesters did grab a psychologically important point just before the break to hold the lead as the sides went to their huddles for the half-time break. If the first half was evenly fought, the second could hardly have been more different. Rory Kavanagh's men took things up a notch and Aodh Ruadh found the going increasingly tough. In the end, all they had to show for the second 30 minutes were points from Michael McKenna and Philip Patton as it finished Saint Eunan's 2-14 Aodh Ruadh 0-7. The Aodh Ruadh team and scorers were: Karl O’Brien; Mark McGlynn, Colm Kelly, Conor Patton; Jason Granaghan, Eddie Lynch, Kyle Murray; Eamonn McGrath, Nathan Boyle; Philip Patton (0-4, 2f), Darren Drummond (0-1), Michael McKenna (0-1); Oisin Rooney, David Dolan (0-1m), Shane McGrath. Subs: Ryan Granaghan for Darren Drummond 38 minutes, Cian Rooney for Kyle Murray 41 minutes; Senan Rooney for Oisin Rooney 47 minutes, Johnny Gallagher for Michael McKenna 57 minutes. The reserve fixture between Saint Eunan's and Aodh Ruadh was postponed.

The championship group stages conclude this weekend with Ardara the guests at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh in what is a must win game for both sides. The game throws in this Saturday at 3pm and we advise spectators to make an effort to be there in good time for throw-in as there is sure to be a massive interest in this game with a place in the county quarter-finals up for grabs for the winners. The senior game will be followed by the reserve meeting of Aodh Ruadh and Ardara at 4.30pm and we would strongly urge supporters to remain for this game and get behind the team for this one.

The minor team's season came to an end after a valiant battle against a fancied MacCumhaill's outfit in the county quarter-finals in Ballybofey on Monday evening. Aodh Ruadh got off to a scorching start hitting 1-1 in the first eight minutes without reply to lay down an early marker. They led 1-2 to 0-2 at the first water break, but MacCumhaill's struck for the only three points of the second quarter to leave it all square as the teams turned around at the interval. Try as they might the Ballyshannon just couldn't penetrate the MacCumhaill's rearguard in the second half and had only a point to show for their efforts in that period. Meanwhile the homesters were able to chip away at the points and added a late goal to put a gloss on the scoreline as it finished MacCumhaill's 1-10 Aodh Ruadh 1-3. Our thanks to the management and mentors for all their hard work over the course of the season, as well as to the players who picked up some great results in what was a very strong minor top flight this year.

The under 15s season came to a close with a high-scoring encounter against Ardara last Wednesday. In the end it was the visitors who took the spoils with three points to spare as it finished Aodh Ruadh 6-7 Ardara 5-13. We have a gallery of pictures from the game up at aodhruadh.org. With the official programme now complete, the lads' attention will be turning to the Bakery Cup over the next few weeks.

Our under 11s finished up their season, with a fun session on Thursday evening, followed by the much-anticipated internal league finals day on Saturday. Three very closely contested finals took place, with 48 players involved. Darragh McCready's team beat Iarla Hartin’s team in a real thriller, with Darragh only pulling away in the final quarter. The next final was an even closer affair. Darragh Patton's team trailed by eight points at half-time, with Markko Branleys team seemingly in full control. But with the wind at their backs, Darragh’s team never gave up, and got back on level terms with minutes to go. Darragh’s team edged ahead in the final minute and held onto that slender lead to win out in the end. The last final was tipped to be close with Manus Conlon taking on Anthony Duffy, and so it proved. The lead changed hands on several occasions, with absolutely nothing between the teams. Manus had the last kick of normal time, a free kick that had to go over the bar to bring the game to extra time. Manus showed nerves of steel, pointing with confidence. Extra time was equally close. And just when it seemed the game would have to go to penalties, Manus’s team scored the winning point right at the death. Medals were presented to the runners up and the winners, and cups to the three winning captains. There was a special award for the most improved player on each team over the six weeks of the league. The winners of the Aodh Ruadh woolly hats - kindly sponsored by Chris Kelly, were Ciaran McGuinness, Harry McGowan, Alfie McGowan, Aiden McGurrin, Daniel McLoone, Daíthi Owens and Peter Mulligan. We have a smashing gallery of pictures from the finals day up on aodhruadh.org.

Hurling
This weekend sees Aodh Ruadh taking on Setanta in the semi-final of the Junior Hurling Championship. Date, venue and time remain to be confirmed, but would like to see a big showing of Ballyshannon support whenever and wherever this game is to get behind the lads as they aim to reclaim the title they last captured in 2019.

Pride of place this week goes to our under 17s after their fantastic 'A' league final win last Thursday in Convoy. It was a late start, at 8.15pm, but our lads tore into Saint Eunan's from the first minute, with an early goal from Aaron Cullen settling any nerves. Although we maintained our lead throughout the game, it was still a hotly contested match with some fabulous scores taken by both sides – a real treat for the large gathering of support that made the trip to the Donegal Centre of Excellence. There were some great performances right throughout the team, with the victory proving to be a real team performance. However, special mentions have to go to goalkeeper Tommy Clyne for leaving a family wedding to play his part, and man of the match Aaron Cullen, scoring 3-8 from play. Congratulations to Denis, Daithi, Kieran and all the team on this achievement.

The under 15s are training at their usual times this week as they step up their preparations for their league semi-final against Saint Eunan's. This last four clash is fixed for Sunday 10th September at 1pm in Letterkenny.

On Sunday we were delighted to be able to host an under 13 tournament with clubs from across Ulster attending for a fantastic afternoon of hurling. Four teams took part, with teams from Dungannon, Ballinascreen and Keady all travelling. We were treated to some fantastic performances and scores in the opening games. Armagh’s Keady faced Ballinascreen in the 'B' final, with Ballinascreen running out the victors. Our own lads faced Dungannon in a hotly contested 'A' final. Scores were at a premium, and both sides were very evenly matched. The second half saw a titanic battle between the two sides and a final score of 0-4 to 0-3 in favour of Aodh Ruadh. A great win for our young hurlers. After the games were completed, the teams enjoyed some outdoor hospitality and refreshments – followed by presentation of medals. Victorious captain on the day, Joey Daly spoke very well in his speech thanking everyone involved in organising the blitz. A huge thank you to all the teams that travelled, our own players and mentors, the parents for providing the refreshments, and to John Rooney for organising the blitz. We look forward now to 2022, when we hope to be able to run all of our individual tournaments again.

Our under 11s had a great morning of hurling in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh, where they faced Four Masters in a challenge game. Both teams were evenly matched and the final result was a draw. After the match, minor hurler Danny Breen who was part of the under 17 squad which won the league title on Thursday night spoke to the team and encouraged them to keep practicing. We hope to have two more games before we finish up for our winter break.

Ladies
The senior ladies are in intermediate championship semi-final action this Sunday morning. They will be taking on Gaeil Fhánada at 11am in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. We urge a big showing of Ballyshannon support to make their way to the Rock to get behind their girls for this one as they bid to return to the intermediate decider for the first time since 2013.

The under 10 ladies finished their season with a bang last Tuesday, with the finals of their internal tournament at Coláiste Cholmcille. We have a great gallery of images from the night up on aodhruadh.org. The management would like to say thanks to all the parents for bringing their daughters up to training and matches. They squad really were a fantastic group of girls. Watching them develop and grow as footballers was extremely pleasing for the coaching team. Also, seeing them grow in confidence as individuals throughout the season was fantastic. They all have bright futures ahead of them in Aodh Ruadh jerseys if they keep at it. Amidst all the madness going on in the world we must remember that kids just want to play and the club will always be there for them. The club would also like to thank our amazing team of coaches, Caroline, Elaine, John and Pauric for their time this year. Not only are they excellent coaches, but they also have a great way with the girls. And finally, the team would like to thank Sarah Daly and all the Aodh Ruadh ladies board for their help and support throughout the year. Their continuous efforts are laying the foundations for a bright future for the Aodh Ruadh ladies.

2022 club gear launch imminent
The club will shortly have an exciting new range of O'Reilly's gear available for sizing and purchase. Our 2022 range includes jerseys, training tops, quarter-zip top, tracksuit bottoms, shorts and much more. We will be hosting sizing sessions at the Park on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th October from 10am to 1pm on each day. The online shop will be open from Sunday 10th to Sunday 17th October on the O'Reilly's Sports website. No further orders can be taken after that date in order to ensure pre-Christmas delivery. Ladies gear will come with the LGFA logo. We aim to have a new style club hat to give away free with orders over a certain value. More details on that as we get them nailed down. For any further information contact Chris Kelly.

Support the Ladies
The Aodh Ruadh Ladies are currently out and about selling tickets for the Donegal club draw. There are some great prizes up for grabs including a 55 inch smart TV, two All-Ireland 2022 football final tickets with overnight hotel stay, two All-Ireland 2022 hurling final tickets with overnight hotel stay, hotel breaks, vouchers and cash prizes. ALL returns will go to support Aodh Ruadh Ladies Football. The draw takes place on 31st October with a closing date of 25th October for returns. All support for this fund-raiser is very much appreciated. Anyone with returns can make them to Sara Gallagher, Anna Rafferty, Amanda Mahon or Sarah Daly.

AGM Season
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Aodh Ruadh club has been set for Sunday, 21st November. Nomination papers and motion forms will be circulated to all current club executive committee members in due course. Any other club members looking for forms should email secretary.aodhruadh.donegal@gaa.ie. The deadline for return of nominations and motions is Friday, 29th October. Nominations are being sought for Health and Well-being Officer.
The Ladies Football AGM will take place on Tuesday 26th October at 8pm. It is initially pencilled in for Aras Aoidh Ruaidh, but may revert to an online format should circumstances require. Details will be circulated closer to the time.
The Bord na nÓg AGM will take place on Tuesday 2nd November. Nominations being sought for the positions of Chairperson and Secretary. These should be submitted to secretary.aodhruadh.donegal@gaa.ie by Friday, 22nd October.
All sub-committees should have arranged to have held their AGMs by Sunday, 7th November. All sub-committee reports should be sent to club secretary Lisa McTernan by Friday, 12th November.

Curtain up at the Abbey Centre!
This Thursday 7th October and Friday 8th October in the Abbey Arts Centre Ballyshannon Drama Society present an evening of drama and comedy in association with Donegal Bay and Bluestacks Festval. Faint Voices by John McKenna portrays the doomed relationship between the World War I soldier-poet Francis Ledwidge and his lover Ellie Vaughey. It features the acting talents of Rachel O'Connor, Sean McLoone, Audrey Davitt and Terence McEneaney. Meanwhile, The Specialist by Charles Sale tells the story of Lem Putt a painter who shares his esoteric take on the world and stars Richard Hurst. Performances commence on 8.30pm on each night and tickets priced €10 can be booked at the Abbey Centre box office on 071-9857375.

Father Tierney Park redevelopment
Good progress is being maintained on this major project with the base for the new playing field and a substantial part of the drainage system taking shape. We encourage anyone interested in viewing the project to use the safe viewing area which we have provided for this purpose. To help with the administration of the Sponsor a Sod campaign sellers are asked to make returns regularly and as soon as possible to Tom Daly, Michael Daly or David McLoone.

Sponsor A Sod. How do to do it and who to contact
To fund the development at Father Tierney Park, Aodh Ruadh have launched one of their biggest fund-raising efforts in decades, asking the public to ‘Sponsor A Sod’ at €50 each to help meet the costs of this ambitious plan. A permanent display bearing the names of donors will be erected in a prominent position at the Park. More than 25 Aodh Ruadh club members have joined the working group to actively promote this fund-raising campaign and to sell sods. The working group is as follows: Sabrina Brosnan, Michael Daly, Sarah Daly, Tom Daly, William Doogan, Gerard Ferguson, Conal Gallagher, Johnny ‘Mannix’ Gallagher, Paul Gillespie, Jim Kane, Donagh Keon, Diarmaid Keon, Patsy Kilgannon, John Larkin Jr, Dinny Loughlin, Sylvester Maguire, Brian Murray, Val Murray, Mick McGrath, Packie McGrath, Pat McGrath, David McLoone, Philip McLoone, Pauric McShea, David O’Donnell, Sean O’Mahoney, Barry O’Neill, John Patton and Gregory Sweeney.
Please contact any of the following if you wish to volunteer: Tom Daly (087-2390410), David McLoone (087-7760172), Philip McLoone (086-4053008), Conal Gallagher (086-2112812), Patsy Kilgannon (087-2372128), or Michael Daly (086-9171949).
Those living away from Ballyshannon, whether in Ireland or across the world, should note that they can purchase sods, and little bit of club immortality, on Klubfunder.com. Any questions or enquiries can be sent to aodhruadhbuyasod@gmail.com.
For further information on any aspect of the Sponsor A Sod please contact the Aodh Ruadh Park / Development Committee officers - Tom Daly (087-2390410), David McLoone (087-7760172), Philip McLoone (086-4053008), Conal Gallagher (086-2112812), Patsy Kilgannon (087-2372128), or Michael Daly (086-9171949).

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12 October

Football
Aodh Ruadh booked their place in the Senior Football Championship quarter-finals with a strong display against Ardara in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh on Saturday afternoon. The hosts made a great start with a Philip Patton opening their account with a free before great work from David Dolan set up Michael McKenna to shave a shot just inside the left upright. After that came a candidate for score of the game with Mark McGlynn pouncing on a breaking ball from the kick out before heading direct for the posts and smashing a shot into the top right corner of Paddy Gallagher's net. Ardara were stunned from that blow and Ballyshannon continued to pick off their scores with some ease. Jason Granaghan, Philip Patton and Michael McKenna took some lovely points before Ardara finally got off the mark through Stefan Boyle. David Dolan answered that promptly though as Aodh Ruadh took a 1-6 to 0-1 lead into the water break. Ardara rallied a bit in the second quarter and while the Ernesiders added further points through Philip Patton and a fisted effort from Eamonn McGrath the visitors had managed to trim the deficit back to 1-8 to 0-5 at the interval. Ardara hit the first point on the resumption through Stefan Boyle, but Aodh Ruadh took over from there and two sparkling points from Michael McKenna were complimented by two Philip Patton frees and a fisted score from Johnny Gethins to leave Barry Ward's men very much in the driver's seat heading into the final quarter with ten points between the sides. Ardara didn't drop the heads though and a penalty gave them a glimmer of hope. That hope grew brighter again when CJ Molloy, one of only two Ardara scorers on the day, bundled the ball into the back of the net. Aodh Ruadh steadied the ship though, with two points from the imperturbable Philip Patton settling any nerves and sealing a 1-16 to 2-7 victory, and a place in the quarter-final draw. It was a very polished performance from the Ballyshannon men, with the defence working hard to get up in support of their attacking colleagues, Jason Granaghan, Conor Patton and Mark McGlynn among those leading the charge. Eamonn McGrath was superb in midfield and his distribution was excellent throughout. Michael McKenna was the stand out performer in the front six with four superb points. Oisin Rooney, playing his second game in less than 24 hours, was fouled regularly and Philip Patton made the most of all placed ball chances. Check out the gallery of pictures from the game on aodhruadh.org. The Aodh Ruadh team and scorers were Karl O'Brien; Jason Granaghan (0-2), Colm Kelly, Conor Patton; Mark McGlynn (1-0), Johnny Gethins (0-1), Eddie Lynch; Eamonn McGrath (0-1), Nathan Boyle; Philip Patton (0-7, 3f), Shane McGrath, Michael McKenna (0-4); Cian Rooney, David Dolan (0-1), Oisin Rooney. Subs: Johnny Gallagher for Mark McGlynn half-time; Ryan Granaghan for Cian Rooney 42 minutes; Ryan McKenna for David Dolan 46 minutes; Niall Murray for Oisin Rooney 46 minutes; Senan Rooney for Shane McGrath 57 minutes.

Keep an eye on the club's social media output over the coming days for details of the quarter-final fixture against Saint Michael's.

The Aodh Ruadh reserves were left cursing their luck as Ardara took the spoils in the season's final outing for the Ernesiders. The hosts had started strongly with Marty McGarrigle and Odhran McGarrigle landing early points. The pair also added frees apiece as the sides went to the first water break deadlocked at 0-4 each. Exchanges continued in a tit for tat fashion with an Ardara point being answered by a Kerry Ryan score, the veteran having been liberated from goalkeeping duties by the welcome return of Peter Boyle after long-term injury. Aodh Ruadh then got the game's first goal when Odhran McGarrigle capitalised on a defensive error to hit the net. Peter Boyle then marked his return to the colours with a long range free. Credit to Ardara though, who came back with three points on spin. Ballyshannon responded in devastating fashion though with the livewire Gary Carty flicking across the face of goal for Matt Gillespie to palm home and leave it Aodh Ruadh 2-6 Ardara 0-8 at the turn-around. Gillespie then hit the first point on the restart as Aodh Ruadh opened up a five point gap. Ardara answered with a brace of scores before Gillespie split the posts once more. That was followed by a beautiful individual effort from Marty McGarrigle. The visitors got the last couple of scores before the last water break when matters stood at Aodh Ruadh 2-9 Ardara 0-12. Ardara pressed on at the restart and three quick points had the game level with five minutes left. They then added another to take the lead with time running out. Marty McGarrigle looked to have salvaged a draw, but there was one more play left in the game and Ardara made the most of it to flight over the winner. It was a harsh defeat for the team who had certainly done enough to earn at least a draw from the game. There were a number of eye-catching performances on the day from a young Aodh Ruadh team. Conor Foy has the makings of a very exciting prospect, and Matt Gillespie's easy-going demeanour belies a player who is all business when he crosses the whitewash. Colm McGloin is another who has made huge strides in a few short years Odhran McGarrigle, Harry Howarth and Marty McGarrigle were all potent threats throughout. Meanwhile older hands like Gary Carty and Daniel Warnock did a great job of setting the tempo. A tough season for the reserves perhaps, but one which finishes with great promise. We have a full match report and pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. We would like to thank Peter Gallagher, Gerry McIntyre, the extended management team and all the players who lined out for the reserves this season for all their efforts in 2021.

Hurling
Aodh Ruadh eased into the county Junior Hurling final with a comprehensive 1-20 to 0-4 win over Setanta on Friday evening. Gareth Sheerin was executioner-in-chief, making the Crossroads men pay in full for every loose tackle and finishing with 0-13 to his credit, all from placed ball. Setanta actually got the first score of the game, but from there in it was the travelling Ballyshannon support who had most to cheer about. Aodh Ruadh were in the driving seat at half-time, with a double-digit lead accumulated, the score board reading 1-10 to 0-3. As ever, Oisin and Senan Rooney were instrumental to the Ballyshannon challenge and Setanta had no one to contain the twin Corker threats. Oisin was rewarded with a well taken goal and three points. Further back Jack Matthews and Damien Cleary afforded no easy opportunities and kept a well-drilled rearguard on task. The result sets up what will surely be one of the most eagerly anticipated junior county finals in recent years with Dungloe / Gaoth Dobhair coming through their tie with Letterkenny Gaels with a 16-point victory. The Aodh Ruadh team and scorers were Ryan O’Brien; Conor Kennedy, Jack Matthews, Peter Horan; Adam Rami, Damien Cleary, Caolan Drummond; Brendan Gillespie, Conor McNeely; Gareth Sheerin (0-13, 13f), Senan Rooney (0-3), Stephen Connolly (0-1), Ryan McCormack, Oisin Rooney (1-3), Pat Cassidy. Subs: Martin Larkin, Eugene Drummond, Daniel Drummond. We have a gallery of shots from the game up on aodhruadh.org.

Our under 17s are gearing up for their county semi-final this Sunday in Páirc Aodh Ruadh, with Saint Eunan's providing the opposition. Denis and Daithi’s squad are having a great year, having recently captured the league title, and are looking forward to this home venue championship semi-final. The action starts at 1pm, and it would be great to see plenty of support for this group of young men in what will be their last home game of the year. If their recent games against the Letterkenny lads are anything to go by, this game should be a cracker.

The under 15s had their A league semi-final on Sunday in O’Donnell park Letterkenny. Playing with a strong wind, the Erneside lads were straight out of the blocks hitting a trio of early goals from Corey Sheridan and Killian McPhelim to settle any nerves. As the first half wore on, Saint Eunan's started to grow into the game, and hit a couple of goals themselves, edging closer to Ballyshannon on the score board after the water break, but a fine catch and pass from Dara O’Mahoney sent Corey Sheridan through for another goal to leave Aodh Ruadh leading well going into the half time break. The strong wind was a huge factor in the second half and we spent much of it under pressure from Saint Eunan's, our full back line was outstanding, with all three men performing admirably, particularly Killian Bradshaw at full back. The Letterkenny men pulled closer to us as the half wore on, and with five minutes remaining, there were only four points between the sides. The Ballyshannon centre back Lennon Canny won some great ball in these last few minutes, and our defence held out sending us to the final on a score line of 6-4 to 4-6. The final is this Thursday at 6.30pm in the Donegal Centre of Excellence in Convoy, where we face MacCumhaill's, all support greatly appreciated.

Our under 13s are continuing training at normal times in preparation for their County final on Thursday, 21st October.

The under 11s had a week off from training last week. They complete their year this Sunday – with a challenge match against Four Masters. All details will be on the team WhatsApp for parents.

The Juvenile Hurling AGM will be held on Monday 1st November at 8pm in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh. Anyone who would like to get involved with underage hurling is welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing some new faces as well as the not so new!

Ladies
Heartbreak for the senior ladies on Sunday as their dreams of an intermediate final date were dashed by a late late show from Gaeil Fhánada. It was a cruel end to the season for the girls. Aodh Ruadh dominated for much of the game, but the Gaels raided for 2-4 in the last eight minutes to take the victory. Played in front of the largest crowd of the season for a ladies game in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh, Fanad had started the game brightly, with a point a minute in followed by a goal on nine minutes as they made light of the long trip south. Aodh Ruadh had some early nerves, but after that goal they settled to their task and Tanya McPartland opened their account with a point with 12 minutes on the clock. Fanad quickly answered that with a point, but the Ernesiders were playing with more fluency now and a brace of Donna Martin points cut the margin to two. Fanad came back with their first point in ten minutes, but Ballyshannon replied with the game's first goal. There was some deft handpassing from Terri Gallagher to tee up Cáit Gillespie and she blasted to the back of the net to tie matters up at 1-3 apiece. The Gaels edged back in front with a point a minute later, but three minutes from time the Ernesiders cut through the visitor's cover again and Donna Martin was the provider as Cáit Gillespie again raised a green flag. Donna Martin then popped over the last score of the half to leave the interval scoreline reading Aodh Ruadh 2-4 Gaeil Fhanáda 1-4. The third quarter was a very cagey affair with defences on top and some indifferent passing from both sides leaving scoring chances at a premium. Fanad had the best of the opening moments with a free and score from play cutting the deficit to the minimum. Aodh Ruadh then had a point from Caoimhe Keon before Aodh Ruadh drew an outstanding save from Siobhan Coyle in the Fanad Goals and had to settle for a smartly taken point from Elaine Dorrian. The sides then went to their respective huddles for the water break with a goal between them and when Cáit Gillespie fired over the first point on the resumption it looked like Ballyshannon had one foot in the final. However, things took a dramatic change in the 52nd minute when Fanad were awarded a 13 metre free out to the right of the posts. The free didn't have the legs and dropped short of its target before being bundled into the back of the net. There was a suspicion of square ball and there were certainty fouls on the keeper and defender, but the goal stood and it was a concession which seemed to rattle Aodh Ruadh despite the fact they still led by a point. Fanad hit the equaliser on 56 minutes, but Gráinne Maguire did well to carve out a chance for Cáit Gillespie which she converted to send her side back into the lead. With a minute remaining the Gaels levelled matters again before hitting the back of the net as the game moved into added time. They followed that up with a point to leave five between the sides. Aodh Ruadh battled strongly to salvage the tie and when a magnificent Elaine Dorrian goal hit the net, they pressed hard for what would have been a winning goal. Unfortunately, time ran out and it was Gaeil Fhanáda who were left to plan for an intermediate final against Saint Eunan's next weekend as it finished Aodh Ruadh 3-8 Gaeil Fhanáda 3-10. A tough sucker-punch defeat for the Aodh Ruadh ladies to take. The Aodh Ruadh team and scorers were as follows: Bridín Maguire; Hannah Doherty, Sara Gallagher, Ciara Caldwell; Anna Rafferty, Caitlin McGarrigle, Lucy McGlynn; Caoimhe Keon (0-1), Tanya McPartland (0-1); Aoibheann McGarrigle, Cáit Gillespie (2-2), Mary Flora Scott; Terri Galagher, Donna Martin (0-3), Orla Keon. Subs: Elaine Dorrian (1-1), Grainne Maguire, Erin O'Loughlin, Katie O'Brien. We have pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. As this game concludes the senior ladies season the club takes this opportunity to thank the players and the management team for all their hard work over the past year.

The Ladies Football AGM will take place on Tuesday 26th October at 8pm. It is initially pencilled in for Aras Aoidh Ruaidh, but may revert to an online format should circumstances require. Details will be circulated closer to the time.

2022 club gear
The club have an exciting new range of O'Reilly's gear available for sizing and purchase. Our 2022 range includes jerseys, training tops, quarter-zip top, tracksuit bottoms, shorts and much more. We will be hosting sizing sessions at the Park on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th October from 10am to 1pm on each day. The online shop is live now on the O'Reilly's Sports website and will remain open for business until to Sunday 17th October. No further orders can be taken after that date in order to ensure pre-Christmas delivery. Ladies gear will come with the LGFA logo. We aim to have a new style club hat to give away free with orders over a certain value. More details on that as we get them nailed down. For any further information contact Chris Kelly.

Santa Party
Early notice of a date for all your festive diaries! The senior ladies are organising a seasonal Santa Party in Dorrian’s Imperial Hotel on Sunday 19th December from 3pm to 6pm. Santa will arrive accompanied by an escort to the venue where there will be live DJ playing all the usual cheesy Christmas tunes. Santa’s helpers will be playing games with the kids and of course each child will get to meet Santa and get a picture and a treat. Tickets priced €10 will be on sale over the next few weeks from hotel reception and from Sarah Daly. This will be a great family day with Sunday lunch available in Dorrian’s and maybe even a mulled wine (or two!). For further information contact Sarah Daly. You sent

Heart Screening session
Aodh Ruadh will be staging a heart screening service on Sunday, 7th November. Healthy Hearts / Healthy Lives, a company operated by Crossmaglen star and cardiologist Tony McEntee, will be on site for the day. This service is available to players and members aged between 14 to 35. Please note, the minimum age of 14 is strictly enforced. The screening involves a questionnaire, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and a review by a cardiac consultant. Should further examinations or investigations be required Healthy Hearts / Healthy Lives will arrange for this. The aim of the screening is to detect any cardiac abnormalities. These can often be entirely symptomless. Most sporting organisations recommend periodic heart screenings. These screenings can be availed of at a club-subsidised rate of €50 per person.

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19 October

Football
Aodh Ruadh exited the championship with a whimper as St Michael's dominated Friday evening's SFC quarter-final from beginning to end. Barry Ward was forced into a number of personnel shifts with Shane McGrath and David Dolan unavailable at late notice. Ballyshannon's chances took a further blow when Michael McKenna was also forced off with injury early in the game and Jason Granaghan had to sit out ten minutes on a black card. As it transpired, they were blows which St Michael's were absolutely primed to capitalise on. They hit 1-6 before Aodh Ruadh finally got off the mark on 20 minutes. Ballyshannon then had their best spell of the game to leave it at 0-5 to 1-7 at the interval, but St Michael's were about to take things up a gear. Niall Murray got the first score of the new half, but when St Michael's came back with a 1-3 salvo Aodh Ruadh were in Hail Mary territory. Aodh Ruadh did pull three points back in the run up to the second half water break, but those were cancelled out with a hammer-blow third St Michael's goal, and after that it was a matter of playing out time on a chilly night in MacCumhaill Park. It finished a sobering 3-13 to 0-10 defeat for an Aodh Ruadh side who were never afforded the opportunity to hit their stride. Mark McGlynn was Aodh Ruadh's best player on the night, wilfully carrying the fight to St Michael's. At the other end of the age spectrum Johnny Gallagher rolled back the years and gave a battling display on his introduction. In truth though, a seasoned St Michael's side were full value for their semi-final place. Despite the nature of this defeat, it has been an encouraging season for Aodh Ruadh and there will be considerable anticipation and optimism as we look forward to Division 1 and senior championship football in 2022. We thank Barry, the back-room team and the whole squad for all their efforts in 2021. We have a full match report and pictures from the quarter-final up on aodhruadh.org.

Best of luck to the Donegal Masters who are into the All-Ireland Shield Final after a 2-11 to 0-8 victory over Kildare with Dermot Slevin scoring 1-1. Kerry Ryan is also part of the squad now planning for a final date in early November.

The Bord na nÓg AGM will take place on Tuesday 2nd November. Nominations being sought for the positions of Chairperson and Secretary. These should be submitted to secretary.aodhruadh.donegal@gaa.ie by Friday, 22nd October. Anyone with items for discussion on the evening should have these submitted to Lisa McTernan by Wednesday 27th October.

Hurling
This weekend sees Aodh Ruadh taking on Dungloe / Gaoth Dobhair in the final of the Junior Hurling Championship. Date, venue and time remained to be confirmed at time of going to press, but we would urge a big showing of Ballyshannon support whenever and wherever this game is to get behind the lads as they aim to reclaim the title they last captured in 2019.

Our under 17s are gearing up for another county final, after their comprehensive victory over Saint Eunan's on Sunday in Páirc Aodh Ruadh. The action started at 2pm and our lads raced into an early lead – one they kept through-out the whole game. Saint Eunan's were a weakened outfit compared to the team that lined out in the league semi-final a couple of weeks ago, and in the end we were just too strong for the men from the Cathedral town. We have a gallery of pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. It was fantastic to see a large support, young and old, and we hope to see another large turn-out for their final, which is provisionally fixed Wednesday 3rd November in the Donegal Centre of Excellence in Convoy.

Our under 15s had their league final at the Centre of Excellence on a damp and drizzly Thursday evening. Playing with a strong wind, MacCumhaill's started much stronger than the Ernesiders and had built up an early lead scoring three points without reply. A goal on the 15 minute mark left us six points down going into the water break. For much of the remainder of the contest there was very little between the sides, and our boys came into the game as it wore on. We had goal chances towards the end of the first half which could have given Ballyshannon a great platform to drive on in the second half, but the MacCumhaill's defence held strong. The second half saw the Ballybofey lads hit the net again early on, and that left Aodh Ruadh with a mountain to climb. Our players fought doggedly right up to the final whistle, but unfortunately on the night, MacCumhaill's were just that little bit better. This brings the curtain down on the under 15's season, and although it wasn't the result we wanted, the players gave it their all. Thank you to the players for their commitment over the year and to the parents for all their support.

Our under 13s are continuing their training for their county final this Thursday in Convoy. On Sunday morning they had what was by all accounts a fiercely contested internal game as competition for places heats up before the final. Throw-in for their final is at 6.30pm, and as always, it would be great to see plenty of support for the team. Best of luck to the two Pauls, Mark and the whole panel.

Our under 11s completed their year on Sunday with a challenge game against Four Masters. It has been a huge positive to be able to field at this level as at the start of the year we only had one under 11 player. We now have nine under 11 players and a number of our under 9 team played alongside them. We hope to grow this number over the next 12 months with a view to making sure we are not only in a position to field in two years at under 13, but to be competitive within the county.

The Juvenile hurling AGM will be held on Monday 1st November at 8pm in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh.

Anyone who would like to get involved with underage hurling is welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing some new faces as well as the not so new!

Ladies
The final item of on-field action for the senior ladies has been scheduled for Sunday, October 31st when the team travel to Annagry to take on Naomh Muire in their last remaining league fixture.

Ballyshannon Bingo is back!
We are delighted to announce that our online bingo returns this Friday night at 8.30pm. We will play 10 games of bingo including our snowball, jackpot and lucky numbers games. Books are now available and can be purchased up to 4.30pm on Friday. Click this link to buy a SINGLE BOOK for €10.
Click this link to buy a DOUBLE BOOK for €15.
As before, books bought by 9am Thursday morning will be emailed at lunchtime on Thursday. Books bought by 9am Friday will be emailed at Friday lunchtime. Books then bought before the 4.30pm deadline will be emailed by 6pm Friday. The Zoom invite will be circulated with your books. The Zoom call will open at 8pm with the first game starting at 8.30pm. Make sure to check your spam or junk folder if you don’t think you received your books. We’re looking forward to meeting you all again and thank you as always for your continued support!

AGM Season
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Aodh Ruadh club has been set for Sunday, 21st November. Nomination papers and motion forms have been circulated and should be returned by Friday 29th October.

Father Tierney Park redevelopment
Those with returns to make are asked to get them to Tom Daly, Michael Daly or David McLoone by Friday of this week. This will help with the administration of this important fund-raiser which is quite time-consuming. Thanks to all who have supported this venture so far and to our committed group of sellers. We encourage anyone interested in viewing the project to use the safe viewing area which we have provided for this purpose.

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26 October

Hurling
This Saturday sees Aodh Ruadh taking on Dungloe / Gaoth Dobhair in the eagerly awaited final of the Junior Hurling Championship. The game takes place in O'Donnell Park at 1.30pm, and we urge a big showing of Ballyshannon support to travel to Letterkenny to get behind the lads as they aim to reclaim the title they last captured in 2019.

This week our under 17 squad are making their final preparations for their county final. The game is fixed for Thursday, 4th November at the Donegal Centre of Excellence in Convoy. As always we hope to see a large Ballyshannon contingent down to support this great team.

Our under 13s completed their fantastic season with and epic victory over MacCumhaill's in the county final on Thursday. This panel has had an exceptional season, winning the league title earlier in the year, their Táin Óg, as well as our own tournament. Thursday's win was the cherry on top of this great season. The opening exchanges saw us race into an early lead against the men from the Twin Towns, and it looked like we were going to coast to victory. However after the first water break, the MacCumhaill's lads fought their way back into the game and at the half-time whistle we led on a scoreline of 1-6 to 1-1. MacCumhaills started the second half like a house on fire and put huge pressure on our lads, scoring a flurry of points to come to within one point as we went into the second water break. The final quarter saw the Ernesiders really show their mettle. There were top class performances from the full back line right up to the full forward line. Aodh Ruadh fought for every ball, and got the couple of points needed to ensure we were the victors in this hotly contested match on a scoreline of 1-8 to 1-6. Captains on the evening Daithi Sheerin and Joseph Gibbions spoke very well as they accepted the cup on behalf of the team, and then it was back to Ballyshannon for the customary beeping and refreshments courtesy of the Tyre Specialist Centre, Ballyshannon. A massive thank you to all the parents for their support, the management of Paul Sheridan, Paul O’Loughlin, Mark Sheerin and Gregory Gallagher for all their efforts and to the players for their commitment to this great game, and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve as the move up through their underage careers.

Our Juvenile hurling AGM will be held on Monday 1st November at 8pm in Aras Aodh Ruadh. After a successful 2021 in terms of numbers as well as on the field, we are now looking forward to 2022. Anyone who would like to get involved with underage hurling is welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing some new faces as well as the not so new!

Club AGM
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Aodh Ruadh club takes place on Sunday, 21st November. Members are reminded that the deadline for the return of nomination papers and motion forms is this Friday at 4pm.

Football
The Bord na nÓg AGM will take place on Tuesday 2nd November. Anyone with items for discussion on the evening should have these submitted to Lisa McTernan by Wednesday 27th October.

Ladies
The final item of on-field action for the senior ladies has been scheduled for next Sunday when the team travel to Annagry to take on Naomh Muire in their last remaining league fixture.

Ballyshannon Bingo is back!
Ballyshannon Bingo returned to our screens on Friday night and we were delighted to welcome all our players back! Congratulations to all our winners: Regina Dolan took home €250 on the Jackpot game. The Full House winners were Kathleen McGee, Sharon Gallagher, Ann Patterson, Pat Quinn, Avril O'Brien, Bernadette Sweeney, Ronan Matthews, and John McGreevy who won two houses. The line winners were Dolores Kelly, Jude Concannon, Margaret Meehan, Ailish Ward, Josephine McDonagh, Shona O'Driscoll, Mary Griffin, Avril O'Brien, Christina McDonald, Thomas Sweeney, Corina Ward, Margaret Quinn, Sabrina Brosnan, Denise McGlinchey and Colin Doogan. The Snowball survived on its return, so it increases to €800 on 48 numbers or less next week. We're looking forward to doing it all again this Friday night at the same time of 8.30pm with a total of over €2,500 up for grabs. Be sure to follow our like and share competition during the week to be in with a chance to win free books! We will play 10 games of bingo including our snowball, jackpot and lucky numbers games. Books are now available and can be purchased up to 4.30pm on Friday. Click this link to buy a SINGLE BOOK for €10.
Click this link to buy a DOUBLE BOOK for €15.
As before, books bought by 9am Thursday morning will be emailed at lunchtime on Thursday. Books bought by 9am Friday will be emailed at Friday lunchtime. Books then bought before the 4.30pm deadline will be emailed by 6pm Friday. The Zoom invite will be circulated with your books. The Zoom call will open at 8pm with the first game starting at 8.30pm. Make sure to check your spam or junk folder if you don’t think you received your books. We’re looking forward to meeting you all again and thank you as always for your continued support!

Mind your mental health
We would like to take this opportunity to remind people of the resources available to help should they experience mental health difficulties or know someone going through them. If you need to talk to someone, there are a number of helplines you can contact for confidential non-judgemental support. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, you should make contact immediately with one of the following:

Phone or go to your local doctor
Go to the Accident and Emergency department of the nearest hospital
Call 999

The following helplines are excellent resources.
Pieta. 24/7 Free therapeutic support for those in suicidal distress or those who engage in self harm.
Call: 1800 247 247
Text HELP to 51444
www.pieta.ie
Text 50808. If you’re experiencing a personal crisis, are unable to cope and need support free text DLMH to 50808.
Text DLMH to 5080
www.text50808.ie
The Samaritans. Free call The Samaritans on 116 123. Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Call: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
www.samaritans.org/ireland
Yourmentalhealth.ie. Visit YourMentalHealth.ie or freephone the information line on 1800 111 888 to find information on all available mental health supports and how to access them.

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