BORD NA MÓNA O’BYRNE CUP IS UNDERWAY
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS SNEAK WIN AS KILDARE CLAIM FACILE VICTORY
O’FLAHERTY SETS PACE AS EARLY TOP SCORER
The 2014 Bord na Móna Leinster GAA Series got underway on Saturday, with DCU claiming the lone victory for a college side over the weekend, while on Sunday All-Ireland Champions Dublin and reigning Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup champions Kildare were among the winners.
Wicklow’s Conor McGraynor gave one of the outstanding displays of the weekend scoring 1-6 in DCU’s 1-15 to 0-9 win over Louth, in the opening Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup game in Group D at Haggardstown on Saturday night.
Louth’s Richard Brennan became the first player to officially pick up a Black Card in 2014, when he was punished for a body collide, 20 minutes from the end.
Also in Group D it took a late Ciarán Kilkenny point for Dublin to snatch a 0-12 to 0-11 win over a determined Westmeath side at Cusack Park, Mullingar.
All four sides will be back in action on Wednesday night at 7.45pm, with Dublin hosting Louth at Parnell Park and Westmeath facing DCU in St. Loman’s GAA Club, Mullingar.
Eoghan O’Flaherty led the charge and became the leading scorer after Round 1 of the Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup, after scoring 2-5 in Kildare’s impressive 4-24 to 0-12 win over Athlone IT at St. Conleth’s Park, Newbridge.
The game also provided the highest winning margin for a team in the competition, with Kildare travelling to Newtowncashel on Wednesday night to face Longford.
Jack Sheedy’s new charges were hugely impressive in their 1-19 to 2-7 victory over Carlow at Dr. Cullen Park.
Longford led by 1-13 to 0-0 at half-time, with Francis McGee netting their goal, and although Shane McGrath and Seamus Kinsella netted for Carlow in the second half, the visitors held out for victory. Carlow will now face Athlone IT in IT Carlow on Wednesday.
Goals in either half from Kevin O’Grady helped Wexford to a 2-13 to 0-11 win over Laois at New Ross.
New Laois manager Tomás Ó Flatharta will now see his face face Midland rivals Offaly at O’Moore Park on Wednesday night. Two late points from Nigel Dunne for Emmet McDonnell’s side, earned Offaly a 0-13 to 0-12 home win over UCD at Tullamore.
Wexford will now host UCD on Wednesday night at St. Patrick’s Park in Enniscorthy.
In Group C, Meath were goal hungry as they accounted for last year’s Sigerson Cup champions DIT by 4-11 to 1-14 at Páirc Tailteann.
Mickey Newman and Dalton McDonagh both raised green flags in the opening half as Meath took a 2-6 to 0-6 interval lead, with further goals from David Larkin and McDonagh on the restart, while Dublin’s Niall Scully netted DIT’s lone major.
Wicklow were forced to dig deep before delivering a slender 1-9 to 0-11 win over IT Carlow in Ashford.
Harry Murphy’s side led by 1-6 to 0-6 at half-time, thanks to a Dean Odlum goal.
Wicklow continued to edge the lead throughout the second half, and held a two-point lead late on, but just done enough to claim victory by the minimum margin.
The Garden County will host DIT at Newtownmountkennedy on Wednesday night, while Meath face IT Carlow at Páirc Tailteann.
Next Sunday will see the final round of group games in the Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup, while the Bord na Móna Walsh Cup Senior Hurling competition gets underway.
Offaly face Antrim in the opening game at 12.30pm on Sunday at O’Connor Park, Tullamore with 2pm starts for the other matches as Laois host NUI Galway at Rathdowney; Carlow face UCD in Dr. Cullen Park and Westmeath host DIT in Cusack Park, Mullingar.
The sponsorship by Bord na Móna of the Leinster G.A.A. Series helps to assist the Leinster GAA Benevolent fund, encapsulating the Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup, Bord na Móna Walsh Cup and Bord na Móna Kehoe Cup competitions.
This is the third year of Bord na Mona’s sponsorship of the Leinster GAA Series. 2012 was the first time for the competitions to be sponsored, since the inception of the O’Byrne Cup in 1954.
These competitions were established to help provide funds for the Leinster GAA Benevolent fund, which helps players and other GAA members with financial assistance in times of need.
BORD NA MÓNA LEINSTER GAA SERIES BRIEFS
Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup 2014
* Highest Winning Margin: 24 points (Kildare 4-24 Athlone IT 0-12 – Group B Round 1)
* Lowest Winning Margin: 1 point (Offaly 0-13 UCD 0-12 – Group A Round 1; Wicklow 1-9 IT Carlow 0-11 – Group C Round 1; Dublin 0-12 Westmeath 0-11 – Group D Round 1)
* Highest Aggregate Score: 48 points (Kildare 4-24 Athlone IT 0-12 – Group B Round 1)
* Lowest Aggregate Score: 23 points (Wicklow 1-9 IT Carlow 0-11 – Group C Round 1; Dublin 0-12 Westmeath 0-11 – Group D Round 1)
Top Scorers
Eoghan O’Flaherty Kildare 2-05
Conor McGraynor DCU 1-06
Darroch Mulhall Kildare 0-07
Francis McGee Longford 1-04
Niall Scully DIT 1-04
Kevin O’Grady Wexford 2-01
Liam Boland IT Carlow 0-06
Cathal Shine Athlone IT 0-06
Nigel Dunne Offaly 0-06
Seamus Kinsella Carlow 1-03
Michael Newman Meath 1-03
COMING NEXT:
Next Wednesday: (All games at 7.45pm) Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup Second Round: Group A: Laois v Offaly, Portlaoise; UCD v Wexford, St Patrick’s Enniscorthy. Group B: Longford v Kildare, Newtowncashel; Athlone IT v Carlow, IT Carlow. Group C: Wicklow v DIT, Newtownmountkennedy; Meath v IT Carlow, Navan. Group D: Dublin v Louth, Parnell Park; Westmeath v DCU, St. Loman’s, Mullingar.
Next Sunday: (All games at 2pm unless stated) Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup Third Round: Group A: Laois v UCD, Portarlington; Offaly v Wexford, Tullamore. Group B: Longford v Athlone IT, Ballymahon; Kildare v Carlow, Newbridge. Group C: DIT v IT Carlow, St Margarets; Wicklow v Meath, Baltinglass. Group D: Dublin v DCU, Parnell Park; Louth v Westmeath, Drogheda. Bord na Móna Walsh Cup First Round: Offaly v Antrim, Tullamore, 12.30; Laois v NUIG, Rathdowney; Carlow v UCD, Carlow; Westmeath v DIT, Cusack Park Mullingar.
BORD NA MÓNA LEINSTER GAA SERIES 2014
(Dates subject to change)
FOOTBALL
Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup
January 4: First Round: Group D: DCU 1-15 Louth 0-9.
January 5: First Round: Group A: Wexford 2-13 Laois 0-11; Offaly 0-13 UCD 0-12. Group B: Longford 1-19 Carlow 2-7; Kildare 4-24 Athlone IT 0-12. Group C: Meath 4-11 DIT 1-14; Wicklow 1-9 IT Carlow 0-11. Group D: Dublin 0-12 Westmeath 0-11.
January 8: Second Round: Group A: Laois v Offaly, Portlaoise, 7.45; UCD v Wexford, St Patrick’s Enniscorthy, 7.45. Group B: Longford v Kildare, Newtowncashel, 7.45; Athlone IT v Carlow, IT Carlow, 7.45. Group C: Wicklow v DIT, Newtownmountkennedy, 7.45; Meath v IT Carlow, Navan, 7.45. Group D: Dublin v Louth, Parnell Park, 7.45; Westmeath v DCU, St. Loman’s, Mullingar, 7.45.
January 12: Third Round: Group A: Laois v UCD, Portarlington, 2.00; Offaly v Wexford, Tullamore, 2.00. Group B: Longford v Athlone IT, Ballymahon, 2.00; Kildare v Carlow, Newbridge, 2.00. Group C: DIT v IT Carlow, St Margarets, 2.00; Wicklow v Meath, Baltinglass, 2.00. Group D: Dublin v DCU, Parnell Park, 2.00; Louth v Westmeath, Drogheda, 2.00.
January 19: Semi-Finals
January 26: Final
HURLING
Bord na Móna Walsh Cup
January 12: First Round: Offaly v Antrim, Tullamore, 12.30; Laois v NUIG, Rathdowney, 2.00; Carlow v UCD, Carlow, 2.00; Westmeath v DIT, Cusack Park Mullingar, 2.00.
January 19: Quarter-Finals: Laois/NUIG v Wexford, Portlaoise/Wexford; Carlow/UCD v Dublin, Carlow/Parnell Park; Westmeath/DIT v Kilkenny, Mullingar/Kilkenny; Offaly/Antrim v Galway, Tullamore/Antrim.
January 26: Semi-Finals
February 2: Final
Bord na Móna Walsh Shield
January 19: Semi-Finals: Loser Laois/NUIG v Loser Carlow/UCD; Loser Westmeath/DIT v Loser Offaly/Antrim.
January 26: Final
Bord na Móna Kehoe Cup
January 18: First Round: Down v Queens University, Queens, 6.30.
January 19: First Round: Fingal v Longford, Dublin venue TBC, 2.00; Louth v GMIT, Louth Venue TBC, 2.00; Kildare v Roscommon, Kildare Venue TBC, 2.00; DCU v Derry, St Clares DCU, 2.00; Trinity College v Armagh, TBC, 2.00; Meath v St Patricks Drumcondra, Trim, 2.00; Wicklow v Mayo, Wicklow Venue TBC, 2.00.
January 26: Quarter-Finals: Down/QUB v Fingal/Longford; Louth/GMIT v Kildare/Roscommon; DCU/Derry v Trinity College/Armagh; Meath/St Patricks Drumcondra v Wicklow/Mayo.
February 2: Semi-Finals: Down/QUB/Fingal v Louth/GMIT/Kildare/Roscommon; DCU/Derry/Trinity/Armagh v Meath/St Pats/Wicklow.
February 9: Final
Bord na Móna Kehoe Cup Shield
January 26: Quarter-Finals: Loser Down/QUB v Loser Louth/GMIT; Loser DCU/Derry v Loser Trinity College/Armagh
February 2: Semi-Finals: Winner (Loser Down/QUB v Loser Louth/GMIT) v Loser Kildare/Roscommon; Winner (Loser DCU/Derry v Loser Trinity/Armagh) v Loser Meath/St Pat’s.
February 9: Final
