Sligo/ Leitrim in Niall McInerney Shield Action
Sligo U-16 hurlers combined with Leitrim to compete in the Niall McInerney Memorial Shield at Liam Mellowes GAA grounds last Saturday. John Mullins and Brian McCann were joined by Leitrim mentors Donie Quinn and Steve Feeney as 15 of the Sligo U-16 hurling squad plus 6 Leitrim players combined to take on Roscommon and Mayo U-16 squads and the home club’s minor team in this annual tournament at Renmore, Galway.
Sligo and Leitrim, who compete individually in the All Ireland U-16C blitz at the end of the month, competed well against U-16 B grade counties Mayo and Roscommon and Liam Mellowes who compete at Minor A grade in Galway. They lost the opening 30 min game against a very strong Mayo team despite competing well throughout. They also lost to the host club in a battling performance with Naomh Eoin’s Mattie Davey, Coolera players Colm Parke, Niall O’Rourke and Jamie Gillen, Tubbercurry’s keeper Eoin McDonagh and Tourlestrane’s Sean Quinn and JP Lang to the fore. Sean Fox and Eanna Madden were the best of the Leitrim contingent.
However the panel gradually grew accustomed to the higher pace and skill levels at this grade of hurling and were gaining confidence in their ability, defeating Roscommon 2- 1 to 0-2 in the final game (which was reduced to 20 minutes duration) ensuring that Sligo/Leitrim finished above their more illustrious opponents in the final table. The Sligo/Leitrim goals came from Brian Tobin and Western Gaels’ Cormac Hallinan. Colm Parke added the point.
Liam Mellowes topped the group to capture the Shield following a very tight and competitive game with Mayo, winning by 2 points at the end of a high scoring game. The Sligo U-16 squad should be at full strength for the upcoming All Ireland U-16 C Championship blitz at an Ulster venue to be confirmed on Saturday 28th August, and will have benefited from playing against teams at the higher grade in this tournament. They also compete next Thursday in Pearse Stadium, Galway against Mayo U-15, Roscommon U-15 and Leitrim;s U-16 teams.
Finally a Connacht U-16 hurling team comprising of players from all 5 counties will compete against Ulster in Tubbercurry next Friday evening. Sligo/Leitrim U-16 squad: Tadgh Cadden, Mattie Davey, Jonathan Durkin, Mark Geraghty, Jamie Gillen, Cormac Hallinan, Danny Keown, JP Lang, Cathal McDermott, Eoin McDonagh, Ciaran O’Connor, Niall O’Rourke, Colm Parke, Sean Quinn, Brian Tobin (all Sligo), Niall Brady, Sean Fox, Brendan Flynn, Eanna Madden, Niall McLoughlin, Devin Quinn (Leitrim).
