Sam Maguire’s Minors win January award

Sam Maguires winners of the Rebel Óg Award marking their Co. MAFC and MAFL wins represented by Eoin Murray, Jason Daly, Darren Fraser, David Farrell, Declan Collins and Kieran Forbes at a function in the Clayton Silver Springs Hotel, Cork. Picture John Tarrant

SAM MAGUIRE’S footballers, who won the Minor A County League and Minor A County Football Championship, are the January, 2018 winners of the Rebel Óg monthly awards, sponsored by the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cummins Sports (award sponsors), with the Evening Echo and RedFM as media partners.

Sam Maguires presented with the Rebel Óg Award marking their Co. MAFC and MAFL wins a function in the Clayton Silver Springs Hotel, Cork in the company of Lord Mayor, Cllr. Tony Fitzgerald; Co. Mayor, Cllr Declan Hurley and Colin O’Sullivan, Red FM. Picture John Tarrant

Last year was tremendous for the club, which hails from the parish of Dunmanway, in west Cork. The club draws its players from the Doheny and Randal Óg adult clubs. It caters for both hurling and football fielding teams, from U6 up to minor.

Pride of place for 2017 goes to their minor footballers, who were crowned Minor ‘A’ County football champions, having defeated Bantry in the final, 3-7 to 0-6. In the semi-final, they had defeated Passage, 2-11 to 0-7.

The team also won the West Region championship, beating Castlehaven, O’Donovan Rossa, and Bantry in the final, 2-10 to 0-5. They also won the Minor A West football league and the County A league, defeating Aghada by a point in the final, 1-8 to 1-7.

This minor team had a lot of players in the under-17 bracket, called to play Premier ‘1’ football against the best teams in the county.

29th January 2018…….. Sam Maguires footballers, David Farrell and Declan Collins receive the trophy from Kevin Cummins, Cummins sports , with the Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald, Tony White, minor manager and John Purcell, chairman Rebel Og , as the January 2018 winners of the Rebel Og monthly awards sponsored by Clayton hotel Silverprings, Cummins Sports (award sponsors), with RED FM and The Evening Echo, (Media partners)
Picture: Eddie O’Hare

The team was well-balanced and included two county U17 players, in Eoin Murray and Fionn Herlihy. Jerry O’Farrell was an outstanding captain and team leader, while Keith White was a key player in the forward division.

Team manager was Tony White, along with selectors, Neil Collins, Finny Collins, Cathal Crowley, John Barry, and Jerry O’Mahony.

Sam Maguires presented with the Rebel Óg Award marking their Co. MAFC and MAFL wins a function in the Clayton Silver Springs Hotel, Cork. Picture John Tarrant

The U16 A footballers won the West Region A League and the U12 footballers came out on top in their football league. A spokesman said: “The club are so proud of their commitment to hurling and, even though they are not hurling titles in 2017, they are competing in the U 16 A county hurling championship in 2018.

“The last minor football team to win a county title was in 2011, when we defeated Clonakilty in the Premier 2 Championship final. Former Cork senior hurler and current Munster and Ireland rugby international, Darren Sweetnam, was on that team, along with Eoin Lavers, Sean Daly, and Mark Buckley”.