Colm Geary Cup Final 2025
Colm Geary Hurling League Final played in Dowdallshill on Thursday night.
By: Maurice Murphy
ST FECHINS 1-17 NAOMH MONINNE 1-13
Despite trailing by three points at the break the hurlers of St Fechins produced a strong second half performance to see off a spirited Naomh Moninne team in an all action final of the Colm Geary League played in Dowdallshill on Thursday night.
The Fechins scored the opening two points through a Sean Kerrisk free and one from play from the experienced Barry Devlin. Dylan Carey replied with the Dundalk sides first point on 5 minutes. A second Carey point in reply to one at the other end by Cathal Ryan from the right wing was followed by one from Sam Phelan that had the sides tied at three a piece on 13 minutes.
Midfielder Cathal Moynagh restored the lead for the south Louth outfit with a point from the left wing before Dylan Carey took a pass from Tadhg Dowdall to fire past keeper Dan O Neill. A third point of the half from Carey had Moninne in front by 1-4 to 0-4 on 17 minutes. Keeper Conor Whyte denied Ciaran Brennan with a terrific save before Tom O Dwyer pointed for Moninne in between two David Stephenson points for the Fechins. A brace of pointed frees from Eoin Murphy and one from James Byrne had Moninne five to the good on 28 minutes 1-8 to 0-6. Two late points from Ciaran Brennan managed to see Moninne going in only leading by 1-8 to 0-8 at the break. Eoin Murphy extended their lead on the resumption from a 20 metre free as the sides shared the next two points. Their lead was still three points as David Stephenson pointed from play before substitute Shane Curtis took a neat pass from Seaghan Conneely to fire past keeper Whyte, 1-10 a piece with a quarter hour remaining. Boosted by this goal the Fechins added four unanswered points all from the stick of Sean Kerrisk all but one of them from frees.
The sides shared the next four points, both Moninne scores coming from Eoin Murphy pointed frees but they still trailed by three late in the game with David Stephenson firing over the last score of this encounter to seal the victory for St Fechins.
Afterwards the Colm Geary Cup was presented to the winners captain Donal Ryan by County Board Chairman Sean McClean alongside Tom Geary.
ST FECHINS: Dan O Neill; Conor Higgins, Cormac McAuley, Paddy Reddy; Sean McLeer, Donal Ryan, Cathal Ryan (0-1); Cathal Moynagh (0-2), Sean McConnell; Sean Kerrisk (0-6, 5f), Ciaran Brennan (0-2), Barry Devlin (0-1); David Stephenson (0-4, 1f), Seaghan Conneely (0-1), Luke Black. Subs – Colin Griffin for S McLeer (21), Shane Curtis (1-0)for B Devlin (38), Micháel Byrne for L Black (42).
NAOMH MONINNE: Conor Whyte; Cathal Azzopardi, Gavin Baxter, Conor Caraher; Sean Magill, Micheál O Shea, James Murphy; Mattie Fee, Tadhg Dowdall; Aaron Heaney, Tom O Dwyer (0-1), James Byrne (0-2); Sam Phelan (0-1), Eoin Murphy (0-6), Dylan Carey (1-3). Subs- Kyle Rafferty for C Azzopardi (29),David Yore for J Byrne (57).
REFEREE: Kevin Brady.
