Come along to our Halloween themed quiz, complete with scary cocktails, spooky music, and the opportunity for you all to get dressed up in your ghoulish gear (optional but preferable). There will be great prizes on offer.Press Release from European County Secretary:
Belgium retain Ladies Football Championship
The Hague get a great start in battle to retain Men's Championship
Jersey take honours in Shield round
Congratulations to Belgium GAA who have retained their ladies football championship with two rounds still to play. The Belgium club have now won four rounds and with the winners of each round collecting 25 points, second place 20pts, and so on, no team can overtake Belgium. Runners-up position is still up for grabs with Paris Gaels, Holland Ladies and Munich all in with a chance.
Reigning European football champions, The Hague, who defeated Paris Gaels in the men's Championship round, came from behind to clinch the first round in an exciting final which saw them overhaul Paris Gaels who appeared to be heading for the points when leading by four points with just with five minutes left. They will be difficult to dislodge after a good start but all the teams including 3rd placed Luxembourg, Belgium, and Guernsey competing at this level for the first time, fought hard and there was little to choose between them at the group stage. Next month Stockholm Gaels and Budapest Rangers will enter the fray and present new challenges for these five. This is also the first time that seven teams have entered the premier men's football competition.
Jersey Irish made the long journey from the Channel islands and were rewarded by taking in the first round of the Shield with a hard fought victory over Frankfurt Sarsfields who were making their seasonal debut. St. Malo, a team of indigenous French players surprised most observers by taking 3rd, place whilst Belgium "B"and Copenhagen were in the mix until the final group game. Next month other clubs are expected to join this group in what could be the most exciting Shield competition in years.
Player of the Tournament awards went to former Kerry county ladies star, Grainne Ní Flaharta (Belgium- ladies); Michael McAnea (Paris Gaels - Chp) and Mark O'Shea (Jersey - Shield)
15 teams competed in 36 games in warm sunshine in a superb tournament excellently organised by the Munich Colmcilles club and officiating by a team of referees drawn from European clubs. Afterwards, the 200+ players and supporters enjoyed a typical meal in the Augustiner Brauhouse, Munich's oldest brewery dating back to 1328, where they also had a sneak preview tasting of the „Oktoberfestbier“ brewed exclusively for Munich’s Oktoberfest, which celebrates 200 years beginning next week.
The next round takes place in Budapest in Hungary next month (Oct.9th) with the final round of all three competitions being hosted in Maastricht (NL) on November 6th along with the ECB gala presentation night.
ENDS
NOTE:-
In each round, the winner is awarded 25 points; 2nd - 20pts; 3rd-16 pts; 4th-13pts; 5th-11pts; 6th-10pts; 7th-9pts .....10th-6pts.
Ladies Chp - Best five rounds from seven are counted; in Men's competitions all three rounds count. The Men's competitions entries are decided after the completion of the five regional leagues which were contested by almost teams before the summer break.
On 16 July 2010, Belgium GAA travelled by plane, train and automobile to the European Hurling and Camogie Finals in Zurich. The hurlers went to complete their clean sweep of tournaments, going into the tournament already confirmed as European Champions. They acquitted themselves with aplomb, winning the final against Zurich.
A note from Eoin Sheanon:
Congratulations to Munster on their performances throughout the tournament and their deserved victory in the first Belgian Interclub tournament.
The tournament will finish next Tuesday (20 July 2010) with winners Munster and 4th place Dublin playing against 2nd place The West and 3rd place Leinster. The game will kick off at 19:30 in Parc 50 and will be 30 minutes a side with rolling subs. It will be 13/15 a side depending on numbers and everyone is invited back to the Old Oak for the first night of Collie Byrne's stag party and the presentation of the cup to Timmy O'Donovan's Munster. There will be finger food and a belly full of beer, ahead of the Belgian national holiday on 21 July.
Report by Pearse O'Caoimh
Munster 3-13
Connaught/Ulster/Clare 1-4
Both Munster and CUC came into the final round of games unbeaten as the crowds swelled around parc 50 in anticipation at what was expected to be the showcase match of the tournament. Though a quick glance at the sides during the warm up told a different story. Munster were boasting a particularly inflated squad of 14 seasoned pros while CUC looked to have the bare minimum to field a team. Both provinces however, especially Ulster, have come through worse in the past (historically speaking) so to write them off would have been a massive error and one this reporter was certainly not going to make.
The opening exchanges were tense and yielded few scores but it wasn't long before Munster started to impose their superiority on the game. After Clareman James O'Shaughnessy pointed early on for his side from a sideline, CUC were forced to wait until the dying moments of the first half for their next score. Michael Hough, formidable as ever, was causing huge problems for the CUC defence and was picking off points with relative ease. Munster were an absolute joy to watch at times as Daves Barrett and Collins on the field understanding continued to blossom in the half back line. Their build up play was patient, their passing was consistent and this told on the score board as CUC's hopes of a top of the table finish began to fade.
There was a nifty little new young lad playing in the full back line for Munster who deserves mention for an impressive debut. His presence, though welcomed, adds to the air of discontent within Belgian GAA circles about the mysterious and steady expansion of the Munster squad with unknowns. This was reflected by their increasingly emphatic results since the beginning of the campaign.
This reporter found himself on umpire duty during the match and noted the contrast in mood between both goalkeepers as he fished for quotes and insight. Romadrian in the Munster goal was brash and confident proclaiming "Munster is the best" while Kevin Keary in the CUC goal cut a lonely figure as time and time again, he was forced to collect the ball from the imaginary nets he had forgotten to bring.
Paul Hagan's goal midway through the second half looked to renew CUC's faith and passion but Munster just proved too strong all over the pitch. Not even the famous Olof Gill holler could spur his men on for what would have been an amazing comeback.
Such was the fluidity of Munster's play that I could not pick a man of the match. This reporter recalls a unique moment in 2008 when after a mesmerising performance from his own county in an all-Ireland hurling final, the manager was in fact awarded the man of the match accolade. Therefore, either David Barrett deserves the credit here.
