St Malachy’s win Markey Cup cracker

31 January 2024

ST Malachy’s High School, Castlewellan, are in seventh heaven after battling their way through the knockout stages to lift the Danske Bank Markey Cup for the seventh time in their history.

They needed extra time — and seven goals — to overcome St Columb’s Derry in the quarter-finals.

It was a similar story in their semi-finaln when St Patrick’s, Keady, took the lead in the fifth minute of injury time, but were rescued by Eoghan Travers, who registered a pressure free late on and then hit four more points in extra time to get them into Thursday’s final in the grounds of Errigal Ciaran at Dunmoyle where they faced Holy Cross College, Strabane.

The Tyrone school playing in a Tyrone club’s grounds with a Tyrone referee may have conceded a second minute goal to Travers, but they then took over and St Malachy’s looked in bother when Holy Cross by 1-6 to 1-1 after 20 minutes.

Amazingly they recovered to lead by two at the break, but conceded the first three points of the second half. Nevertheless they finished the game strongly, the two previous 80-minute games doing no harm to their fitness and stamina.

With a minute left on the clock, however, Castlewellan were a point down, but then produced the final three points to seal a terrific victory in front of a huge crowd that generated a great atmosphere.

St Malachy’s won because they have some great leaders — Ross Green at the back who got up for two fine points, Taidgh O’Hanlon and Chris Kelly-McEvoy at midfield and Eoghan Travers and Ruairí Madine up front. But as a team they have great heart and determination and they refused to be beaten.

Their resolve was well-tested in those opening 20 minutes.

Corin McConnell caught a high delivery to point for Holy Cross after just 20 seconds. Although Drumgath forward Eoghan Travers buried a goal less than 60 seconds later, Strabane hit back with a goal and five points and only a single point from Ruairí Madine in response.

Conor Langan, Aidan Hegarty and Oisin Kelly all pointed before Langan got lucky when his shot came off defender Shea Baker for a goal. Langan was always threatening and his free in the 19th minute made the score 1-6 to 1-1.

St Malachy’s needed a response and they got it with 1-5 to 0-1 in the last ten minutes of the half.

Chris Kelly-McEvoy started it all off with a point and Ross Green, Travers, Taidgh O’Hanlon and Madine followed with points, some of them top drawer, to bring the teams level in the 28th minute.

Strabane’s final point of the half gave them the lead, but St Malachy’s conjured up a goal in injury time when Eoghan Travers went for a point. The wind caught the shot and Ruairí Madine quickly nipped across in front of the goal-keeper to punch the ball to the corner of the net.

However Conor Langan with two scores and Dara Dooher with another in the 34th minute saw Holy Cross re-take the lead at the start of the second half. From then until the end scores were exchanged in rotation.

In the 55th minute, Langan — who else? — popped over a free to put his side ahead at 1-13 to 2-9. St Malachy’s had a couple of shots cleared off the line and it looked as if their luck was out.

However with a minute remaining Taidgh O’Halon fisted a point when there was a possibility of a goal. It was the correct choice as Castlewellan pressed the kick-out and James Savage got on the end of a mover to edge them ahead.

A free from midfielder Chris Kelly-McEvoy provided the insurance score and St Malachy’s showed great maturity to hold possession for the remaining three minutes to collect the Markey Cup for the first time since 2010 and also go through to the All-Ireland semi-final on February 25.

St Malachy’s: Callum Travers, Luke Brannigan, Ross Green (0-2), Shea Baker, Oisín Murray, Corey Trainor, Harry Keenan, Taidgh O’Hanlon (0-3), Chris Kelly-McEvoy (0-3, 2 frees), Daelach McGreevey, James Savage (0-1), Manus Middleton, Ruairí Madine (1-3, 1 mark), Eoghan Travers (1-0), Caolán Flannagan.

Subs: Odhrán McCann for S Baker, Ryan McCourt for C Flanagan, Dáire Trainor for M Middletown.

St Malachy’s, Castlewellan 2-12

Holy Cross, Strabane 1-3

DANSKE BANK MARKEY CUP FINAL

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