Castledaly secure silverware at Páidí Ó Sé football festival
Castledaly GAA represented Westmeath at the Lidl Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé and made the weekend even more memorable by winning the intermediate men’s cup.
Despite tough weather conditions last weekend, 20 teams from 13 counties competed in the 37th Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé, the famed adult ladies and men’s Gaelic football festival which takes place across West Kerry every year.
In a straight semi-final knockout game at Gallarus GAA pitch on Saturday, Castledaly were up against Tyrone’s Aghaloo O’Neills and were losing 3-3 to 2-3 at half-time. However, they turned things around and adjusted to the wet conditions and also benefitted from a big second half wind at their backs to push ahead and win convincingly by 3-16 to 3-5.
On the other side of the draw, Macroom of Cork beat Na Piarsaigh of Limerick by 5-15 to 0-7 and also O’Raghallaigh’s of Louth by 4-7 to 3-9 to reach the final.
In the final, the first-time Comórtas competitors Castledaly, who travelled with an extensive panel, opted to play against the wind again and were beating Macroom at half-time on a score of 1-4 to 0-3. Thanks to a stand-out performance by team captain Alan Stone in the second half, the South Westmeath side pushed ahead with some fine long-range two pointers and won it out by 1-12 to 0-3.
There were five cups on offer over the weekend. Colmcille’s of Longford won the junior ladies cup, Templemore of Tipperary claimed the intermediate ladies cup, Cork’s Carrigaline secured the Dermot Earley senior men’s cup and Kilmacud Crokes won the ladies senior cup.
Comórtas chairman Pádraig Ó Sé commented: “It was a pleasure to have Castledaly down with us. The lads should be proud of how they conducted themselves on and off the pitch and we welcome them down again next year to defend their title, as is tradition.
“It is always pure luck with weather conditions this time of the year, but it did not dampen the spirit of the weekend with over 400 players togging out and socialising in West Kerry over the weekend.
"We had no major injuries, the clubs seemed to enjoy our West Kerry hospitality and we packed out hotels, BnB’s and rental houses with the teams, some of whom travelled from as far away as Tyrone to visit us which shows the enthusiasm that remains for our football festival,” continued Pádraig, son of the late Páidí who, in addition to a glittering career with Kerry, also guided Westmeath to Leinster SFC success in 2004.
Pádraig thanked sponsors Lidl and acknowledged the “great support” of Kerry County Council Tourism Unit, Údarás Na Gaeltachta, Lanes & Sons Foods, EJ Menswear and McKeever Sports.
“Also, I want to sincerely thank our volunteers, referees and of course Lispole GAA, Castlegregory, Dingle, An Gaeltacht GAA clubs and Rugbaí Corca Dhuibhne for proving the pitches,” Pádraig added.