Moate claim Eoinie Farrell Cup in thrilling 7s final

On All-Ireland hurling final Sunday, local GAA fans were treated to a feast of football as Moate All Whites claimed a dramatic Eoinie Farrell Memorial Cup final victory over Shandonagh in the Maryland/Tang Minor 7s Tournament.

The annual event, which was taking place for the third time, is held to honour the memory of former Maryland player Eoinie Farrell, who passed away in 2022. Eoinie also won a Leinster minor medal with Westmeath in 2000.

Six clubs featured in 2026. As hosts, Esker Gaels took on Inny Shamrocks and Tubberclair in Group 1, with Moate, Shandonagh, and Caulry making up Group 2. Inny Shamrocks were the dominant force in Group 1, securing wins in both games to finish top of the table. They were joined in the semi-finals by Esker Gaels after their win over Tubberclair.

In Group 2, Shandoangh overcome both Moate All Whites and Caulry, being joined by the former in the final four. Both semi-finals were close fought affairs. Moate had six points to spare in their win over Inny Shamrocks, while a big second half performance from Westmeath U20 star Will Scahill proved to be the difference in Shandonagh’s 4-3 to 2-6 triumph over Esker Gaels.

The two defeated semi-finalists went on to play for the Maryland/Tang 7s Shield with Inny Shamrocks prevailing comfortably on a scoreline of 4-6 to 0-6.

The Eoinie Farrell Memorial Cup final was a much more dramatic affair. Both Moate All Whites and Shandonagh served up a wonderful game of football, one that went right down to the wire.

Shandonagh started the match the stronger of the two, with a goal from Scahill helping them jump into an early 3-0 to 0-3 lead. Powered by some incredible play from Sean Mackey, Moate eventually get back to within two points before the interval as they trailed 3-1 to 1-4.

Once play resumed, the momentum of the game was flipped on its head. Two stunning solo goals from Senan Gilroy gave Moate the lead, while Mackey continued to have a big influence. He finished the game with a personal tally of 1-8.

A late black card for Will Scahill turned to be a proving point in the contest, with Shandonagh unable to recover after that point. Moate eventually won the game on a scoreline of 4-10 to 4-5.

Sean Mackey was deservedly named Player of the Tournament shortly afterwards, with Moate All Whites captain Adam McKenna being presented with the Eoinie Farrell Memorial Cup.

The final capped off a fitting end to what was a wonderful event, with the Maryland/Tang 7s Tournament quickly becoming one of the standout occasions in the Westmeath GAA calendar. A special word of thanks must go to the volunteers at both Maryland GA and Maryland/Tang, who put a huge amount of effort into organising an incredibly well-run competition.