Read Dave Scanlon’s brilliant report on how the Championship was won below:
Austin Stacks Team & mentors celebrate with GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail after winning the National Feile Championship in Ferms Centre of Excellence Wexford last Sunday 28th June, 2015.
Feile ’15:
Our journey began on Friday morning with a photo shoot in Connolly Park with our most generous sponsors Barry’s Bakery, Terry’s Butchers, Burger King-Tralee Food Court, Lee Strand & Garveys Rock St. After much fixing of hair & smiling we departed for MoneyGall Gaa pitch for a light workout followed by lunch in Barrack Obama Plaza before the final leg of the journey to Dunlavin Co. Wicklow where we would be based for our three group D games.
First up on Friday evening were Ballynastragh Gaels from Wexford. Joe Bastible captained the side & elected to play with the breeze, a wish move with the young Rockies powering ahead within two minutes with Conor Myers hitting the net followed by another point by Conor. Daniel O Rourke pointed before the powerful Liam Nolan found the net. A Conor Myers point just on half time gave us a 2-3 V 3pt lead. Ballynastragh with the wind at their backs fought back brilliantly to register 1-5 after the restart but a Jordan Barry point, a fisted effort by Myers & a run & point from the halfback line from Eoghan Carroll gave us a nervy 2-6 v 1-8 win & two valuable points on the board.
Next up were Balyna from Kildare who had just beaten the host club St Nicholas by two points so a win was vital if we were to qualify for the Cup Quarters. We got the worst start possible with the Kildare team find the net after 30 seconds of the throw in but Liam Nolan playing fantastic at full forward dragged us back into the game with a first half tally of 1-2 with Captain Padraic Linnane pointing with a long range effort after a series of one-twos from centreback. HT Stacks 1-3 Balyna 1-1 The stiff breeze & some Timmy Mc magic saw the Rockies blow the Kildare boys away in the second fifteen minutes with a powerful display of attacking football, a sign of things to come, with the Rock outscoring their opponents 4-6 V 1-1. Sean Quilter sprang to life with 2-2, Conor Myers, Liam Nolan & Padraic Linnane added to their tally with a point each. Charlie Curran, Daniel Breen, Connor Kavanagh & Tom O Farrell were introduced to bring fresh legs onto the pitch to prevent a second half fightback. The hard running Daniel O Rourke also found the net as did Leon Shalemba after good work from Greg Scanlon. Cian Purcell opened his account with a lovely point before Greg Scanlon pointed with the left peg to give us our second win & a guaranteed Cup Quarter final. FT Stacks 5-9 Balyna 2-2.
On Saturday morning we played the hosts St Nicholas from Dunlavin who needed a win to progress to the Cup, as we needed the win to play a runner-up in group C & hopefully a slightly easier Quarter final. In a tight game we went in ahead at the short whistle by a point after a Liam Nolan goal & Sean Quilter point. Sterling work at the back from Danny Draghici, Dara Barry Walsh who had his work cut out on their dangerman but as always was surperb, Craig Teahan, Luke Chester, Eoghan Carroll & Captain David Burke kept the Wicklow lads to three points in the first fifteen. Sean Quilter pointed from a free before probably his best goal (not most important, more later) after a solo run from his own half & shot with inch perfect precision into the bottom corner. Daniel O Rourke had now moved to full forward & after a lovely side step played Greg Scanlon in unselfishly for Greg to finish in the bottom corner. Conor Myers pointed & we were coasting until a late rally from Nic’s & it took a David Oba save & some Dara, David, Padraic & Eoghan Carroll heroics to prevent the lose as St Nicholas scored four unanswered points to leave the score 3-3 V 9pts in our favour.
Top of the Group & in good form heading to Carlow town after lunch for a Cup Quarter final against Fenagh from Carlow. This game verses Fenagh was our ‘get out of jail card’ & to be a turning point for the team as it brought a belief & a doggedness that wasn’t there before. Captain Conor Myers played with the strong wind in the first half but as hard as Joe Bastible & Jordan Barry in the half forward line tried the ball always bounced wrong or travelled too far & over the end line. At half time all we had managed were two points from Conor & Sean Quilter while the much more efficient Fenagh ran the ball & led by a point. After trading points, Leon, Conor Myers (2) & Liam Nolan all scoring, we went ahead but the Carlow locals always looked dangerous on the break & attacked at speed. It took a last gasp tackle by Danny Draghici when faced with a 2 V 1 & some resolute defending from Dara Barry Walsh & Adam Curran to stop us exiting the competition. With time almost up & with the Rock leading 6-5 the Carlow boys broke upfield & with an overlapping player goaled with 30 seconds of normal time remaining. But with two minutes of stoppage time left (or Timmy Time as we call it) the black’n’amber boys moved the ball inside the 21 with a passing move involving six players on the left wing before Sean Q was fouled & his quick free kicked blocked illegally. The ref brought the ball forward & Sean kicked what would be the defining score of the weekend with eight black & white jerseys unable to stop a rocket into the top corner of the net & give us a one point win ! (it must have been those Barry’s buns you gave them before the match Eamon) FT AS 1-6 Fenagh 1-5
On Sunday we made the long bus journey to the Ferns Centre of Excellence in Wexford to face the might of New York, who had blitzed through their group beating all before them & had rightly earned the tag of favourites. In what was our best team display of the weekend we gave the Yanks little or no time on the ball with fierce tackles going in by both sets of players & they went to the halftime break with just one point to their name. Conor Myers had given us a dream start with a goal inside 30 seconds which rocked New York for the rest of the half. A minute later a Sean Quilter free followed quickly by a another free this time from Conor gave us a 1-2 V 1pt ht lead. New York came out all guns blazing after the restart but found Captain Dara Barry Walsh, Padraic Linnane, David Burke, Luke Chester & Eoghan Carroll prepared to throw their bodies in the line of fire to protect the lead. Two points from Sean after great work by Owen Healy & James Fernane & another by Conor Myers saw us with one foot in the final but a late goal by NY & another chance which the ‘D-Man’ David Oba saved brilliantly one handed to draw gasps of disbelief from the large travelling support from NY. Conor Myers pointed from a free in injury time to leave the Yanks shell shocked on a score of AS 1-5 NY 1-1.
We now faced Naomh Eanna from Wexford in the final who had defeated Eoghan Rua from Derry after extra time in the other semi. In what was to be a game of two halves or even four, we led 5 points to no score at the break after points from Jordan Barry & two each from Conor Myers & Sean Quilter & what must have been the most blatant penalty given all weekend then not after Conor was pushed to the ground infront of both umpires & the ref. On the restart Sean Q pointed to give us a 6-1 lead but the signs of a come back were on the cards as some of our lads thought they were playing a training match & eased up. Jordan Barry pointed again & Conor scored what we thought was the insurance score but these Wexford lads hadn’t gotten this far by giving up & in a tense last 5 minutes scored 1-3 to send the final into extra time. Once Tim Mc had a few words & they realised what could have happened if the game had another minute or so left, a different team faced out for the two periods of five minutes a half. In extra time there was only going to be one winner with Sean Quilter carrying the game to Naomh Eanna scoring a goal with our very first attack before pointing twice before half time giving us a 1-2 to 1pt advantage. After the restart the Wexford lads to their credit came at us in waves but Leon Shalemba (with speed that defies belief), Daniel O Rourke ( who never stopped giving us a way out of defence), Owen Healy, James Fernane & Tom O Farrell worked their socks off. Once again Sean pointed twice before Jordan Barry capped a fine performance with a fisted goal in the final minute to leave our exhausted but ecstatic Super Rockies Feile ’15 winners for the first time ever on a score line of Austin Stacks 2-12 Naomh Eanna 1-6. Dara Barry Walsh our Captain Fantastic accepted the Feile ’15 Cup from GAA President Aogan O Fearghail to much celebrating from the large support made up of parents & friends who had travelled from Tralee.
A huge THANK YOU to all who helped in any way, sponsorship card sellers, bag packers, quiz supporters, team sponsors Barry’s Bakery, Terry Healy, Burger King the Mile Height, our own club Austin Stacks, Lee Strand, Garveys, the Town Board, Coiste Na Nog & Tim O Rourke for enough water to sail a ship & enough fruit & Jaffa cakes to keep us all nourished throughout the weekend. To our fundraising team led by Lorraine Scanlon abely assisted by Tom Quilter, Catriona Chester & Tim O Rourke, without who’s hard work we could never have raised enough money for this fantastic trip. To Adreinne McLoughlin for all the photos, only always catching our ‘good sides’ even when we don’t have one ! To Kerry Wellsbury our photographer for the weekend who’s action shots we will be enjoying for years to come & also with the Burger King sponsorship. To Seanie Power of Power Travel & his driver John Canty, who must be the most patient man on earth. (He also now knows a few new songs). To Niall Fitzmaurice our ‘Maor Uisce’ for the weekend, who ran more than anyone else on the pitch & sang more than anyone else & still didn’t get a vanilla !! To the parents who were bombarded with texts & info sheets for helping with healthy eating plans etc… & supporting. To the coaches for all the hours of coaching/planning for the trip, Tim McMahon, Sean Purcell, Johnnie Chester, Eamon Linnane, Ronan Kavanagh, John Purcell & Dave Scanlon. To Ger Reid & ALL in involved with St Nicholas club in Dunlavin who opened their homes & hearts to our team & for staying on in Ferns long after they had been knocked out to support us in the final, Thank You ! To Chairman Aidan O Connor for the inspirational text before the final. To Gene O Donnell for the wisdom (I think they got the message), to Paudie McQuinn for ALL the advice (we couldn’t have done it without you) to all involved in the Stacks club & indeed the other Tralee clubs for the good wishes/texts/phone calls. To Liam Lynch & Terry Healy for making the long journey on Sunday. To Kieran Donaghy for taking time out from his busy schedule to Viber us two messages before the semi’s & final & signing jerseys. And finally to the 24 young lads who made history & proved that team work & belief can win out in the end, you’re a credit to the club. You won because you simply refused to be beaten.
#YESWEDID