Family duel as Borris-Kilcotton and Clough-Ballacolla clash
It’s a big deal for a family to have a son playing in a county final and it’s a big deal to have a grandson playing in a county final.
But it creates a bit a problem when they’re playing against each other! That’s the situation that the McEvoy family from Ballacolla find themselves in this weekend where the long-serving centre-back Michael McEvoy will go in search of his fourth Laois SHC medal and play in his sixth final.
Hoping to win his first senior medal will be Enda Parlon, Borris-Kilcotton’s young full-back, who is Michael’s nephew. Enda’s mam Fiona is Michael’s sister.
Fiona and Michael are the children of Michael and Kathleen McEvoy. Michael senior hurled with the club, has served as chairman and is now Clough-Ballacolla’s vice-president.
No matter what happens there will be a county medal coming to one part of the family but you’d imagine they’d rather beat someone else to win it!
Port’s scoring power does the trick in 2019
Always before big games you like to look back at previous meetings between the teams and ahead of the Portarlington-Graiguecullen delayed 2020 Laois SFC final, we’ve dug up the quarter-final report from when the sides met in the 2019 quarter-final replay.
The sides had drawn 2-11 apiece on the previous Saturday but Port were much too strong in the replay.
They led by 10 points at half time and though Graigue mounted a serious comeback early in the second half, Port weathered the storm and ended up big 5-15 to 3-7 winners. The Murphy brothers scored 3-7 between them while Colin Slevin scored 1-3.
Port would later lose narrowly and controversially to Portlaoise in the semi-final.
Of the Port team that started that game, 12 started the semi-final win over Ballyfin last weekend. From the Graiguecullen team, 10 of the side started against Emo while four of the six subs also featured.
SCORERS – Portarlington: David Murphy 2-2, Colm Murphy 1-5 (0-4 frees), Colin Slevin 1-3, Sean Byrne 1-0, Jake Foster 0-3 (all frees), Stephen O’Neill 0-2. Graiguecullen: Danny Doogue, James Doogue (free), Aaron Forbes 1-0 each, Jamie Parr 0-3 (all free), Ross Hennessy 0-2, Danny Bolger 0-2 (frees).
PORTARLINGTON: Scott Osborne; Diarmuid Bennett, Keith Bracken, Alex Mohan; Paddy O’Sullivan, Jason Moore, Robbie Pigott; Sean Byrne, Adam Ryan; Colin Slevin, Colm Murphy, Stephen O’Neill; Jake Foster, David Murphy, Ronan Coffey. Subs: Eoin McCann for Moore (30 mins), Johnny Fullam for O’Neill (39 mins), Daragh Galvin for Coffey (47 mins), Cathal Ryan for C Murphy (60 mins), Hayden Weldon for Foster (62 mins)
GRAIGUECULLEN: Danny Bolger; Shane Aylward, Ross Alcock, Martin Doyle; Luke Alsybury, Mark Timmons, Chris Hurley; Trevor Collins, Jamie Sheehan; Danny Alsybury, Aaron Forbes, Jamie Parr; Ross Hennessy, Brian Byrne, Ian Fleming. Subs: Eoin Alsybury for Aylward (28 mins), Shane O’Neill for Sheehan (half time), Michael Hand for Fleming (half time), Danny Doogue for Parr (half time), James Doogue for D Alsybury (35 mins), Bobby Doyle for Timmons (56 mins, inj)
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Stradbally)
Listen Back – Two Podcasts for the price of one
As it’s county final week, we split out our Talking Sport Podcasts in two episodes – hurling and football.
You can listen to the hurling preview show here – recorded in Bob’s Bar in Durrow – with Steven Miller, Alan Hartnett and Damien Carter.
While the football show with Chris Conway, which also looks ahead to the All Ireland intermediate ladies football semi-final between Laois and Wexford, is available to download here.
Bunting galore and a song
Covid-19 has curtailed some of the excitement that would usually be taking place in all six of the areas that will contest county finals this weekend.
However, it hasn’t stopped them from getting out the flags and hoisting up the bunting.
Below we have some pictures from Portarlington, Borris-Kilcotton, Clough-Ballacolla and The Harps.
While the Nolan Sisters in Graiguecullen have also recorded a county final song.
Healy to return for one last dance
Cahir Healy will line out with his club Portlaoise for the final ever time in tonight’s Premier IHC final.
Back in January, he transferred to London club St Brendan’s.
After a decade of commuting from the UK, Healy will play his club GAA in London this year – but Laois GAA sought deviation from Rule 6.8 due to Covid circumstances on behalf of Portlaoise to allow him play in the Premier Intermediate final against The Harps. That decision was was approved recently by Central Council.
Initially it was thought that Healy wouldn’t be eligible after transferring but Portlaoise sought clarification and Healy is entitled to complete the 2020 season with Portlaoise and also line out with his new club in London.
It is sure to be an emotional night for Cahir and his family.
SEE ALSO – O’Moore Park Confirmations postponed to September following increase in Covid-19 cases
The post County Final Diary: Families set to collide, bunting galore and one last hurrah for a GAA legend appeared first on Laois Today.
source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2021/08/13/county-final-diary-families-set-to-collide-bunting-galore-and-one-last-hurrah-for-a-gaa-legend/
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