Longmeadows hosted the rare sight of Saturday championship action this weekend as the St Brendan’s Camogie team, proudly sponsored by Comtech Engineering and Ryans of Camden Street, battled St Jude’s for a place in the PTSB Camogie Junior 2 Championship Final.
Unfortunately, the Dark Force Camógs saw their championship journey come to an agonising end as St Jude’s edged a thrilling contest by 1-12 to 1-11.
The major talking point came when St Jude’s were awarded a point that appeared to many observers to have gone wide. With the umpires split in their judgement, one signaling a score and the other indicating a wide, the referee ultimately opted to award the point. Despite strong protests from the St Brendan’s sideline and supporters, the decision stood and ultimately proved decisive in a fiercely contested semi-final, as the Dark Force fell short by the narrowest of margins.
While the result will leave a sense of what might have been, this was undoubtedly St Brendan’s finest performance of the season. The girls produced a display full of determination, skill, and character, pushing a strong St Jude’s side all the way to the final whistle. Although their championship journey ends here, they can leave the field with their heads held high, knowing they represented the club with immense pride. With a talented squad continuing to develop and confidence growing throughout the campaign, there are plenty of positives to take forward and every reason to believe that a serious championship challenge awaits next year.
Left to right – back row; Sarah Delaney, Ava Kilmartin, Fiona Dowler, Méabh Dowler ,Ciara Howard, Cara, Hennessy, Niamh Byrne, Ciara Cashman ,Niamh Deasy and Helen Macklin
Left to right – front row; Adrian Morrissey, Rachel McCormack, Agus Lazzarini, Niamh Power, Karen OConnell, Eimear Kelly, Aine Kennedy, Becky Hennigan, Jenny Kavanagh, Jude McCoy, and Aine Cleary.
24 hours later, The St Brendan's Football 2nd XV, in partnership with Stoneybatter Pride of Place, rounded off their 2026 PTSB Junior 5 All County Championship against a damn good Clontarf side.
Clontarf showed their intent in the first half, leading 4-8 to 2-4 at half time, with Andy Moran and Brian 'Dean Harrison' Hobbins getting the goals.
Hobbins also scored a brace of points early in the second half, the first off a free in and the second from long distance but because Hobbins it his shot inside the 20 meter line, the referee, after initially raising his two arms, only to declare it was just a single, 4-9 to 2-6.
After Paul O'Donnell won Kevin 'The Seventy Sixer' Berry's kick out, passed to The Landlord Andy Moran and finally onto The Shoeman Brendan Brogan and what turned out to be, The Darkest forces third and final point of the second half.
Clontarf showed no signs of letting up and finished the match in a professional manner with a fifth goal and loads of singles to top the group on a 5-20 to 2-7 scoreline. John 'Tesla' Tuffy admitted that we were playing the eventual County Champions who realistically shouldn’t have been in Junior 5 in the first place.
So, there's one St Brendan's team still standing as of the time of writing and that's The Hurlers, who face Pobal Parnell in the Semi Finals of the PTSB Junior C Championship.
