Echo Sport in Review: May 2023
DDSL CUP FINALS took centre stage in May with Peamount United claiming four titles, Kosi Brown’s hat-trick sending Crumlin United to glory, St Francis, Knocklyon United, and Cherry Orchard completing a double and a Charlie Smullen’s freekick seeing Kilnamanagh to the Under 15 Cox Cup.
Republic of Ireland Under 15, bolstered by seven Shamrock Rovers players and three St Patrick’s Athletic players, beat Italy 2-1 to win the Torneo delle Nazioni.
Former Peamount United captain Áine O’Gorman returned to Greenogue for the first time since joining Shamrock Rovers, with the teams sharing the spoils in the early stages of the Women’s National League.
Clondalkin man Louis O’Loughlin was a key member of the Auburn Tigers team that won the College Men’s Distance Medley Relay at the 127th edition of the Penn Relays Meet at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Tallaght Martial Art’s Nicole Bannon won a stellar gold medal at the Turkish Open in Istanbul after beating Urska Gazvoda from Slovenia in the decider and was named The Echo Sports Star of the Month for May as a result.
Teenager Liam McDonald continued to light it up on the track after winning the junior dragster award at the British Drag Racing Championship Festival of Power.
Aine O’Gorman has a go for Shamrock Rovers during their clash with Peamount United
Photo by Mark McDermot
Dublin bounced back from a seven-point interval deficit to retain the Leinster Under 16 A Ladies Leinster Football title before a large crowd in Coralstown Kinnegad GAA Club on Saturday, beating Kildare 3-15 to 4-9.
Dublin Ladies Senior Footballers secured their 10th successive Leinster Senior Championship.
Rhasidat Adeleke obliterated her own Irish 400m record when she won the NCAA West Regional Championships in California in a time of 49.54.
Phoenix Gymnastics took part in the Irish National Gymnastic Championships and left with a whopping 88 medals.
Crumlin Boxing Club gained a record 11 gold medals at the All-Ireland Junior Championships in the National Stadium, while Sacred Heart had five crowned national champions.
Across one weekend, Peamount United came out tops in the Under 13 Malahide Coaches Cup, the Under 14 Molly O’Toole Cup and DB Sports Under 15 finals.
The Newcastle club’s Under 14 girls then claimed their second trophy in a week when they went all the way to the SFAI All-Ireland crown with a win over Bohemian.
Kilnamanagh and Lucan United reached the Under 12 All-Ireland Final for their first time in history and the game did not disappoint, with the former winning on a scoreline of 2-1.
It was job well done for Shamrock Rovers Under 12 boys when they stormed to a 4-0 win against St Kevin’s boys in the SFAI Cup final, and the Under 13 lads made it a double against the same club.
Shamrock Rovers U12s beat St Kevin’s Boys with an impressive 4-0 win to lift the Cup
Photo by Robert Goggins
Meanwhile, Templeogue United Under 13s came from two goals down to win the SFAI All-Ireland Cup after a 3-2 win against St Brendan’s in Tipperary.
After 25 years out of the top flight, St Francis secured a return to the Leinster Senior League Senior Division while Kilnamanagh went the opposite way.
Richmond Park hosted the final of the Charlie Cahill Cup Final, with Bluebell beating St Francis to the title.
On the school scene, Drimnagh Castle Secondary School completed a great treble when they captured the FAI Schools Under 17 Cup while Killinarden Community School also secured a treble at the same grade.
Clondalkin native Hannah Tyrrell was to the fore as Dublin opened their Leinster Championship retention with a fiery 1-6 to 0-7 win over Meath.
In the Dublin Under 15 Boys Féile Finals, St Anne’s were top dogs in the Division Four football decider with a 9-6 to 1-20 win over St Peter’s while St Jude’s seized the Division Two title and Division Six Shield.
Collinstown bolstered their promotion push after a tight affair with Kilnamanagh, another team in contention in the DDSL, completing a comeback to run out 4-2 winners.
Cherry Orchard became the FAI Under 17 National Cup Champions following a dramatic 1-0 victory over St Kevin’s in Richmond Park, Evan Matthews netting the solitary goal.
Donore Harriers star Abdel Laadjel cemented his place as a rising star in Irish athletics when he finished second in the 10,000m at the Big East Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Villanova University Track in Pennsylvania.
Donore Harriers’ Abdel Laadjel, representing Providence College, on his way to a huge silver in the 10,000m at the Big East Track and Field Championships in Pennsylvania
South Dublin Taekwondo’s Jack Woolley and Leroy Nsilu won ranking medals at the European Multi Taekwondo Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
Kingswood Community College came out on top in the St Mark’s GAA Club Under 16 Interschools Ladies Football Summer Blitz, with St Mark’s CS, Coláiste de hÍde, and Killinarden CS also participating.
