Joe McNally, Shona McNally, Nipper McNally and Patsy Murphy at last year’s competition in St Anne’s GAA Club

Joe McNally football 7s takes centre stage

Michael Howley September 11, 2025 12:59 pm

THE Joe McNally tournament is back in St Annes for its fifth edition this upcoming weekend taking place on Saturday the 13th.

The tournament is a masters football tournament made for over 40s, with seven a side rules in place.

The competition attracts teams from across Dublin and even further afield with the likes of Railyard from Kilkenny and even John Mitchels from Liverpool being involved in the competition.

Niall Bergin has been involved with the competition since its conception a number of years ago.

He would also have been involved with the Dublin Masters team around 2018 and 2019 and after the success of the masters intercounty team after winning the All-Ireland, a group of them questioned whether a club competition with a similar focus on the Masters aspect of the game would work.

Niall Bergin was part of that initial group as was Joe McNally who the competition is named after.

A stalwart of Dublin teams throughout the 1980s and winner of two All Irelands

“We were just sitting in the bar one night and said ‘I wonder if this would work’. It sort of stopped in Covid for a couple of years and we’ve gotten back at it the last couple of years. It’s been really good though, one year we had 24 teams at it, there were 16 teams last year. We try to make it a family occasion where possible. Hopefully the rain will hold off, once it’s dry it’s a great day.”

There is a range of activities that take place in Bohernabreena on the day to entertain families with many from the area getting involved in proceedings.

This year both St Mark’s and Thomas Davis are scheduled to take part with Marks being the defending champions but over the years teams across Dublin South West have gotten involved with St Kevins Killians and St Marys Saggart being two other examples.

While the event is not necessarily a fundraiser for St Annes, organisers donate any funds generated back into the club buying equipment for the youth teams.

“That was never the idea of it, but anything we do make out of it we put it back into the club. We might buy equipment for the new under 8s, everyone will always need new footballs, helmets and hurls, stuff like that. Lots of teams have gotten equipment that was bought from it.”

The event has had a multitude of sponsors including AIG, Stephen Dowling and Harry Farrell.

The event is set to take place this Saturday at Bohernabreena with games set to kick off from 11am.