Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh win Comórtas for first time

Pádraic Ó Comáin, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh evades grounded tackler. Pic: Seán Ó Mainnín

Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh 2-10 Naomh Conaill 0-11 

Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh have won the Senior competition at Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta for the first time in their history after they produced a superb performance to see off Naomh Conaill in Monday’s final.

Leitir Móir in Galway will hold plenty of fond memories for the Cork club with this maiden success coming twenty years after Béal Átha won the Junior titile at the Connemara venue in 2002.

Naomh Conaill have had plenty of recent success in the competition but Béal Átha were on top for most of the game. Having chipped in with 1-7 in their semi-final win, Ben Seartan was again the main man for Béal Átha, finishing with 1-6.

Béal Átha go off to a flying start when midfielder Conchúr Ó Loingsigh had the ball in the net inside three minutes. Ó Loingsigh had already kicked two wides at that stage but made no mistake when sent through on goal by Seán Ó Luasa.

The Donegal side responded by kicking the next four scores with full-forward Charles McGuinness creating the first three before adding the finishing touch to the fourth.

Béal Átha were struggling to break out of their own half during that spell but they dominated the last fifteen minutes of the half with Ben Seartan taking a starring role. Béal Átha reeled off six points in a row before the break, Seartan kicking five of them and Seán Ó Luasa grabbing the other to leave the Cork side ahead by double scores at the break, 1-7 to 0-5.

Naomh Conaill were dealt a blow early in the second half when Brendan McDyer was shown a straight red card but they did manage to claw the gap to a single point midway through the half. Béal Átha finally began to make the extra man count, however, and Ben Seartan’s goal in the 53rd minute sealed the win for his side.