Scór na nOg county finals in Clonroche Saturday

THE SCOR na nOg Loch Garman semi-finals took place last weekend.

Friday night saw the Cloughbawn, Glynn-Barntown, Bannow-Ballymitty, St. James’ and Faythe Harriers clubs take to the stage.

Cloughbawn figure dancers gave a beautiful performance and qualified to reach the county final next Saturday in Clonroche. Representing Cloughbawn were Caoimhe, Brídín and Phena Quigley, Cormac Cooper, Aoibhinn Cooper, Aoife Fleming, Lisa Dempsey and Nathan McDonald.

The solo singing competition proved to be very entertaining, and ten singers performed excellently. Representing Bannow-Ballymitty were Lucinda Martin, Ciara Breen, Cillian Cullen, Aoife Rossiter and Kayleigh Moran.

Glynn-Barntown were represented by Aoibhín Ferriter and Emma Dempsey, while Josh Walsh performed for Faythe Harriers and Ciara McDonald represented St. James’.

It was Cormac Cooper with a lovely rendition of Carrigrua, and Kayleigh Moran with a traditional performance of Sweet Iniscarra, who qualified for the county final.

Kate Harpur (Bannow-Ballymitty) with a performance of The Cliffs of Cullenstown, and Aoibhinn Cooper (Cloughbawn), who performed The Winning Goal, will feature again next Saturday night in Clonroche in the recitation competition.

The ballad group competition was hotly contested, with Bannow-Ballymitty entering three groups.

They were represented by Kayleigh’s group (Kayleigh Moran, Caoimhe Moran, Cillian Cullen, Ciara Breen and Niamh Colfer), Lani’s group (Lani Ryan, Aideen Harpur, Siún Torpey, Lily Kelly and Aoife Rossiter), and Lucinda’s group (Lucinda Martin, Síofra Cullen, Saoirse Davey and Ciara Colfer).

St. James’ were represented by the McDonalds – Kate, Sarah, Ciara and Molly – while Aoibhín Ferriter, Emma Dempsey, Kate Walsh and Eva Henwick performed for Glynn-Barntown.

Two of the Bannow-Ballymitty groups – Kayleigh’s and Lani’s – qualified for the next round.

The final competition of the night was the instrumental music. Here St. James’ were again represented by the McDonalds, with James joining the four girls – Kate, Sarah, Ciara and Molly.

Josh Walsh, Mark and Calum Finucane and Oisín Ó Feinneadha represented Faythe Harriers, while Bannow-Ballymitty again entered three groups: Kayleigh’s group (Kayleigh and Caoimhe Moran, Serena Reville, Niamh Colfer and Cillian Cullen), Siún’s group (Siún Torpey, Lucinda Martin, Lily Kelly, Evan O’Grady and Lani Ryan), and Aoife’s group (Aoife Rossiter, Aideen and Kate Harpur, Sarah Gaynor and Síofra Cullen).

Those who qualified for the final were Siún’s and Kayleigh’s groups, from Bannow-Ballymitty.

The second semi-final proved to be a very entertaining event, with a packed hall treated to a feast of music, song and dance. Oulart Community Centre was the venue, with clubs from Enniscorthy and Gorey Districts taking part.

The first competition was the solo singing, and Buffers Alley was represented by Jack Challoner, Sophie Allen and Faye Tannam. St. Patrick’s Ballyoughter’s Úna Maguire and Naomh Éanna’s Ruby Farrell qualified for the county final.

Ruby was also successful in the next competition, recitation. She will be joined in the county final by Joe Doyle from St. Patrick’s. Iljiana Chudzik (Naomh Éanna), Sarah Higgins (Tara Rocks) and Róisín O’Mara from Buffers Alley also gave lovely performances.

Ballad groups from Naomh Éanna and St. Patrick’s also gave fine renditions, and Tara Cushe, Molly Carroll, Lauren Purcell and Leah O’Mahoney (Naomh Éanna), and Aoife Kavanagh, Gemma Kavanagh, Shannon O’Connor, Katie O’Leary and Eva Murphy (St. Patrick’s) will represent their clubs next Saturday night in Clonroche.

Groups from Buffers Alley (Oisín Mac Con Iomaire, Luke Kinsella, Colin Kinsella, Robyn Kinsella), Ballinastragh Gaels (Katie Cunningham, Olive Curtis, Aoife McGonigle, Hannah Noctor), and Ballygarrett-Réalt na Mara (Dylan Hersey-Kenny, Páuric Murphy, John Walker, Kevin Redmond, Gearóid Neary) competed.

Musicians from Naomh Éanna (Tara Cushe, Molly Carroll, Lauren Purcell and Leah O’Mahoney) and Ballygarrett-Réalt na Mara (Alex Farrell, Laura Sinnott, Niall O’Dwyer, Seán Óg Doyle and Daniel Hersey-Kenny) were successful in qualifying for the next round.

In the léiriú competition, Buffers Alley (Róisín O’Mara, Eoin O’Mara, Brian O’Mara, Cian O’Connor, Cody Hearne, Dave Hearne, Jay Hearne, Adam Doyle and Dan Doyle) and Tara Rocks (Sarah Higgins, Katie Crosbie, Cadi Kehoe-Lloyd, Brooke O’Shea, Timea Perekovic and Chloe Ann Kenny) won the right to another performance in the county final.

The final competition was the set dancing, and Ballinastragh Gaels (Orla Bolger, Bronagh Bolger, Tara O’Connor, Shauna Owley, Conor Jones, Cian Hughes, Simon Campbell-Carthy and Cathal Murphy), and St. Patrick’s (Úna Maguire, Katie O’Leary, Lucy Kinsella, Aoife Kavanagh, Adam Goff, Murty O’Sullivan, Micheál Rowsome and Eoin Kelly) qualified for the final.

St. Patrick’s were also represented by Erin Delaney, April O’Connor, Aoife Kelly, Doreen O’Sullivan, Cormac Rowsome, Ciarán Rowsome, George Murphy, Cillian Kelly, Joe Doyle, Dylan O’Brien, Graham Murphy, Darragh Goff, Eva Murphy, Shannon O’Connor, Gemma Kavanagh, Emer Kavanagh, Dylan O’Sullivan and Conor Kelly.

Buffers Alley also gave a lovely performance, and those representing the club were Oisín O’Hagan, Seamie O’Hagan, Colin Kinsella, Pádraig Kinsella, Katlyn O’Leary, Andrea Kinsella, Sinéad Furlong and Emily Reilly.

Scór Loch Garman Chairperson Áine Kennedy thanked all involved for making the nights a success and commended all those who performed. She thanked Breda Jacob and Dearbhla Daly for doing great jobs as Bean a Tí each night.

The county final of Scór na nÓg takes place in Clonroche Community Centre on Saturday, November 24, at 7 p.m.