SCOR NA NOG FINALS

WELL DONE to Kayleigh Moran on winning Scór na nÓg Laighean at a sold-out National Opera House in Wexford recently.

Competitors from all over the province descended on the venue last month for the Leinster final of Scór na nÓg. A huge crowd attended, and great entertainment was provided on the afternoon with dancing, singing, recitation, music and acting included.

Best of luck to Kayleigh and the Leinster competitors in the All-Ireland in Castlebar on February 16.

Wexford will also host the final of Scór Sinsir Laighean on March 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available from the Opera House shortly. Once again, this promises to be a great day’s entertainment.

The county final of Scór Sinsir takes place in Carrig-on-Bannow on Friday, February 8, at 7.30 p.m.

We look forward to having competitors from G.A.A. clubs across the county.

Further details are available from Áine Kennedy (087-8301738). IT’S DOWN to the serious stuff in the Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cups, with the quarter-finals of both competitions to be played this week.

The action starts on Wednesday with the football games, and Wexford will be well represented.

Darragh Lyons from St. James’ will feature at midfield for Maynooth versus St. Mary’s from Belfast, having already claimed a big scalp by dumping another northern college, Queen’s.

I.T. Carlow made sure of a last eight place with a 0-12 to 0-9 win against University of Limerick last week and, although Niall Hughes from Kilanerin didn’t feature in that game, he is expected to return for their clash with U.C.C.

Nick Doyle (Starlights) did play in that victory for the Barrowsiders and, while his club rugby commitments with Enniscorthy have kept him out of the current Wexford squad, he is nonetheless doing very well in the Sigerson in the centre-forward role.

Martin O’Connor of HWH-Bunclody and Wexford is keeping some exalted company as right corner-back on a strong U.C.D. team, and they dispatched D.I.T. with relative ease last week by 3-14 to 0-6.

It has set up another Dublin derby against D.C.U. this Wednesday, in the game of the round.

The only quarter-final without a Wexford involvement will see University of Ulster Jordanstown take on N.U.I.G., although that’s only because Donal Shanley (St. Fintan’s) is unable to assist the Galway college because he is on placement in Germany.

On Thursday it’s the turn of hurling to take centre stage in the Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-finals.

D.C.U. will meet D.I.T., and the fact that Rory O’Connor came through another half-hour unscathed on Sunday, this time for the Wexford Seniors, will be a big bonus for the Glasnevin outfit who also feature the Foley brothers, Aaron Maddock, Darren Byrne and Damien Reck, with Joe O’Connor still injured.

D.I.T. earned their knockout place with a 4-12 to 1-9 win against a Maynooth side featuring Faythe Harriers clubmates Fiach O Crualaoich and Cormac Byrne on the left flank of their defence.

Mary Immaculate from Limerick, with full-back Alan Walsh of St. James’ among their ranks, will meet C.I.T. after a 1-22 to 0-12 win over Maynooth.

Byrne started at left corner-back for the Kildare college on that occasion, with O Crualaoich and Diarmuid Kehoe (Geraldine O’Hanrahans) both making appearances off the bench.

Incidentally, competition hosts W.I.T. will not be taking part in the weekend themselves after losing to C.I.T. by 0-15 to 0-9, despite the best efforts of Stephen O’Gorman (Taghmon-Camross) who scored a point from right half-forward.

Wexford will be on a winner either way when U.C.C. lock horns with I.T. Carlow, with the Leesiders’ squad featuring Ross Donohoe from Buffers Alley who played in their first two victories before sitting out the 1-19 to 0-15 success against N.U.I.G.

I.T. Carlow accounted for a Garda College side featuring Seán Murphy of Monageer-Boolavogue in goal by 3-15 to 1-6, and their bid for the last four will be powered by corner-back Shane Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien), wing-back Michael Redmond (Rathnure), wing-forward Cathal Dunbar (Naomh Eanna, 2-1), and corner-forward Seamus Casey (Oylegate-Glenbrien, 1-3).

U.C.D. didn’t make the quarter-finals despite the best efforts of corner-back Gary Molloy (Naomh Eanna) and substitutes Charlie McGuckin (Naomh Eanna) and Barry O’Connor (St. Martin’s) in a 3-8 to 0-15 loss to U.L. Corner-back Ger Dempsey (Glynn-Barntown) and his Trinity colleagues also departed after a 3-21 to 0-8 loss to L.I.T.