NEWS IN BRIEF

MINOR MISERY: Poor starts to both halves deprived the Wexford Minor footballers of a shock win in the glorious sunshine in Parnell Park on May 14, 2005, when they lost the Leinster championship quarter-final to Dublin by 1-15 to 3-6.

The opposition contained a number of players who would go on to become household names.

Paddy Andrews and Diarmuid Connolly were in the half-forward line, with Philly McMahon featuring in the unusual role of number 15.

Ross O’Carroll was at midfield, with Tomás Brady at full-forward, while team captain Johnny McCaffrey was one of several future Senior inter-county hurlers to feature along with substitutes Joey Boland and Shane Durkin.

Among the interesting names in the Wexford ranks were Garry Doran, co-host of The Hurling Podcast that we featured a few weeks ago, and Brian Moore, nowadays the county’s foremost MMA fighter.

Wexford: Patrick Kavanagh; Tomás Hayden, Conor Murphy, Art Murphy; Peter Hughes, Clive Lawler, Paddy Whiteley; P.J. Nolan, David Farrell; Ben Brosnan (1-2, 0-2 frees), Shane Cadogan (1-0), Thomas Barron (capt., 0-1); Shane Roche (1-3, 1-0 pen., 0-2 frees), Garry Doran, David Reck. Subs. - Barry Hearn for Reck, Kevin Dunne for Hayden, Colm Kennelly for Lawler, Brian Moore for Doran, Ian Walsh for Barron (temp.).

LORETO TREBLE: Loreto (Wexford) clinched their third Leinster camogie championship title of an amazing year when they beat Heywood College from Ballinakill in Laois by 3-7 to 2-4 in the Senior ‘C’ decider held in Palmerstown, Kilkenny - home of the Dicksboro club.

Ceara O’Brien of St. Ibar’s/ Shelmalier captained the team from centre-back, and the attack included a pair who would go on to win four Senior All-Irelands apiece with Wexford: right half-forward Katrina Parrock (0-2) and full-forward Mags D’Arcy (1-4), better known as a goalkeeper of course in the years to follow.

FALLON ON A WINNER: The highlight of the first evening race meeting of the season at Bettyville was the winning visit of leading jockey Kieren Fallon.

He booted home the three-yearold Streets of Gold in the one-mile five-furlong maiden.

MAKING A SPLASH: Wexford swimming was given a huge boost with the news that two of the county’s brightest young talents - Jack Nunn and Shenagh O’Byrne - were expected to be named on the eight-strong Irish team to compete in the European Youth Olympics in Lignano, Italy.

BASKET CASES: The Top Four Cup final of the Burgermac ladies’ basketball league in St. Peter’s College saw Kilmore account for close rivals Stealers (Enniscorthy) by 64 points to 28.

Kilmore: Sinéad Furlong (8), Louise Fanning (5), Nora Doyle (17), Jenny Roche (10), Peggy Rice (4), Niamh Callery (2), Glenda Scallan (8), Fionnuala Callery (10).

Stealers: Gillian Harpur, Helen McCormack (9), Ellen Cullinane, Jen Corish, Valerie Cashman (6), Deirdre Roche (8), Deirdre Colfer (3), Edel Kehoe (2).

FOURTH AROUND LAKES: Eamonn Boland took an impressive fourth overall at the international rally of the lakes in Killarney, just pipping the Ford Focus of Austin McHale.