Double delight for St Patrick’s
IT was a double delight for St Patrick’s GAA Club as they won back-to-back Senior Football Championships for the first time in 58 years.
The Wicklow town side defeated AGB 0-9 to 0-7 in the final held in Aughrim on Sunday afternoon.
A huge crowd awaited the victorious players along the route back to the St Pat’s clubhouse on the Dunbur Road, as the Miley Cup returned home for the second year running.
Club Chairman John Gill said: ‘The players and coaching staff have been immense. To win the club’s first two-in-a-row since 1961 is a remarkable achievement and they are a credit to the club and to the town.’
St Patrick’s Secretary Bryan Doyle said: ‘AGB pushed us all the way but I think our extra experience helped get us over the line. It’s a wonderful achievement.’
The club is also celebrating the news that it has received planning permission for a new clubhouse with four dressing rooms, ancillary rooms and a new playing pitch with lighting.
WICKLOW Town remains in celebratory mode after St Patrick’s GAA Club defeated AGB in the Senior Football Championship as the club won two-in-arow for the first time in 58 years.
At Aughrim St Patrick’s raced into an early 0-5 to 0-1 lead, with points from Tommy Kelly (three frees), early substitute Bryan Doyle, who came in for the injured Paul Earls after just three minutes, and man of the match, centre back Conor Ffrench. However, AGB regained their composure as half-time approached to pull the score back to 0-5 to 0-3 at the break.
AGB keeper Mervyn Travers pulled off a couple of excellent saves in the second half to keep his side in the game as the Arklow side pulled themselves levelat6-6.
The St Patrick’s players kept their nerve to go back into a two-point lead at the end of the third quarter, with a late point from Tommy Kelly securing a 0-9 to 0-7 victory.
‘The players and coaching staff have been immense,’ said St Patrick’s Chairman, John Gill.
‘To win the club’s first two-ina-row since 1961 is a remarkable achievement and they are a credit to the club and to the town.’
A huge crowd awaited the victorious players back at the St Pat’s clubhouse on the Dunbur Road as the Miley Cup returned home for the second-year running.
Members of the squad also paid a visit to a number of local schools with the Miley Cup in tow.
St Patrick’s Secretary Bryan Doyle said: ‘We have come close before to winning two-in-a-row over recent years so it’s great to get over that final hurdle. AGB pushed us all the way but I think our extra experience helped get us over the line. It’s a wonderful achievement.’
St Patrick’s also won the Junior C Football Championship on Saturday after defeating Kilcoole.
Overall, it’s been a great week for the club as Wicklow County Council granted permission for a new clubhouse building consisting of four dressing rooms and ancillary rooms to facilitate the development.
The club also received permission for a new playing pitch circa 137 x 85m including six floodlights, fencing, proposed secondary treatment system to current EPA guidelines and new percolation area, well and all associated site works.
A fundraising development draw starts this Friday in the clubhouse. It costs €50 to enter and also allows for entry into draws due to take place in November and December.
‘We are a growing club so wee need to expand our facilities. At the moment we have 31 teams. The development will be broken down into different elements. We will be looking to source some grant funding and will also be looking for support from the community,’ said Mr Doyle.