Edinburgh side dig deep in final to retain British title

Edinburgh Gaelic football side Dunedin Connollys have won the British Championship for the second successive year after a five-point victory over Birmingham side Sean Mcdermotts at the weekend.

Connollys, who won the trophy last year with an extra time victory over Liverpool side John Mitchels, saw off Bristol outfit St Nick’s and St Colmcilles of St Albans at the quarter-final and semifinal stage of the British competition.

Connollys was founded in 1988 on Leith Walk, at an Irish dancing show. Father Eamonn Sweeney – the priest who had been instrumental in setting up Gaelic clubs in the west of Scotland – and Belfast native Tony Haughey were introduced to each other, and plans for an Edinburgh-based Gaelic football team were formed.

The team is made up almost entirely of Irish ex-pats, with a number of the squad having played at a high level in Ireland.

Sean Mcdermotts reached the final thanks to victories over Oisin of Manchester – who can count Noel Gallagher among their former players – and London side Thomas Mccurtains.

The Warwickshire champions were aiming to halt Connollys’ bid to repeat their success of 2016, and win the Graham Fleming Memorial Cup themselves in their 60th anniversary year.

The Birmingham side, who had 12 homegrown players in their starting line-up, started strongly, taking an early lead and adding a goal in the tenth minute. Connollys rallied and led by 1-10 to 1-05 at half-time, with Sean Malee finding the net on 25 minutes.

Connollys picked up where they left off in the second half and, despite a spirited fightback from Mcdermotts, kept them at bay to win by 1-17 to 1-12, securing the British title for the third time in their 29-year history.

Connollys captain Dan O’brien said after the match: “We knew coming into today that this was going to be a titanic struggle, and that’s exactly what it was.

“From start to finish both teams gave it their all.

“We started way back in March with the goal of retaining this trophy. We won our first [British title] since 2009 last year, and we always knew itwasgoingtobehardtoretain the cup. We’ve been working hard, training hard and today we reaped the rewards of that.”

Next up for Connollys is an All-ireland quarter-final against the Ulster champions.

Naomh Colmcille of Donegal take on Fermanagh’s Belnaleck on 25 November with the winner travelling to Edinburgh in three weeks’ time to face Connollys.