Inniscarra and Iveleary win League finals in Muskerry

THE Muskerry GAA Board can feel very satisfied with what they achieved last weekend vis-à-vis getting results in finals. The acquiring of fields at this time of the season is a major problem but once that was surmounted it was all systems go.

Inniscarra and Kilmurry had a very exciting encounter in the Junior (B) Football League final at Cloughduv on Saturday evening where the former secured victory by a four-point margin, thus making it a league and championship double for this very competent group of Inniscarra footballers.

On Sunday the Junior (A) Football League final got a result at Cloughduv where Iveleary entered the fray against Canovee with all the advantages. The championship winners would have been disappointed with their failure the previous week to Kilshannig, but their activity due to their involvement in the county championship effort gave them a huge benefit in the area of fitness, particularly when their opponents were also under-strength.

Iveleary will be happy at making it a league and championship double thanks to a comfortable victory.

The replay of the Muskerry Cup semi-final involving Kilmichael and Clondrohid was played at the former’s venue and it was again closely contested. Kilmichael were victorious by a three-point margin and they will now face Aghinagh in the final.

The big game of the weekend however was the Junior (C) Football Championship final. Gleann na Laoi and Dripsey were the contestants in a repeat of last year’s final.

The clubs tossed for choice of venue and Dripsey won same. Home advantage did not bestow any favours to them however as Gleann na Laoi were victorious, thus holding on to their crown. They will be happy with their end-of-season success.

The victors find the going hard at times, drawing from a small area, but they have still secured some championship victories over the years since their very first, an exciting Junior (B) Hurling Championship victory over Eire Og in 1988. They subsequently won that championship again in 2010 and 2013. They were crowned Junior (B) Football champions in 1994 and their Junior (C) Football title victories in 2018 and 2019 have been a huge boost.

One of their stalwart players, namely Michael Cafferkey, has played in all those victories, always making a worthy contribution, including Sunday last.