The GAA Open: Ulster 8-11 Rest of Ireland 5-11
GOLFERS, politicians, the Down Rose of Tralee, Marty Morrissey and, of course, a stellar list of Gaelic footballers provided a memorable night’s entertainment in Newcastle last night.
With a shed load of Allstars and All-Ireland medals between them, two excellent sides played out a predictably high-scoring game in front of 2,000 or so fans, which Ulster won thanks to a five-goal blitz in the second half.
Some of the players looked like they could still do a job for their counties, several looked liked they could do a job in nets for their counties and some looked like they hadn’t had their boots on in a while, but they all made the GAA Open a success.
From Paddy Cunningham’s opener to Stevie McDonnell’s final goal, the action never stopped and there was even a Poc Fada competition at half-time involving former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, Down hurler Graeme Clarke and three of the golfers who’ll take part in the Irish Open, which begins at Royal County Down on Thursday.
Meath native Damien McGrane, Germany’s Moritz Lampart and Simon Thornton (England-born and now Newcastle-based) all had a go. For the record, Thornton had eight swings at the sliothar and missed every time, China Open winner McGrane managed a couple of scuffed efforts and Lampart stole the show by connecting first-time twice for two reasonable efforts. He’ll probably stick to the golf though and Cummins – who is probably very handy with a driver - won the competition with a monster effort.
Marty Morrissey, who commentated on the game from the touchline, also had a go and his well struck effort was greeted by one of the biggest cheers of the night.
“I have no comment on that,” said the RTÉ pundit after the game when he was asked about you-know-who after he said you-know-what. But he did say: “I’m delighted to be here.
“I found out what it was all about and it’s fantastic, it’s a real carnival and I’m very proud to be involved.”
Morrissey added a touch of fun to proceedings and there was no shortage of fans getting photographs taken with the Clare man. But when the game was on he was all business.
“Personally, I’d take him off straight away,” he said with a laugh after an early Mattie Forde wide, but Forde made amends when he headed (yes, headed) in the Rest of Ireland’s third goal on the stroke of half-time, which left the Seán Boylan/John O’Mahoney managed side leading 3-7 to 1-7 at the interval.
Dublin’s Mossy Quinn stretched the lead early in the second half, but Stevie McDonnell cancelled it out with a vintage finish.
“He hasn’t lost the magic,” quipped Marty with the uncanny touch of a soothsayer because the Killeavy All-Ireland winner stuck the ball in the net shortly afterwards and, then, the floodgates opened. Benny Coulter, Ambrose Rogers, Benny Coulter again and Paddy Cunningham all scored goals as Ulster roared into the lead.
“Where did it all go wrong?” lamented Marty, but Quinn’s penalty and a Daniel McCartan own goal got the Rest of Ireland back into it.
However, McCartan made up for his error with another goal (this time at the right end) and McDonnell added the finishing touch just before the final whistle to wrap up the win for Ulster.
Good craic for all and the host club Bryansford GAC donated £1000 to the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children to cap it off. Let’s hope for more success for the men from Ulster in the golf over the weekend.
