IT’S been an amazing weekend for the John Mitchels GAA Club with their Under 14 side bringing home their first ever All-Ireland title from the Féile competition in Galway.
The Under 14 side won five games on the way to the final where they were victorious against Kilkenny side, Dicksboro (for a comprehensive report on the weekend click here).
“We’re still on a high,” said team trainer, Diarmuid Cunnane, speaking to TraleeToday.ie on Tuesday.
“It was just an unreal experience when we came home on Sunday night. There was a Garda escort from the Ballygarry House Hotel to the club grounds where there was a few hundred people waiting. They cheered all the lads getting off the bus and they deserved every bit of praise. It just shows that hard work pays off,” he said.
“I was especially delighted for Dave Leahy, who has been with this group of players since they were Under 10. He saw they had the potential to be a Féile team. Seanie Burrows, who would have played in the 1960s and John Higgins who has an All-Ireland with Kerry, as well as Paul Barden were also part of the team,” said Diarmuid.
Club Chairperson Bríd McElligott was delighted with the victory.
“We are all absolutely thrilled. We have had many players in the club who have won All-Irelands but this is the first time an All-Ireland title has been brought to the club. We were very proud to be the only Kerry team to win a title at the weekend,” she said.
The club paid special tribute to the St Gabriel’s club from Galway who hosted the boys for the weekend and provided them with a home away from home.
The Under 14 John Mitchels team, trainers and mentors who won the All-Ireland Féile competition on Sunday. Photo by Claire Connolly
Congrats John Mitchels! Well done also to the Austin Stacks U14 Feile team, who reached the quarter final of Division 1 competition. Football is alive and well in The Kingdom.
What a fantastic title Magnificent Mitchels return with All Ireland Feile title I am a very proud mom of one of these amazing boys every single one of those boys can be proud of themselves they played football the way it is meant to be played with heart and it DOSEN’T matter what division they were in they played and won like the champions they are representing their Club their Town and their County, Green and Gold shone in Ballyhaunis !! Great thanks has to be given to our Mentors & Club officers a great bunch of men & women. Up The Mitchels xxxx
Well done to an outstanding under 14 team from John Mitchels. It was our honour as hosts from St Gabriels Gaa club Kilconnell Ballinasloe Co Galway. We had the pleasure of keeping Michael Kelleher and Darrion Hurley . They were a pleasure to have in our homes . We had a very enjoyable weekend up here in Galway and we would do it all over again if we could. The management parents and boys all involved in the feile were a credit to there club and we as a club are looking forward to going down to Tralee to play ye in y”ere club . Well done again and always remember ye are welcome to come back to St Gabriels anytime the door will always be open . UP JOHN MITCELS