Comórtas draws the crowds to Galway

The action wasn’t just on the pitch at Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta in Moycullen over the weekend as more than 5,000 flocked to the Galway village to enjoy the sporting and musical entertainment over a Bank Holiday to remember.

Donegal’s Kilcar proved too strong for Connemara’s Micheal Breathnachs in the final, but there was a home win in the Junior Football Final, as Oileáin Arainn took home the Gael Linn Cup for the second time in the history of the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta which also saw the London side, Moin Dearg reach their first ever final in the competition.

And there was an injection of nostalgia too as members of the Maigh Cuillin team which won the 1971 Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta in Baile Bhuirne were led on to the pitch by daughter of the 1971 Captain Pádraig Clancy, Linda Clancy Connellan, to partisan acclaim.

In total, 38 teams competed in the 2014 Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta, 18 mens teams and 13 ladies teams from across the seven Gaeltacht regions. For the first time in the history of the competition, four local Maigh Cuillin Gaeltacht schools, took to the pitch to showcase their underage skills to much applause.

Members of the Donegal club, Naomh Columba, even helped a local man turn his turf on the way to Maigh Cuilinn!

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.