12/05/2025: Last night’s match was one for the ages —but not one for the faint-hearted—as Kildysart/Coolmeen clinched the Feile U15 Division "A" title in dramatic fashion, overcoming Éire Óg 4-11 to 1-17 after an epic battle that stretched into four periods of extra time. Both sides delivered a spectacular display of football, entertaining the large crowd at Cusack Park with incredible skill and determination. The teams were inseparable for much of the game, exchanging scores in a tense, high-paced contest. The deadlock was finally broken by Fionn Connelly’s goal which proved to be the winning score to clinch the Division A Feile title.
Éire Óg opened the scoring, but quick points from Jamie Eyres and Aaron Connelly saw Kildysart/Coolmeen take the lead by the third minute. However, a powerful Éire Óg response—1-3 without reply over the next six minutes—swung momentum in favour of the town side, who led 1-4 to 0-2.
Kildysart/Coolmeen soon found their rhythm, with Dean Kelly calmly finishing past the keeper to ignite their comeback. Moments later, Aaron Connelly raised a second green flag to edge Kildysart/Coolmeen back in front, 2-2 to 1-4. Jamie Eyres followed up with a fine point after reacting quickest to a rebound off the upright. Cian O’Sullivan added to the tally, and Fionn Connelly came within a whisper of a goal—his powerful strike sailing just over the bar, hinting at what was to come later. Éire Óg clawed back two points from frees to reduce the gap to two at the first break, Kildysart/Coolmeen leading 2-5 to 1-6.
Dean Kelly opened the second half in style with his second goal of the game, followed by a point to stretch Kildysart/Coolmeen’s lead to five with 15 minutes left. But Éire Óg’s Steven O’Neill stepped up with two stunning 2-point frees, swinging the momentum yet again. Three more converted frees saw Éire Óg surge ahead, 1-14 to 3-6, with just five minutes to go.
Kildysart/Coolmeen kept their composure, and a crucial free from Robbie Kelly in the 23rd minute cut the deficit to one. Winning the ensuing kick-out, they earned another free after sustained pressure. With the last kick of normal time, Kelly struck again to level the match, 3-8 to 1-14.
As per Feile rules, the match moved into extra time—two halves of five minutes each. In such short bursts, scores are hard-won, and pressure is immense. William Neenan notched the only point of the first period, and Dean Kelly doubled the lead with a composed effort near the end of the second. But Éire Óg weren’t done yet—awarded a free on the arc, O’Neill delivered once more with a strike worthy of any Munster Final. The sides were level again: Kildysart/Coolmeen 3-10, Éire Óg 1-16.
Still no winner, so a second set of extra time was played. If the deadlock remained, sudden death loomed—15 v 15, first score wins.
In the third period, William Neenan pointed for Kildysart/Coolmeen, only for Éire Óg to cancel it out with another free, bringing the score to 3-11 to 1-17 at the break. Then, two minutes into the fourth period, Fionn Connelly weaved through the Éire Óg defence and coolly slotted to the net—his long-awaited goal giving Kildysart/Coolmeen a three-point cushion.
It proved to be the winner in a match that truly had it all—drama, momentum swings, and extraordinary heart from both sides. While it’s a cliché to say both teams deserved victory, the narrowest of margins after over 70 minutes and six periods of football speaks volumes about how evenly matched they were.
Kildysart/Coolmeen now progress to the Feile regional finals in the coming weeks.
Kildysart/Coolmeen: Cuan Meaney, Joe Doohan, Andrew Watson, Matthew Kelly, Sean Pender, Fionn Connelly (1-1), Diarmuid Garry, Robbie Kelly-captain (0-2, 2f), Cian O’Sullivan (0-1), Alex Garry (0-1), William Neenan (0-2), Jamie Eyres-vice captain (0-2), Dean Kelly (2-2), Aaron Connelly (1-0), Daniel Garry. Subs: Conor Neenan for Daniel Garry, SJ Casey for Pender, Aidan McNamara for M. Kelly, Nicky Connelly for Doohan. Panel: Thomas Kelly, Aidan Michaels, Liam Cook, Luke Doyle. Management: Ger Kelly, Noel Garry, Emmet McMahon, Noel Meaney.
