SETANTA 1-16 ÉIRE ÓG CARRICKMORE 2-11
Gerry Gilmore fired 11 points for Setanta this afternoon at Owenbeg, as the Setanta club edged out their Red Hand county opposition in a thoroughly enjoyable tie.
Making history was far from the minds of the Setanta players as they tackled not alone the forces of Éire Óg but the fog that hung low over Owenbeg. A totally dedicated group of young men put everything on the line to achieve something extraordinary. For that they go down in Ulster and Donegal GAA history for becoming the first Donegal Hurling team to take home an Ulster Intermediate Hurling title.
The action was incredibly tight and tense for the first 20 minutes, but Gilmore’s free-taking accuracy really came to the fore before the interval, when he hit six points in a row to make it 0-11 to 0-5 at the break. A red card for Carrickmore midfielder Rúairí Slane further hinted at a one-sided final, but the Carrickmore men drew level from a penalty while Aidan Kelly came off the bench to score 1-5. His goal came too late however as it was in reply to Seán Ward’s strike in the 58th minute, which gave Setanta enough cushion to hold on to become the pride of Donegal!
Well done to all involved with the team and club. You have dedicated all your efforts to the promotion of hurling. This is a very proud day that you can relish and celebrate.
