Castlebar Mitchels represented well at Páidí's Comórtas
CASTLEBAR Mitchels competed in the round robin six-team senior men’s competition, known as the Dermot Earley Cup, as part of the Lidl Comórtas Peile Páidi Ó Sé, the famed adult men’s and ladies club tournament which took place all over the Dingle Peninsula last weekend.
Over 500 visiting and local club players and management from 20 clubs across 14 counties played in a four-competition tournament at junior and senior grade with Kerry sweeping the men’s contests.
The Mayo men faced stiff opposition in the competition and found it difficult to adjust to the difficult weather conditions, which had a very strong Atlantic wind blowing onto all pitches, and they lost to Cork’s Carbery Rangers in the first round by 4-14 to 1-1.
They fared better in the second-round game against St. Kieran’s of Limerick, focusing on working the ball up and close to the opposition’s square and this yielded three goals on route to a one point victory by 4-1 to 2-6.
Unfortunately, Cork’s Carbery Rangers racked up a huge score against St. Kieran’s in their round robin game which meant it was the Cork team that went through to the final on score difference, a final they lost eventually to Kerry side Listry, managed by former Kerry star Marc Ó Sé.
The football festival, which is supported by Lidl Ireland, McKeever Sports, EJ Menswear, Kerry County Council Tourism Unit, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Lee Strand Milk, was founded by Kerry iconic footballer Páidi Ó Sé and has attracted over 17,000 club players over 33 years, growing into a major GAA event with senior, intermediate and junior adult club competitions as well as teams attending social events at Comórtas HQ, Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry, Co. Kerry.
Comórtas chairman Pádraig Óg. Ó Sé said, "We are delighted to continue the tradition of having Mayo clubs at the tournament and we wish Castlbar Mitchels well in the season ahead. They are a credit to Mayo GAA in the way they conducted themselves. They enjoyed themselves by night and had a never say die attitude on the field of play in very tough weather conditions."