Liatroim’s young hurlers crowned U-14 champions

10 September 2025

LIATROIM Fontenoys are Down U-14 Hurling Championship winners for the second successive season.

For the second year in a row, they and Clonduff shut out the Ards’ clubs to set up a final in Ballela, and in a repeat of last year’s decider, the Fontenoys went on to collect silverware.

However, while Liatroim led from throughout last season, Clonduff played with the aid of the strong breeze in the first half and ended up with a lead of four points at the break this time out.

The Hilltown side could have had a much more emphatic advantage, but Daniel McGivern’s goal closed the gap significantly going into half-time.

Liatroim’s defence was also to the fore in that first half, as goalkeeper Dáithí Brown and centre players Shea Morgan and Matthew O’Shea soaked up a lot of pressure to deny Clonduff the goals that might have left the Fontenoys with too much to do in the second half.

Clonduff were restricted to scores from distance and in that respect, the striking of Rory Magee, captain Austin Matthews and Jack Magill was exemplary.

Midfielder Magee fired over three early scores, while Matthews and Magill added a point each, before Liatroim got off the mark with a point from Pádraig Bannon in the 14th minute.

Bannon added a goal against the run of play, but Clonduff responded superbly with two frees from Magee, another point from Matthews and three in a row from Magill, who was causing the Liatroim defence a lot of problems.

A couple of minutes before the break, McGivern gave his team a major boost with a goal, dragging them to within four points at the change of ends.

Liatroim pressed on after the restart and within eight minutes, the teams were level, following two points from Pauric McAleenan and three from Paudie Owens, while midfielder Sammy Sheffield responded for Clonduff.

The strength of the breeze began to pose problems for the Hilltown boys, and the next score tilted the scales very much in favour of the champions retaining their title. Míceál Owens’ through ball sent Bannon in for his second goal.

Paudie Owens followed up with two frees, one from close to the side-line, and suddenly, a gap had opened that Clonduff never looked like closing.

Rossa McAleenan and Dáithí McConville made an impact off the bench for their respective teams mid-way through the second half, quickly registering scores apiece, before Liatroim finished strongly with two more points from Paudie Owens and a long-range strike from Dáithí O’Hare.

The nine-points victory was a bit harsh on Clonduff, given their contribution earlier in the game and the work their defence got through over the second half.

However, it completes a great year for the Liatroim side, in that they collected their first ever treble, winning the Féile na nGael, league and championship trophies.

The majority of the team also helped their school, St Malachy’s, Castlewellan, win the Danske Bank Reihill Cup for the first time back in May.

Liatroim: D Brown, E Gallagher, S Morgan, P Morgan, R Burns, M O’Shea, A McVeigh, M Owens, D O’Hare, P McAleenan, D McGivern, J O’Hare, A Toman, P Owens, P Bannon. Subs: C Shields, R McAleenan, P O’Higgins, Daniel Morgan, C Malone, R Quinn, L Grant, P Feeney, Dylan Morgan, L Burns, M Poland.

Clonduff: R Gallagher, S Quinn, O McConville, N Ó Ceannúbháin, M McCoy, R Green, S Barber, R Magee, S Sheffield, D O’Hare, J Magill, J Matthews, T Osgood, A Matthews, C Carville. Subs: D McConville, R Fearon, C Bye.

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