Fenagh Crest

1974 Intermediate Championship Winners

As junior 1973 champions Fenagh were promoted to Intermediate ranks for 1974, joining Annaduff, Aughavas, Carrick and Cloone. League performances were anything but satisfactory, gaining only three points out of a possible eight - a win over Carrick and a draw with Cloone. Contributing factors were complacency and absences of key players through injury and examination pressures.

By championship time, things were back to normal, training was serious and the team was re-assembled. A 6-10 to 1-1 win over Melvin Gaels in the first round gave little indication of the team's worth.
The team had then to wait three months for the next round, which was the final, having got a bye in the semi-final. Fortunately, the bulk of the team were kept in shape by the continued success of the Carrick-Fenagh senior amalgamation, Sheemore Gaels, which by this time had won the senior championship.

Final opponents were Cloone and having only gained one point out of a possible four, from them in the league, nothing was taken for granted. Inevitably, Cloone entered the final as favourites.
Although realising that a win in the final would break up the successful Sheemore Gaels amalgamation, seldom did a Fenagh team take the field in a more determined mood. The resulting game was a thriller.
Fenagh opened at a blistering pace and led 2-06 to 1-02 at half-time, the goals coming from a Michael Tighe penalty and Jim O'Neill. The second half was a cracker. Cloone recovered their poise, levelled with fourteen minutes remaining and then went ahead. Play swung from end to end, level again, Fenagh into the lead and holding out grimly. In the dying seconds Cloone's Jim Beirne broke through and only a brilliant Richard Ellis save denied him, and so Fenagh were Intermediate champions on a 2-10 to 2-08 scoreline - another first for the club.

Team: Richard Ellis, Dermot Monaghan, Liam Kelly, Gus Guckian, Frankie Monaghan, Sean Leyden, Paddy Gaffney, Seamus Tighe, Peter Farrell (Capt.), Padraig Leyden, Michael Tighe, Thomas Murray, Jim O'Neill, MI. J. McKiernan, Hugh Murray. Sub: Niall Murphy for Thomas Murray.

Taken from 'Fenagh - The GAA Story' by Padraig Leyden.


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