Monday 30th August

Seniors Through to Championship Final
Cuchulainns took on 2009 County Champions Middletown in the semi-final of the Championship in Keady on Sunday 29 August.
This match was never going to be free a flowing game but turned out to be a defensive battle from two teams who know each other so well. It was a low scoring first half with both sides’ defences getting the better of their forwards but also were guilty of giving away numerous fouls. All six backs stuck to their task with determination, including minor N Duffy, and with limited supply to the forward line P McKernan (0.1), G Reid and C Kane made their presence felt among several mid field mêlées to generate limited supply to the full forward line. The first half ended with only three scores from play on a score line of CHC 0.5 Middletown 0.7. The bulk of the Cuchulainn scores came from 4 frees from D. Coulter.

The second half should have been more favourable to the city side as the wind and slight slope was to their favour but chances we few. However, it was more of the same as both defences dominated with rare opportunity for the full forward line to show its real potential. As per the first half, fouls often lead to scorable chances and it was a high ball flicked to goal by G Reid that made the difference on the day. The youngster’s ability to catch and hold until support arrived proved vital in the latter part of the game along with veteran P McKernan’s physical presence, give an outstanding performance at centre three quarters against seasoned inter county opposition.
In the end there were only 2 points in the result; 1.09 Cuchulainns, 0.10 Middletown, and the city side now meet Ceide Lamh Dearg in the County Senior Hurling Final.
Cuchulainn Team: P Heaney, S Fields, C Clifford, N Duffy, E Gribben, G Barton, C Toner, D Coulter (0.8 6 frees), S Gribben, C Kane, P MCkernan (0.1), C Reid (1.0), C Coulter, C Coulter, T Duffy. M Gillespise came on in the second half for S Gribben.

U16s Comfortably Through to Semi Final
A near full squad travelled down to Camlough on Friday evening to play their first competitive match in over 4 weeks. The lack of match practice showed in the 1st half with the lads unable to make scores and allowing Camlough to take the lead through by giving away silly fouls. However after 15 minutes Cuchulainns starting taking command and starting putting the ball over the bar and in the net on several occassions.
By half-time the contest was over and this allowed the management to throw on all subs in the 2nd half (after agreement with Camlough). Every player worked hard and by the final whistle only 5 of the starting line-up remained with only a total of 6 points conceded and 40 scored.
A good display by the lads but a much tougher test to come in the form of Derrynoose next Saturday 4th September (time and venue TBC).

Seniors Win Grange Tournament
Saturday 14th August saw Cuchulainns run out easy winners of the inaugural Battle of Yellow Ford Cup played at the Grange. Played on a beautiful summers evening Cuchulainns outplayed Dungannon and at the end of the game Frank Mallon presented the MOTM award to Ryan Sands. A useful runout and look forward to defending the trophy next year.




Friday 13th August

Update on Senior Notes:
Our seniors were due to play a league fixture against Middletown, but the game was conceded beforehand and a game against Lurgan Sean Treacys which was re-fixed for Thursday night again never took place so it’s been a quiet week for the Senior lads.

Youth Notes - Under 14:
The boys fresh from their summer break have restarted training and are looking forward to the second stage of the Armagh League. The lads have worked hard and were due to play Portadown last Monday but the game never went ahead. Monday past saw them play Sean Treacys of Lurgan in round 2 of the league and managed to pick up two points. Training continues as normal.

Youth Notes - Under 12:
The Annual Stephen O Keeffe Tournament will be hosted this year by Roanmore of Waterford. The boys will be travelling down on Friday 20th August and will play matches against the hosts and Clarecastle of County Clare. There is also a skills tournament to be contested between two players from each club. In preparation for this weekend the boys have been working hard in training and even managed to get a coaching session with Paudie Butler.



The boys will play in the Annual Cuchulainns Under 11 & 12 blitz this Saturday in the College Fields with teams coming from Tyrone, Derry and Antrim the day should prove to be worthwhile for all the players. Any support is always welcome and the matches start at 10am.

Youth Notes - Primary 1-5:
Coaching sessions continue for this age group on Thursday evenings on Sherry’s Field grass pitch from 5.45-7pm. Players are asked to be ready to play at 6pm for a quick start.

Cuchulainns Cúl Camp:
The week long summer camp will be held in Armagh this summer from 16th to 20th August.
Forms are available from team mentors and should be returned early to ensure a spot is not missed as the camp has proved previously to be very popular.


Tuesday 4th August

Update on Senior Notes:
After the holiday period the Cuchulainns restarted their league campaign with an away game to Dungannon. With a few minutes to go Cuchulainns held the lead but a penalty awarded late in the game saw Dungannon go on to win the match.
Their second fixture was away to Tyrone again, this time to face Carrickmore, a team not usually beat at home. The lads worked hard and fought hard in the second half and managed to come away with two points.
Their most recent fixture was against Lisbellaw of Fermanagh, a game played in great conditions in Pearse Og Park. The game started with Cuchulainns taking the lead and that was to be the way of it for the rest of the game as Lisbellaw never looked like making a comeback.

Youth Notes - Under 18:
For the first time in a number of years a Minor league was organised in the County. The lads have played games against Middletown, Derrynoose and on Sunday away to Craobh Rua and managed to notch off 3 wins. They now face Keady in the league final date TBC.
The minor management and the club wish to thank the lads for the commitment as most games took place over the holiday period sometimes at short notice, the local clubs for making available their facilities again at short notice and also the County Board personel on their forward thinking and approach in organising these fixtures.

Youth Notes - Under 16:
During the holiday period the lads played in and Ulster 9aside Blitz. The opening fixtures were played in Pearse Og Park against Dungannon, Carrickmore and St Johns. The team qualified for the final stages where they played in Oakland Park in Belfast against Portaferry, Dungannon and Banagher and were narrowly beat by St Johns in the final.
They also played against Derrynoose in a refixed league game and unluckily were beat.

Youth Notes - Under 14:
The boys fresh from their summer break have restarted training and are looking forward to the second stage of the Armagh League. The lads have worked hard and have played Carrickmore in a recent challenge in match arranged at U15 level to maximise player levels. The boys fought hard and managed to steal the game towards the end. Training continues as normal.

Youth Notes - Under 12:
The U12 squad have had a busy time of recent and have played in a blitz organised by Naomh Colm Cille of Tyrone where they also played Dungannon and Carrickmore.
Since the summer break the team also took part in an away blitz in Dungiven last weekend where the boys played Kevin Lynchs from Dungiven, Dunloy from Antrim and Buncranna of Donegal. The boys enjoyed a hard days hurling and got a chance to demonstrate their abilities over 15 aside competition. This recent blitz will be followed by some challenge matches and our own home tournament on 14th August. As you can see the boys have a busy schedule before their trip to Roanmore in Waterford for the Annual Stephen O Keeffe tournament, more details about The O Keeffe weekend will be available next week.

Youth Notes - Primary 1-5:
Coaching sessions continue for this age group on Thursday evenings on Sherry’s Field grass pitch from 5.45-7pm. Players are asked to be ready to play at 6pm for a quick start.

Youth Notes - Cuchulainns Cúl Camp:
The week long summer camp will be held in Armagh this summer from 16th to 20th August.
Forms are available from team mentors and should be returned early to ensure a spot is not missed as the camp has proved previously to be very popular.


Friday 25th June

Seniors Retain Paddy McCormack Cup
Cuchulainns regained the Paddy McCormack Cup on Tuesday night with a 13 point victory over a gutsy Derrynoose side in Portadown last Tuesday.
Scores were level at half time thanks to a well taken goal from Tony Duffy. Second half opened with some well taken points from Conor Coulter and Liam Moen and another goal from Tony Duffy put clear light between the teams. Another point from Eoghan Gribbin (yes again) capped a fine all round display from the Legarhill stalwart and Cuchulainns coasted to victory 2-18 to 2-5.
Well done to everyone on retaining the trophy but now the hard work begins for the Championship!!

End of June Round Up
Under 8-10 coaching is taking a break but will be back on Thursday 22 July.
Official Hurling Cul Camp will take place between 16 - 20 August - to book call Ronan on 07918719792
Winner of the recent Club Draw was G McLoughlin.
Club wishes to thank all sponors and players who participated in the recent Golf Classic fund raising event.

Update on Senior Notes:
The senior team competed in the Mc Cormack Cup Semi Final against Middletown in Derrynoose pitch and came off winners 2.14 to 1.14. This leaves a final fixture against Derrynoose who beat Keady in the second semi final. A challenge against St Johns of Belfast was played later in the week but due to work commitments and injuries a weakened side played, coming away second best by 11 points. The second part of the league continues in the coming weeks.

Youth Notes U16:-
A panel of 16 players travelled to Randalstown Hurling Club last Saturday to compete in a 16 aside blitz with the host club and Derry teams; Kevin Lynchs Dungiven and Lavey. The day started with a match against a fancied Dungiven side and after a warm journey on the way up the Armagh lads took a while to get going. By the end of the game the players had put some great scores together and kept the opposition scores low as possible, Final score CHC 1.3 Dungiven 5.6
The second match was against Lavey, and the boys started well in this game despite playing against the breeze, in the second half the lads pulled away and ran out winners by 12 points.
In the last group game they played the host club and the winners of the game would secure a place in the cup final against Kevin Lynchs. The boys started well and picked a few early goals and points off. The result finished with the Armagh boys well ahead.
The final was played after a break for a barbeque lunch provided by the hosts. The final was against Kevin Lynchs and the boys were determined to show themselves after their group match against the same opposition. They started with more intensity and took an early lead. This was the way of it for the first half with the score 1.1 to 0.3 to the Armagh lads. The second half started with a quick score from dungiven and te boys replied with scores themselves but in the end were unlucky to be beaten by a point.
The Player of the Tournament award went to Cuchulainns’ Philip Duffy, who was presented with a stick and ball.
The club would like to thank the host club Randalstown for a fantastic days hurling for all the boys and providing lunch at their excellent facilities.
The team continued their league hosting Killeavy last Sunday evening for a league and managed to pick up the two points for the league tally. The league continues this Sunday.

Youth Notes Primary 1-5:-
Last Sunday saw a blitz for our under 10 and 8 teams in Keady, where all the boys played in the great weather that was on offer for all the parents who went out to help with the teams.
There was a great turn out by all clubs and the boys and girl played their hearts out, even against much bigger opposition, with some great displays from Leon Toner and James Hughes.
Thanks to Keady for hosting this event and to the young whistlers on the day.

County Minor Panel:-
Good luck to our County Minor team as the take on Antrim in the Ulster Minor Final in particular our own club representatives on Sunday.

Cuchulainn Hurling Club Golf Classic

On Friday last, the city hurling club hosted a fund raising Golf Classic at the superbly conditioned County Armagh Golf course. The weather was kind and over twenty teams supported the event. The results were as follows:
Team 1 - B Lynch, G Doyle, P Kelly, M McGurk, Team 2 - IBOA, Team 3 - CHC Senior players. 1st Individual - C Devlin, Society Member - G Doyle.



Pictured are some of the prize winners who were successful at Cuchulainn Hurling Club’s Golf Classic last week at County Armagh Club; (from the top left) C Toner, E Gilmore, N Harvey, B Lynch, L Ross, C Devlin, G Doyle, and Club Chairman Jimmy Kelly.

The Clubs wishes to express its gratitude to all the players and sponsors who have given so generously and to the Captain and staff of Counth Armagh Golf for their continued partnership in helping to run this event so successfully.

Update on Senior Notes:
The seniors have had a quiet time of it recently with their Mc Cormack Cup fixture against Killeavy called off minutes before the game was due to start. The team continue their season with a Mc Cormack Cup semi-final with Middletown and a challenge against St Johns of Belfast. The second part of the league continues in the coming weeks.

Youth Notes U16:-
The team travelled to Derrynoose last Sunday evening for a league but met no opposition. The league continues this Sunday. Training as usual

Youth Notes U14:-
Under – 14s continued their league against Keady on Monday night with both teams under strength, but the lads put in a great evenings hurling and managed to put together some great play. They recently played a friendly against Carrickmore with a few Under 15 players on both sides to make up a full panel and the lads had a very good run-out against a more physical tyrone side. Their last league game takes place in lurgan on Monday night

Youth Notes U12:-
Fresh from two challenge matches against Carrickmore and Ballinascreen in which the Under 12 team played extremely well in. In the first game against Carrickmore, a team played at the start of the year some great scores were taken by Shea Donnelly and Sean Clifford. Final score 7.8 to 1.1 to the Armagh boys. In the second challenge the boys travelled to Ballinascreen and put in a great evenings hurling. The boys only lost out by 2 points but against a more physical opposition the young lads held themselves very well.
The Under 12 season continues with the last of the Under 12 9aside blitzes, with the team hosting Middletown and Killeavy. On a recent Monday nights training the boys were trained by Paudie Butler who put the lads through a great session, offering advice to the players and coaches alike.
Preparations are underway for the Annual Stephen O Keeffe Tournament, which this year is hosted in the Ruan Mor Club from Waterford and as part of the fundraising for this trip the boys took part in the World Record Attempt held by Derrynoose GAC. Many thanks to all who sponsored the young boys.

Youth Notes Primary 1-5:-
Coaching sessions continue for this age group on Thursday evenings on Sherry’s Field grass pitch from 5.45-7pm. Players are asked to be ready to play at 6pm for a quick start.
Last Sunday saw a blitz for our under 10 and 8 teams in Derrynoose where we had 2 Under 8 and 2 Under 10 teams playing in the great weather that was on offer for all the parents who went out to help with the teams.
There was a great turn out by all clubs and the boys and girl played their hearts out, even against much bigger opposition, with some great displays from Colin Sheehan in the U10 section and Lorcan Bradshaw in the U8 section.
Many thanks must go to Derrynoose on their hosting of this event and to the young whistlers of Derrynoose for the great tournament with all the cuchulainn kids already looking forward to their next outing in Club Colours.

County Minor Panel:-
Congratulations to our representatives on making it to the Ulster Final against Antrim after defeating Down in Casement Park at the end of April.


Thursday 20th May

Golf Society
The Golf Society held one its most successful outings on Sunday last with 32 golfers turning out to play in the Donal Powell Perpetual Trophy. On a blustery day low scoring was not to be expected but Conal Hamill had an outstanding gross of 72 (nett 65) to retain for a third time the Perpetual Trophy. He was aided along the way with a magnificent hole-in-one at the third hole (the first ace on the new green). Needless to say he shot the bar in the clubhouse afterwards and he was also presented with a bottle of brandy from the Society. Jimmy Kelly, Club Chairman, asked all members to also remember another dear departed friend, Brendy Arthurs, who had died suddenly earlier in the year. Scores from the day: 1st C Hamill 65, 2nd M Cullen 66, 3rd T Fegan 69 (back 9), 4th H Lyttle 69, longest drive P Doyle, Nearest the pin J Kelly.



La Na Club ‘Fergus Moen Perpetual Trophy’
Sunday 9th May was celebrated as La Na Club within the GAA with the focus being on the club in particular the younger players. The day started with a range of activities from skills competition to small sided games for the Under 10 and 8 players. A great afternoons hurling was enjoyed by all the players and parents. Up next was the senior side of the club where the Fergus Moen Trophy was up for grabs. The teams were picked with players varying in age from minor to not so minor. The game finished with Jimmy Kelly’s Yellow Team beating Ciaran Breen’s Black Team by 2 points with some fine displays from Martin Gillespie, Noel Murtagh and Tony Duffy. After the game refreshments were provided and the winning team where presented with trophies from Mary Moen and Jimmy Kelly and the Player of The Match, Seamus Hutchinson, received the Fergus Moen Trophy.

U12 Players Tournament

Team 1 - The Lads
Andrew Dynes, Sean Dougan, Eoin Kearney, James McCann, Ciaran Conway, Ronan Quinn, Oisin Moen

Team 2 - New York
Jordan Murtagh, Oisin Hughes, Eoin Walsh, Padraic Foy, Lorcan Curran, Eoin McCreesh, Leon Toner

Team 3 - Fyffes
Sean Clifford, Ben Devlin, Eoin Killen, Shane Morgan, Dylan Ross, Senan Prunty, Oisin Campbell

Team 4 - The Bulldogs
Conal Campbell, Ryan Rafferty, Ruairi Duffy, Colin Sheehan, Conor Dougan, Jason Donnelly, Martin Rafferty

Team 5
Eoghan Heaney, Ryan McCreesh, Georgie McCool, Kevin McCann, Patrick McAleavey, Shea McKernan, Conor Hughes

Team 6
Shea Donnelly, Patrick Quigley, James Hughes, Mark Cartmill, Ciaran Donnelly, Oisin Mc Anallen, Conan Mallon, Sean Reilly

It is important that all players attend on the night of their matches but more importantly to attend the trainings on the nights that their team isn’t playing. The first fixtures have already taken place on Monday evenings and the players were allowed to choose a team name for the league. The first game ended ‘The Lads’ 10-3 ‘New York’ 4-7. The second game saw Fyffes take on The Bulldogs with the banana-men winners on a score-line of 8-7 to 7-8.

Update on Senior Notes
In the Armagh League the Cuchulainns were scheduled to play Carrickmore who forgot to travel. Their next fixture was played Sean Treacys away and as anticipated they had a hard time of it against a determined side promoted from Div 2 last year but managed to add another two points to their league table running out winners by 10points. The next game was away to Middletown in a game where both teams were under strength but it was the home side who secured the points on the night although the Cuchulainns lads played very well.

Youth Notes
Under 16:
The Under 16 league account was opened with a home fixture to Craohb Rua Camlough in superb conditions in Pearse Og Park and ran out comfortable winners with all players getting a run out and some fine scores were taken by Philly Duffy and Caolan Gorman. Their second match was postponed due to preparations for St Patricks Armagh Kirk Cup Panel. Training continues as normal

Under 14:
Under - 14 squad recently competed in the Under 14 Ulster Feile held in Kevin Lynchs, Dungiven. The boys, who travelled light in numbers, were grouped with Oisins Glenariffe, Liatroim Fontenoys ,Dungannon, hosts Kevin Lynchs and Burt. The team started against the Liatroim boys and although the skill level of the Cuchulainns boys was good,Laitroims slick passing and ability to finish attacks resulted in a loss for the Armagh boys. Their next match was against Oisins and although the boys fought extremely hard to win their ball it was a lucky break for Oisins minutes before the end with a score which won them the match by two points. Up next was Kevin Lynchs, the hosts, and feeling the effects to two earlier matches the boys let Dungiven in for some early scores and from there it was uphill for the lads who fought back in the second half and outscored the Derry men but hadn’t scored enough to secure the win. After a bit of lunch and rest of the legs the boys played Burt in Drumsurn’s pitch and fresh from the break put on the display of the day. Some fine scores including a penalty helped the boys to a twelve point win. They continued their league campaign with a home game to Killeavy and as expected the game was close and hard fought with great scores taken by the forwards and midfielders with the game finishing with a point in it to the Armagh boys but the referees score read it Killeavy by 3 points? Training continues as normal

Under 12:
The U12s also hosted the first of nine County blitzes and were supposed to host Keady and St Malachys but on Keady made it on the night. This allowed both teams to enter three 9aside teams managed by Noel Murtagh, Gary Hughes and Gregory Mc Kernan. A great evenings hurling was on display in Sherrys field with Garys team performing very well but the younger lads in Gregs’ teams pushed the older lads hard in all games. The team travelled to Killeavy along with Derrynoose for the second blitz. The lads enjoyed the nights hurling but with the other two teams resting players for the Feile Final the following night. This blitz was followed by another away round in Portadown and as expected the lads ran out winners in all matches. To keep the skill levels up and the game brain thinking the Cuchulainns organised a friendly against Kevin Lynchs of Dungiven and in the great weekend weather the boys showed their skills in style with some great attacking pieces and improving tackling skills.

Primary 1-5:
Coaching sessions continue for this age group on Thursday evenings on Sherry’s Field grass pitch from 5.45-7pm. Players are asked to be ready to play at 6pm for a quick start.

Other club news
*The annual Golf Classic has been arranged for Friday 18th June in Armagh Golf Club. Tee times are from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Teams of four for £120. Anybody interested in participating or sponsoring a hole contact secretary George Bradshaw as places are filling fast.

* Vodafone Club Deal – A new initiative has been set up by Vodafone in which a percentage of your monthly bill will be donated to the club at no expense to the user. Details can be found on www.supportyourgaaclub.ie.

* Congratulations to Cuchulainns Underage players who played at Half Time during the Armagh Derry Ulster preliminary round.

* Kirk Cup 2010 – Congratulations to our club players who played in the Kirk cup final held in Armagh recently between in particular St Patricks Keadys Michael Mc Cullagh.

* Congratulations to Craobh Rua, Camlough on winning the Armagh Feile Final and who now go on to represent Armagh in Clare later this year.


Friday 23rd April

Quick Club Updates
Card Night – the last Card of the Season took place at the end of March and the Club would like to thank all the players who have supported this monthly event.

Coaching – Seven members have recently undertaken the Level 1 Coaching Award training course over two weekends and once they have completed their training log book to the coaching assessor’s satisfaction, the Club will shortly have G McCKernan, C Poland, P O’Connor, N Clifford, N Murtagh, J Sheehan and G Bradshaw as Level 1 Coaches for the juvenile section of our Club.

Date for your Diary – Monday 26 April at 8.30pm for all interested in the future of our Club. Venue will be confirmed shortly

Golf Classic on Friday 18 June - tee booked from 1.30pm - 4.30pm. Entry for teams is £120 per team. Holes can be sponsored at £50 per hole. Anyone interested in entering a team, please contact George on 07776140794 or email gm.bradshaw@btinternet.com

La na gClub day will be held on Sunday 9 May at the Cathedral Road Sports complex. More details to follow

Any outstanding membership should be paid as soon as possible

Vodafone Club Deal – A new initiative has been set up by Vodafone in which a percentage of your monthly bill will be donated to the club at no expense to the user. Details can be found on www.supportyourgaaclub.ie.

U12 players day out in Croke Park
Four players were selected to represent Cuchulainns in the Armagh Activity day organised by Ulster Council whereby U12 players from across the County and Province were offered the chance to strut their skills on the ‘hallowed surface’ in Go-game styled matches. The four: Jordan Murtagh, Conal Campbell, Sean Clifford and Shane Morgan enjoyed their day out on the pitch which also included a tour of the stadium.

Seniors Win Against Swatragh
The Ulster league continued for Cuchulainns last Saturday in Pearse Og Park against Swatragh. The Oak Leaf men started well getting an early lead of 0.4 to 0.1 but Cuchulainns responded quickly and they hit five scores on the trot, two from distance from Christy Kane. Some great defending and a great 21m saved shot from keeper Chris Coulter limited the Derry men to only 3 points for the rest of the first half.
Half Time - 0.10 Cuchulainns 0.07 Swatragh.
Swatragh started the second half strongly netting two early goals and a 65 but again Cuchulainns picked themselves up and slotted over four points in quick succession, two from frees from Tony Duffy, to regain the lead and from there it was point for point with Eoghan Gribben picking off the winning point for Cuchulainns.
Full Time - 0.17 Cuchulainns 2.10 Swatragh

Minor Update
Our club minors got their first run of the year in an 11 a-side blitz organised by the County Board in Sherrys Field last Sunday. The lads played games against Keady, Carrickmore, Naomh Colm Cille and Derrynoose, and they went on to beat Derrynoose in the final where a late Philip Duffy goal sealed the win by a single point. The cup was presented to captain Neil Duffy.

U16 Update
The Under 16 panel competed in the second Development Squad Blitz held in College Field on Sunday last in great sunshine. The team of U16 players played three matches against Keady, Derrynoose and Craobh Rua/Sean Treacys. The lads enjoyed victories in all three games with some excellent performances on the day from Jamie Mc Atarnsey and Caolan Gorman.
The under 15 lads enteted a team and met opposition from Killeavy/Craobh Rua, Keady and Derrynoose and similar to the older lads put in great displays in all games and picked off some fine scores with notable performances from Lorcan Oliver and Rory Mc Grath.
The Under 16 league starts on Sunday evening with an away fixture to Middletown

U14 Update
Under - 14 league campaign got underway last Monday night in Sherrys Field with a hard fought home victory against Derrynoose. The lads started the game very strongly and put some good attacks together before half time. The second half was played in similar style and some great scores were taken by Shane Cartmill, Sean Mc Cann and Eoin Hughes. The squad also competed in the Under 14 development squad blitz held on College Fields on Saturday morning. There were two teams entered and all 18 lads enjoyed the mornings hurling and some great performances on the day came from Sean Mc Cann and Caolan Rice. Training continues on Friday evening on the grass pitch at St. Brigids from 6.15pm-7.30pm. With the start of the league just past all players are asked to make all training sessions or to contact management beforehand if there is a problem.

U12 Update
Under 12 training continues in St Brigids grass pitch on Friday evening.
The players continued their season last weekend with a challenge match against Castleblayney in Sherrys Field and some good performances on the evening came from Conall Campbell and Sean Clifford with some improving performances from the younger lads most notably George Mc Cool and Ronan Quinn.
The young lads begin their season in the County in next week with the first of nine blitzes to be held in the county. The objective is participation for all and as such players play 9-aside teams against two other teams.

P1-P5 Update
Children at P1 to P5 are now being coached on the grass pitch every Thursday at Cathedral Road Sports Complex. Children should be gather at from 5.45pm for a start at 6pm ending at 7pm. Outdoor clothing and a drink is recommended to bring with them.


Thursday 15th April

Cuchulainn Minors Help Armagh win Ulster League
The club would like to congrulate its Minor members who represented Armagh in the Ulster League Final recently. The team beat Down 0-16 to 2-06 in what was an enthralling contest. Our members involved were Tom Marley, Paddy Heaney, Neal Duffy, Patrick Nugent, Ryan Gribben and Tiernan Donnelly.



The full match report below has been taken from the Ulster Council's website:-

There were a lot of important sporting events held over the weekend of 10th / 11th April with Tony McCoy finally winning the Grand National; Antrim, Armagh and Down secured promotion in their respective National Football Leagues; and Paul Brady retained the All-Ireland Handball title. However, one result that has gone under the radar will be of far more significance to the small hurling community in Armagh and that is the County Minors fantastic success over Down in the Division 1 Final of the Ulster League.

Armagh had some promising results in the group stages of the League where they defeated Down in Middletown in their opening game before travelling to Loughgiel to beat Antrim (who were without their Cross and Passion, Ballycastle players) on a 2-15 to 1-15 score-line. Armagh travelled to Derry for their last game of the group stages and lost out by five points to the hosts, but they already had secured their place in the League Final. Down comprehensively beat Antrim in their final game and finished top of the table due to their superior scoring difference, thus ensuring home advantage for the League Final.

So on Saturday 10th April, Armagh travelled as underdogs to the Ards Peninsula to take on a full strength Down squad in Portaferry. Down were first of the mark with a point from play in the opening minute before the visitors replied with five points in a row. Shea Gaffney raised the first white flag before Eoghan Robb, Conor Corvan (free), Paddy Heaney (long range free) and a neat point from play by Stephen King put Armagh up 0-5 to 0-1 after the first quarter. Down pulled one back before Gaffney pointed from play and Heaney converted another long range free. However, the hosts hit a further 1-1 to close the gap to a minimum. Armagh picked up the pace again and scored three unanswered points before the break through Corvan, Gaffney and another Heaney free to leave Armagh in front 0-10 to 1-6 at half-time.

Similar to the first half, Down were quickest from the blocks and hit the opening point from play. The two sides traded points with Heaney converting another long range free and full-forward Corvan pointing twice from play. Again, Down began to test the Armagh resolve, but it was the Orchard men who got the next couple of scores – a free from Corvan and a massive score from Conor McKee into a stiff breeze from halfway. This left seven points between the teams and a second green flag on 55minutes, followed by another point from Down left only a goal in it with a few minutes to play. Armagh steadied the ship and a point in injury time from Eoghan Robb settled the game as the boys from the Orchard ran out winners on a 0-16 to 2-06 score-line.

This result is a massive boost for hurling in Armagh and will give this squad a great lift as they prepare for their Ulster Championship clash with Tyrone in May. James King gave an outstanding display at midfield while Conor Corvan caused Down all sorts of problems in the first half. Paddy Heaney and Conor McKee provided great leadership in the second half, while Fintan Corvan was the pick of the Armagh players with a fantastic performance at full-back throughout. Congratulations to the minor management of Eamonn McKee, Chris Heaney, Liam Corvan, Kevin McGreevy and Philip McArdle.

The Armagh team: 1. Simon Doherty (Sean Treacy’s) 2. Cormac Rushe (Na Fianna) 3. Fintan Corvan (Doire Núis) 4. Joe McAnerney (Sean Treacy’s) 5. Neil Duffy (Cúchulainns) 6. Austin Mackle (Na Fianna) 7. Tom Marley (Cúchulainns) 8. James King (Céide Lámh Dhearg) 9. Paddy Heaney (Cúchulainns) 10. Marc Toal (Céide Lámh Dhearg) 11. Shea Gaffney (Na Fianna) 12. Conor McKee (Céide Lámh Dhearg) 13. Eoghan Robb (Craobh Rua) 14. Conor Corvan (Céide Lámh Dhearg) 15. Stephen King (Céide Lámh Dhearg)

Subs Used: Ethan Carville (Na Fianna) for Toal (30mins); Conor McNally (Doire Núis) for S.King (40mins); Matthew Lennon (Doire Núis) for McAnerney (55 mins).


Tuesday 23rd March

Underage News (P1-P6)
Indoor hurling at St Brigid’s HS for the Cúchulainns has now ended until the autumn. As we do every year, we will take a short break over the Easter period before starting the outdoor hurling coaching.
This year we had excellent numbers for the indoor hurling with four groups – two on a Monday and another two on a Thursday – with almost 100 children from P6 down to P1.
Training for all boys from P1 to P5 will resume on the grass at Sherry’s Field on Thursday 15th April from 5.45pm until 7pm and this will continue throughout the summer.
Any boy that is in P6 will now go to training with the U12 age group and they train on a Friday night from 4.45pm until 6pm on the Astroturf at Sherry’s Field. These Primary 6 boys will all be eligible to play in the Armagh U10 Blitzes for P5 and P6 and I will be contacting you with regard to these throughout the summer. Please note the following contacts for U12 hurling:
Paddy Lavery – 07979 727952
Noel Murtagh – 07516 757856
If you have any queries regarding any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact Rónán McWilliams on 07860 505764.

U8 Hurlers Strut Their Stuff In Omagh
Some of the youngest boys hurling in the club got a chance to show their skills on Saturday 13th March when they were invited to an indoor hurling blitz hosted by the Tyrone County Board on Omagh Leisure Centre.
Ten boys travelled in total giving us two teams on the day and each team played four games against the likes of Strabane, Dromore, Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon and Fintona. Team 1 was an all CBS team made up of the Murtagh brothers (Adam and Lee), Fionntain Oliver, Fionn MacLochalainn. They were also boosted by the recent return of Eoghan Hasson who was playing his first hurling since returning from a recent operation. All the players were amongst the goals and they suffered only one loss to Strabane during the course of the day.
Team 2 was made up of Pearse Donnelly-Phillips, Oisin Curran, John Hughes, Padraig McGrath and Shane McCool who was making his first appearance in the club colours. Again, they held their own, losing only one game to Eoghan Ruadh. The highlight of the day was a thrilling 5-5 draw with another of the Dungannon teams. Oisin Curran scored a bagful of goals, while Padraig and Pearse gave an exhibition of striking!
Thanks must go to the returning Benny McArdle who looked after one of the teams with Noel Murtagh in charge of the other. Finally, a word of thanks to the large number of parents who travelled down to give their support on the day.


Tuesday 16th March

Seniors Battle Take Point Against St Galls
The seniors travelled to Belfast on Saturday last for their second Ulster Club Hurling League against St. Galls. Cuchulainns, who travelled a few players lighter than the previous week and battled hard up to the final whistle. Good displays in defence by Sean Fields helped keep the scores as low as possible in both halves and in attacking duty the forwards picked off some fine scores from play and set balls. The game finished a draw earning Cuchulainns their 1st point of the league. The next match in this league is the weekend of 20/21st March – Away to Rossa (Antrim).


Monday 8th March

Seniors Battle Hard Against Portaferry
The seniors got their Ulster Club Hurling League campaign under way on Sunday last in Callanbridge with a home game against Portaferry of Down, played in front of a good crowd who enjoyed the afternoons hurling as well as the weather. The lads although, a few players short, put in a great display of hurling and managed to contain Portaferry in opening ten minutes to a single point, in which time Cuchulainns also managed to chalk off 1-1, towards the end of the first half Portaferry raised the green flag leaving both teams even on the half time whistle. Good displays in defence by Eoghan Gribben and Martin Gillespie helped keep the scores as low as possible in the second half and in attacking duty Tony Duffy and Christy Kane picked off some fine scores from play and set balls. The game finished 1.13 Portaferry 1.08 Cuchulainns. The next match in this league is the weekend of 13/14th March – Away to St Galls (Antrim).

St Patricks Day Parade
The club will march as part of the St Patricks Day Parade in Armagh, and players are asked to assemble in club colours at 11:00am at Navan Street and will be available for collection after 12.00 Mass at the Cathedral.

Cúchulainns U10 Hurlers Enjoy Brilliant Day in Magherafelt
On Saturday 6th March thirty one young hurlers from Cúchulainns Hurling Club, Armagh headed off to South Derry for the annual Ulster U10 Provincial Hurling Blitz in Magherafelt. The club entered five teams in the blitz with each enjoying success against clubs from throughout the Province.
Team 1 consisted of Eoin Kearney, Ryan Rafferty, Eoin Killen, Tiarnach Sheridan and three Oisins – Moen, Campbell and Hughes. They went through their section with victories against St Gall’s, Swatragh and Ballinascreen before playing out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Ballinascreen. This delighted their coaches Gregs McKernan and Eoghan Boyle.
Team 2 was coached by Noel Murtagh and was made up of Pauric Foy, Colin Sheehan, Sheá McKernan, James Hughes, Ciaran Conway and Lorcán Coulter. Again this team held their own, recording wins against Dungannon, St Enda’s, and St Paul’s before losing out to an excellent Portaferry side.
The All-Blacks made up our third team at the blitz. Playing in the club’s alternative black jersey and managed by Pauric O’Connor, the lads enjoyed success in their games against St Gall’s, Swatragh and St Eunan’s Letterkenny. However, Kevin Lynches of Dungiven gave them a hurling lesson in their first game and the boys learned from this as their day progressed. The team was made up of Jamie McCool, Oisin Hudson (in his first outing for the club, well done!!), Conall McKay, Owen Hughes and chief goal-scorers Dylan Ross and Jack Kennedy.
Team 4 was made up of Leon Toner, Daragh Milsom, Oisin McAnallen, Jack Vallely, Riain O’Connor and the brilliant George McCool and managed by John Sheehan and George McCool (Snr). All the boys managed to get themselves on the score sheet and recorded victories against Lisbellaw, St Eunan’s, Dungannon while drawing with Dungiven and losing out to Ballinascreen.
The final team had an absolute ball at the blitz, rattling in more goals than any of the other teams from the club during the course of the day. The management double act of Claire Poland and Gary Hughes were absolutely delighted with this team made up mostly of Primary 5 lads. There were two P6’s thrown in along with young Pearse Donnelly who was there to keep an eye on older brother Ciaran and ended up scoring a bagful of goals while he was at it!! The rest of the team included Oisin Richards, Cormac Houlihan, Niall Boyle, Liam Moore and Patrick Mackle.
Thanks to all the coaches who gave up their time on the day and also to all the parents who made the trip down to lend their support. Hopefully, there will be many more enjoyable days like this throughout the course of 2010.

Youth Update
The Under 16 & 18 Late Night League continues on Friday evening in Sherry’s Field starting at 10.00pm but players are asked to meet at 9.45 to arrange teams.

Under 14 training continues on Friday evening on the Astroturf pitch at Sherry’s Field from 6pm-7pm.

Under 12 training continues on Astroturf on Friday evening from 5pm-6pm, £2 per player to cover pitch fee.
This young team played a challenge match against Portaferry last Sunday and competed very well against the strong Down boys coming away with a 8 point win. With the Eugene Quinn handballers back in action after the Ulster Competitions there was more competition for starting places. On the day there were some excellent performances from goalkeeper Oisin Moen and midfielders Andrew Dynes and Ruairi Duffy setting up some impressive attacking team play. In the second of three periods, it was the defence who held themselves well especially Martin Rafferty and Patrick Mc Aleavey who helped keep the visitors scoreless. In the third period alot of the younger U12s fresh from U10 last played with fine displays from Ciaran Donnelly and Shane Morgan. The game finished 3-3 Cuchulainns 1.1 Portaferry. Having played their third match this season things are moving on for the young U12’s and their management team who are looking forward to the start of the Armagh league campaign.

The Under 10 team consisting of 31 players travelled to Magherafelt and played in the indoor arena last Saturday. The boys were split into 5 teams and played games against teams from around Ulster. With each team getting 4-5 matches a piece the players on the day all got a good opportunity to show the coaches how well their skills are improving.

The Hurling Academy for 4-7 year olds continues on Monday evenings in St Brigids H.S. Younger group 6pm-7pm and Older Group 7pm-8pm.

Indoor hurling for P4-P6 boys continues Thursday 4th February at usual times.


Monday 1st March

Senior & Championship Fixtures Announced
The Ulster Club and Armagh Hurling League fixtures have now been drafted. Cuchulainns play in Division 1A of the Ulster League which will be a huge step up for the panel but one which will ultimately help improve the quality of the panel.
All Senior league fixtures can be found on the Fixtures section of the web site

The Armagh Championship draws were made at the last County Board Meeting and the draws are as follows:
Senior – Middletown v CHC
MC Cormack Cup Group – Keady, Killeavy, CHC
Minor – Sean Treacys v CHC
U16 – Craobh Rua v CHC
U14 – St Malachys v CHC
Feile Group – Killeavy, Sean Treacys, Keady, CHC
U12 – Craobh Rua v CHC


Youth Update
The Under 16 & 18 Late Night League began last Friday evening in Sherry’s Field and proved to be a very worthwhile venture with over 20 players involved. The teams were assisted by members of the senior team, underage coaches, and committee members who all enjoyed the hurling on display. Although there was freezing temperatures the evening’s sport and fun was enjoyed by all and any players who missed this week are encouraged to attend this week. The league starts at 10.00pm but players are asked to meet at 9.45 to arrange teams.

Under 14 training continues on Friday evening on the Astroturf pitch at Sherry’s Field from 6pm-7pm.

Under 12 training continues on Astroturf on Friday evening from 5pm-6pm, £2 per player to cover pitch fee. This young team played a challenge match against Carrickmore last Sunday and had a good run out against an older side. There were some good performances from individuals and some passages of solid team play. All in all a good start for the Under 12sand their management.

The Hurling Academy for 4-7 year olds has restarted on Monday evenings in St Brigids H.S. Younger group 6pm-7pm and Older Group 7pm-8pm.
Indoor hurling for P4-P6 boys resumes Thursday 4th February at usual times.


Thursday 18th February

Club Development Seminar - Southern Sports Partnership
The Southern Sports Partnership this week launched their exciting Club Development Seminar for sports clubs which will be held at the Armagh City Hotel on Tuesday 2nd March 2010.
The seminar will give clubs the opportunity to gain information on a range of topics including funding available for clubs, Clubmark NI accreditation, developing sports development plans, community amateur sports club status, implications of vetting and barring for sports clubs.
Sport Northern Ireland , will address attendees on their new programmes Clubmark NI and Active Communities and detail how these will impact on clubs. The Conference will get underway with a buffet from 6.00pm – 7.00pm during which time representatives from national governing bodies and local sports forums will be on hand with the latest information for clubs.
Speaking at the launch this week, Alan Curran, Partnership Officer commented “we are delighted to give clubs the opportunity to hear from a wide range of speakers who can pass on their knowledge and experience to local sports clubs.”
For further information please contact the Sports Partnership Officer on 028 3831 4470 - the application form be downloaded by clicking here . You will need Adobe Acrobat to read this PDF file.

Card Night
The next card night will take place in the Toby Jug at 9.30pm on Friday 26th Feb - entrance £10.

2010 GAA Injury Scheme Brochure Drafted
The GAA have recently presented a final draft of their Injury Scheme Brochure - it can be downloaded by clicking here. You will need Adobe Acrobat to read this PDF file.

New Proposed Changes For Ulster Feile
Following discussions at Coiste Iomána Uladh it has been decided to try to modernise the annual Feile Uladh Under 14 Hurling competition, which is traditionally played on the first Saturday in May each year. Feile Uladh is organised by Ulster GAA as a celebration of hurling within the Province.

The main objective of the tournament is to give young people from throughout Ulster the opportunity to play and enjoy the game of hurling against teams of similar ability levels.

Since its inception the tournament has been organised with groups of four teams playing off on a 'round robin' basis with the winner of the group proceeding to play in a final in the afternoon. After the group games, teams assemble at a central location for a parade before rushing off to play in a final at a different location. This practice has been reviewed and a number of changes are now recommended to help provide a better experience for the teams that compete in the event.

Those changes are outlined below:

• The tournament will now be played over two days.
• Day one will involve all entrants who will play off in a league format. Ideally a facility with a minimum of two pitches would meet the needs of the competition.
• There will be two groups in each Division and a minimum of five teams in each group.
• Each team will therefore play a minimum of four games of 15 minutes each way, which will be a total of 120 minutes of hurling, for each team, on the day.
• Should a group contain less than five teams then the playing time of each game will be increased to ensure that 120 minutes of hurling will be played by each team - i.e. if there are four teams in the group, each team will play three games of 20 minutes each half.
• Coiste Iomána Uladh Members will each be responsible for managing and organising a group venue. This will spread the work load and make it easier to keep track of teams that are not turning up for the event.
• Each venue must have First Aid cover in attendance for the duration of the event.
• The winners of each group will play in a final, which will be played on a separate date.
• All finals will be played together in one venue with 20 minutes each half.

Feile Uladh Group Stage (Example) Division 1A (Five Teams)

• Sixty Teams will be permitted to enter the tournament each year. Teams that competed in last year's tournament shall be given priority to participate each year. Teams that did not participate the previous year will be entered into a draw for places that may become available should any team withdraw.
• Games will be played over two 15 minute halves
• The team with the highest points at the end of the group stage will qualify for the final.
• Should teams finish on equal points then score difference shall be used to determine the winner of the group.
• Unlimited substitutions to be permitted
• Where teams struggle to get full teams then 13 or 11 –a-side will be permitted
• Mentors should ensure that all players get as much playing time as possible.

Possible venues:

Division 1A – Antrim
Division 1B – Derry

Division 2A – Armagh
Division 2B - Antrim

Division 3A - Down
Division 3B - Armagh

Division 4A - Derry
Division 4B - Tyrone

Division 5A - Cavan
Division 5B - Monaghan

Division 6A - Donegal
Division 6B – Fermanagh

Finals Day – All games 20 mins each half
Venue - Armagh
Saturday 15^th May 2010.

12.00 - Division 6 Final
1.00 - Division 5 Final
2.00 - Division 4 Final
3.00 - Division 3 Final
4.00 - Division 2 Final
5.00 - Division 1 Final


Thursday 11th February

Senior Presentation Night
The Senior Presentation Night took place on Saturday 30th January 2010 in Charlemont Arms Hotel, with a good crowd of club members and supporters in attendance as well as Special Guest, Offaly All-Star Brian Whelehan, fresh from a training session with our current senior team.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the ‘Mc Cormack’ Cup and medals to our senior team. As well as the team awards there were individual awards:
‘Powell Cup’ for Senior Player of the Year: Eoghan Gribben
‘Corvan Cup’ for Young Senior Player of the Year: Patrick Heaney
‘Mc Manus Cup’ for Minor Player of the Year: Patrick Heaney
Most Improved Minor Player of the Year: Tom Marley
The club also acknowledged both Senior and Minor Management for their efforts throughout the year. The evening closed with a presentation of the club jersey to Brian who then thanked the club for a great evening’s hospitality and wished the club every success in the future.

2010 Club Registration Night
Club registration evening for all Senior/Underage players and parents will take place on Friday 12TH February in the Ceannaras Building starting at 7:00pm.
The membership fees for 2010 are;
Full Club Membership – £25
Student Membership - £15
Youth Membership - £5
Family Membership on the basis of 2 Adults, 2 Children - £45

Any new players are more than welcome to join the club at any time, contact the team manager or any committee members for further details.

Underage Training Resumes
Under 14 training continues on Friday evening on the Astroturf pitch at Sherry’s Field from 6pm-7pm.
Under 12 training continues on Friday evening on the Astroturf pitch at Sherry’s Field from 5pm-6pm.
The Hurling Academy for 4-7 year olds has resumed at St Brigid's High School on Monday from 6pm-7pm for the younger group and 7pm-8pm for the older group.
Indoor Hurling for P4-P6 boys has also resumed Thursday evening.
Any queries contact Rónán McWilliams on 07843092025.

Minors Selected for County Trials
The following Minors have been selected for a second trial which took place last week – Neil Duffy, Tiarnan Donnelly, PJ Nugent, Tom Marley, Ryan Gribben, Paddy Heaney, Jack Lynch

Brendy Arthurs
It is with regret to report that a close friend of Cuchulainns passed away recently. Brendy Arthurs, whose son played up to Minor level, was a regular Card Night supporter and an active member of the Club’s Golf Society, having held the office of Captain in the recent past. We wish to extend on our sympathy to his wife Maeve and sons; Tony, Kevin, Simon and Brendan.

Annual Underage Presentation
The Pearse Og Park Clubrooms witnessed an unprecedented gathering of the underage hurlers, parents and mentors at its annual underage awards ceremony to celebrate yet another successful season at underage level. Once everyone was suitably fed, Jimmy Kelly, Cuchulainn Chairman, got proceedings underway by introducing the special guest, Gareth “Magic” Johnston, the Ballygalget & County Down star to make the presentations. First up were the under 10, 8, & 6 boys from the hurling academy announced by Ronan McWilliams who each received; a certificate, medal and poster. (the academy is ongoing at St Brigid’s High School on Mondays & Thursdays)
The Under 16 awards were then presented by Ronan Hart as follows; Most Improved Player 2009 Tiarnan Donnelly, U16 Player of the Year 2009 Tom Marley.
Next up were the Under 12 awards announced by Niall Clifford. The Enda Kirk award for Best Newcomer was awarded to Martin Rafferty. Most Improved Player 2009 Conall Campbell and U12 Player of the Year, Shane Cartmill.
The final awards were for the victorious U14 Squad who were crowned County, Ulster and All Ireland Feile Champions as well County Champions for 2009. Damien Kirk announced each squad member in turn giving insights into some of the personalities that make up this band of young athletes. Thanks to the generosity of the Maguire family, who have agreed to sponsor a set of jerseys for the 2010 season, each player was presented the jersey they wore in the 2009 campaign. The award for Most Improved was so intense that it was shared jointly between Conor Quinn and Rory McGrath, with Player of the Year awarded to top marksman, Barry Coulter.
The final presentation of framed squad photos was made by Captain Lorcan Oliver to Mary Coulter, Damien Kirk, John Quigley and Adrian Corrigan and the evening was brought to a close by Fr Rory Coyle. The Club wishes to express its gratitude to the parents for their continued commitment both in time and finance so that the Club can continue to provide all resources required for its underage development. The Club also wishes to thank Gerard Davidson, Chairman, and the officers of Pearse Og GAC for the use of its excellent facilities at Ballycrummy.


Friday 22nd January

New Club Posts Filled for 2010
Following on from the recent AGM held at the Athletic Grounds the following Office Bearers for 2010 have been agreed:-

President - E Donaldson
Chairman - J Kelly
Vice-Chair - C Breen
Secretary - G Bradshaw
Asst. Secretary - C Poland
Treasurer - L Ross
Asst. Treasurer - C Kane
PRO - N Clifford
Registrar - L Hart
Children’s Officer - C Clifford
Senior Player Rep. - C Coulter
Committee - C Powell, R Hart, D McParland, A Kearney, B Kirk

Annual Presentation Night
The Club's Annual Presentation will take place on Saturday 30 January in Charlemont Arms Hotel at 7.30pm with 4 times All Star, Brian Whelahan of Offaly.

Underage Indoor Hurling
The Hurling Academy for 4-7 year olds resumes at St Brigid's High School on Monday 1 February from 6pm-7pm for the younger group and 7pm-8pm for the older group.
Indoor Hurling for P4-P6 boys also resumes that week on Thursday 4th January at St Brigid's.
Any queries contact Rónán McWilliams on 07843092025.

Please find below the details for the U8 and U10 Indoor Hurling Blitzes announced by the County Board which will take place in February and March.

U10 Indoor Blitzes.
Saturday 6th February - Keady High School - 1pm til 5pm.
Saturday 20th February - Killeavy GAC - 11am til 1pm.
Saturday 20th February - St. Paul's Junior High School, Lurgan - 11am til 1pm.

U8 Indoor Blitzes.
Saturday 13th February - Keady High School - 1pm til 5pm.
Saturday 13th March - Killeavy GAC - 11am til 1pm.
Saturday 13th March - St. Paul's Junior High School, Lurgan - 11am til 1pm.

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