Round-Up of the Go-Ahead Ireland Junior Football Championship Finals

St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh claimed the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Junior 1 All County Football Championship title as they edged St Patrick’s Donabate by 0-9 to 0-7 at Martin Savage Park on Sunday morning. 

There was never much to separate the well-matched sides as the hosts enjoyed a narrow 0-5 to 0-4 interval advantage with Declan Lally kicking a vital two-pointer to edge his team ahead. 

The introduction of Bernard Brogan off the bench added greater firepower to the home attack as he accounted for three of his team’s four points in the second-half. 

Sean O’Connor was central to Plunketts’ victory as he provided a wealth of possession from centrefield as the hosts edged home thanks to further scores from Sean McGreevy, Ronan McCabe and Conor Healy.  

The same scoreline occurred at Somerton Park as St Jude’s picked up the JFC2 crown as they pipped Castleknock in another tense and cagey affair. 

It was a particularly special success for St Jude’s manager Eamon Walsh, who finally got over the line after a number of heartbreaking final defeats in recent years. 

The visitors led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the break with their scores coming through Dunnie Ryan, Conor McBride, Sean Breheny and Darren Gallagher but that lead looked a precarious one given the strong wind at their backs for the first-half. 

The greater experience of St Jude’s was evident upon the restart as they held possession for prolonged periods while the hosts spurned a number of two-point opportunities as the contest evolved. 

There was confusion at the final whistle as the visitors breached the ‘three man rule’ in that last play but Castleknock’s subsequent goal attempt was repelled by a plethora of Jude’s defenders as they held on by two points. 

In St Anne’s Park, there was no such drama as Clontarf claimed the JFC3 title when comfortably accounting for Whitehall Colmcille by 3-13 to 0-5. 

The hosts were rarely troubled as they limited their opponents to a solitary point from play over the duration and their half-back line of Barry Mangan, Jack McNiece and Darragh Goode drove forward to telling effect throughout their dominant display. 

Further up the field, the home attack was equally influential with the excellent James Dalton, Harry Digan and Patrick McKeon leading the way and goals after the break from Peter Hoy and Digan effectively settled the issue. 

On what was a hugely poignant and emotional morning in Clontarf, the influence of Hoy could not be overstated with the talented defender an inspirational figure throughout for his side. 

The JFC6 South decider had plenty of thrills and spills with St Anne’s overcoming an eleven-point deficit to eventually catch Kilmacud Crokes on the line, winning by 2-11 to 2-9. 

JFC1 County final: St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER 0-9 St Patrick’s Donabate 0-7. 

JFC2 County final: Castleknock 0-7 St Jude’s 0-9. 

JFC3 County final: Clontarf 3-13 Whitehall Colmcille 0-5. 

JFC6 North County final: Na Fianna 1-15 O’Dwyer’s 1-3. 

JFC6 South County final: St Anne’s 2-11 Kilmacud Crokes 2-9.