Mayo descendants play key role in Cavan Championship win

It was a special afternoon for the O’Shea family of Mayo when three brothers, Eoin, Cian, and Enda, were members of the Munterconnaught team that defeated Kill Shamrocks in the Cavan Junior ‘A’ Final on a scoreline of 0-11 to 0-10 in Breffni Park.

Their dad, Seamus, is a member of the well-known O’Shea family from Park Road, Kiltimagh, while their mother, Elaine, was formerly McDonnell from Derryvohey between Kiltimagh and Balla.

Seamus spent some years with the Northern Health Board and later served as administrator at Navan Hospital.

The Munterconnaught Club, originally formed in 1926, took a break during the 1950s due to heavy emigration from the area, which is located close to Virginia. The club was reformed again in 1969.

Making it an extra special day for the O’Shea family was the fact that Cian was captain of the team on the day, and Eoin and Enda scored seven points between them.

The same weekend saw another Mayo man win a county medal when Ballyroan-Abbey defeated Barrowhouse in the Laois Junior ‘A’ Final in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Niall Walsh from Taugheen, who was a member of the Hollymount-Carramore Club until he transferred to Ballyroan in 2021, had an excellent game at centre-half-back and played a central role along with Padraig McMahon, the former Laois senior player who has given outstanding service to his county and club down the years.

This was a passionately contested match that could have gone either way before Ballyroan eventually got over the line on a scoreline of 1-15 to 1-11.

Niall, who resides in the parish of Raheen, is a primary school teacher and is currently based in Rath NS beside Ballybrittas and close to the Kildare border.