By: Paul Schneider

A strong performance from the Young Irelands.

Funny how a football team can come together.  ‘Twould be nice to think that assembling the personnel for a successful side is simply a matter of careful planning, but the reality is that it often can be as unpredictable as navigating the back roads of County Clare.  A couple of lucky turns can make all the difference in getting you where you want to go.

For Young Ireland’s North American Gaelic Athletic Association squad, there were a few of those breaks in the off-season.  There was the unsolicited phone call from Derrytrask, Tyrone, with Cathal O’Neill on the other end of the line.  And the housemates here in the States who persuaded Adrian Marks to give Gaelic football a try.

“It’s all word of mouth,” said Young Ireland coach Anthony Daly, himself a former Derrytrask footballer.  “Either they find us, or the lads on the club ask players they know to come out and play.”

Just a week after Kevin Barrys coach Gerard Dillon talked about American-born players as the future of Gaelic football in this country, the Young Irelands reminded the fans at the Cardinal Dougherty High School field last Sunday that there’s still a pretty significant role to be played by the Irish.  O’Neill and Marks, from Randallstown, Antrim, combined to score a goal and 13 points in Young Ireland’s 1-18 to 0-2 victory over Eire Og in Bill Drake Cup play.

While Drumsarn, Derry, native and goaltender Gary O’Neill kept Eire Og at bay during the first half, Cathal O’Neill and Marks combined for five points to give the Young Irelands a 0-6 to 0-1 lead at the break.  With Eire Og still within reach at 8-2 shortly after the half, Cathal O’Neill scored five straight points – including a goal that was tucked neatly into the right corner – to put the winners well ahead.

O’Neill and Marks will team up again when Young Ireland takes on Kevin Barry’s in Jim Harvey Cup play Sunday at 1:30 p.m. 

The second part of Sunday’s doubleheader will be a hurling match between Brian Boru and the Washington, D.C., Gaels. 

The Gaels put together a strong performance last Sunday, topping the Shamrocks 0-12 to 1-5.  John O’Donovan got the lone goal for the Shamrocks.