O'Hanrahan's stand firm to hold off Palatine
O'Hanrahans captain Ray Walker lifts the Junior 'A' Football Championship trophy Photo: Pat Ahern
O’Hanrahans are the 2026 Junior Football A Champions. At Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday they were pushed the whole way by rivals who never gave up and could well have stolen it at the end.
From the start, Palatine asked tough questions of their opponents as Marc Mulhall gathered a high delivery and making space for himself outside the small square he deftly shot just inside the left-hand post at the Dublin Road end of the ground.
The O’Hanrahan reply, from their point of view, was perfect as Darren O’Keeffe landed a two-pointer and Joe Doran raised a white flag to level. Both sides shared four points each and by the end of the quarter the game was tied at 0-5 to 1-2.
Late in the half, O’Hanrahans assumed control with Justin O’Brien and Lee Walker landing two pointers from a placed ball and play respectively. Between the two scores a passing movement opened up the Palatine defence and O’Keeffe found the net. At the interval, O’Hanrahans led 1-10 to 1-3.
The third quarter was an even affair as Lee Gordon opened the second half scoring when fly kicking the ball over the bar. Blake Holmes cancelled that out but The Blues missed a number of chances.
Palatine never gave up and points from Conor Buggy and Cillian Moore breathed new life into their challenge. Mulhall then added a second goal and with just a quarter of the game to go, the intensity increased. Palatine laid siege to the O’Hanrahan goal and in a five minute spell they had four goal opportunities. The O’Hanrahan goal-line remained intact under the pressure.
The eventual winners lived on their nerves but an O’Keefe’s point gave them a little more breathing space.
In the third minute of injury time, Palatine drew a penalty which Gordon converted but, with the kick-out, came the final whistle which heralded O’Hanrahans return to intermediate ranks for 2027.
D O’Keeffe 1-4 (1-2p), L Walker 0-5 (1-2pf), J O’Brien 0-2 (1-2p), J Doran, B Holmes 0-2 each, B Cawley 0-1.
M Mulhall 2-1, L Gordon 1-2 (1-0 pen), C Buggy (2fs) 0-3, C McConnon, C Moore 0-1 each.
Aaron Power; Thato Rammusi, Milo Feehan, Lazzy Meaney; Daniel Hayden Donovan, Justin O’Brien, Mikee Horohan; Ray Walker, Lee Walker; Darren O’Keeffe, Pa Kavanagh, Blake Holmes; Joe Doran, Brian Cawley, Cian Dowling.
Subs: Scott Lawlor for Kavanagh (49), Keelan Lacey for Dowling (53), Graham Power for Horohan (57), Owen O’Gorman for Doran (58).
Sean Buggy; John Byrne, Connor Lawlor, Kyle Martin; Adam Seger, Luke Campion, John Hendricken; Conor Buggy, Cillian Moore; Cormac McConnon, Oran O’Boyle, Thomas Sheehan; Ewan Breen, Marc Mulhall, Peter Lynch.
Subs: Lee Gordon for Sheehan (10), Luke Byrne for Seger (36).
Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen).
