Crossmaglen Rangers in Finals

March 1, 2007


The County Armagh town of Crossmaglen, home of the Gregory Family for over 200 years, is also home for one of the best Gaelic football teams in Ireland. The American Gregory’s will be visiting Crossmaglen during the month of March to celebrate the team’s achievements.

Crossmaglen Rangers’ Oisin McConville played a captain’s role as Ulster kingpins Crossmaglen won through to next month’s AIB All-Ireland club SFC final with a 1-11 to 0-11 win over St Brigid’s from Roscommon in Mullingar.
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The Armagh star struck five points and set up Michael McNamee for the only goal in Mullingar, nine minutes in. That goal proved to be the difference as St Brigid’s, Connacht champions for the first time, battled all the way.

Roscommon player Frankie Dolan added four more white flags in the second half, but substitutes Tony Kernan, John Murtagh and Stephen Finnegan bolstered the Armagh side’s ranks with Murtagh landing two crucial scores.

They will now meet Dr Crokes. Dr Crokes defeated Moorefield in the replay match 2-09 to 0-08 that took place in Nenagh. Crokes won through to the final for only the second time – they were champions back in 1992.

For Crossmaglen it is a first appearance in the final since they won their third crown in 2000 under Joe Kernan. On 24th September 2006 the club won their 11th Armagh Senior Football Championship in a row, defeating Lurgan Clan na Gael, a record in Armagh and a feat which has made them the envy of clubs not just in Armagh but throughout Ireland.

“Semi-finals do not have to be pretty – they just have to be won. All we wanted to do was get back to Croke Park,” said experienced Rangers player John McEntee.

“It is seven years since we got there. We let a chance slip against Portlaoise two years ago.

“The memory of that remained with us and we did not want to taste that again.”


Visit the new Crossmaglen Rangers section in Gregoryology.

Cheers,

Terry Gregory
Gregoryologist


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