Multyfarnham gaa hoping to make history
Multyfarnham GFC hopes to bridge a gap of 58 years this weekend when it takes on Moate All Whites in the New Forest Golf Club Junior Football Championship final this weekend.
The last time that the club contested the junior decider was in 1997 when it was still amalgamated with St Fintan’s, Streete. You'd have to go back to 1956 for the club’s last title and before that it was 1908.
Given the village’s lack of success on the football field it is perhaps unsurprising that the whole community has been bitten by football fever on the run up to this weekend.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, club PRO and selector Gary Guilfoyle says that young and old are looking forward to Sunday’s game in Cusack Park.
He met up with a number of members from the 1956 team last week and says that they are as eager as anyone for John Gordon’s team to do the business.
“There are a good few of the 1956 team still around such as Mick Leavy and Frank Leavy," Gary said.
“They want us to win - like all of the supporters. There have always been good footballers in Multy and they are hoping that we take our chance.”
The key to the club’s success this year, he says, is simple - hard work on the training pitch.
“The main difference this year is the determination of the players. They came together and made a commitment to work harder and that is what they have done.
“We have a good mixture of youth and experience including minors such as Daniel Loughrey and Ian McGovern as well as the likes of Johnny Orme, who played in the 1997 final,” Gary added.
Multyfarnham came out on the wrong side of a three point defeat when they played Moate earlier in the season, but while he says that his team have “respect” for their opponents, Gary says that his team are confident that they can make history and claim the Hugh Daniels Cup on Sunday.
“We are going to try and play the best football that we can and hopefully that is enough for us to win,” he said.
Rosemount take on Caulry in the Intermediate Championship decider, the second leg of a football double header in Cusack Park on Sunday.
Throw in for the junior final is at 2.30pm, while the intermediate final gets underway at 4.30pm.