For the first time in 2025, The St Brendan’s Football 2nd XV, in partnership with Stoneybatter Pride of Place, takes centre stage on this website and a Monday Evening Go Ahead AFL 10A fixture at home in Grangegorman against Garristown, on the back of 2-12 to 0-16 loss in Longmeadows against Naomh Mearnóg, on May 26th and an away 1-10 all draw against St Finian’s Swords on June 5th. 

 

In the Naomh Mearnóg match, The Landlord Andy Moran thought he had won the game for his side with a final minute injury time smash and grab goal, but unfortunately, St Brendan’s had 2 players in their own half and not the allowed three and the goal didn’t stand. Shane Feeney was disgusted. 

Before we see how The Darkest Force got on against The Piano Smashers (Click here to find out why), here’s another round up with the other St Brendan’s teams in the last two weeks. 

Still disappointed over losing to Ballyboden St Enda’s on Wednesday, The St Brendan’s Football 1st XV, sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions, temporarily kept the relegation wolf away from the door on Sunday May 25th (Happy Istanbul Day to all Liverpool FC supporters!) when recording a 2-8 to 0-11 victory over Naomh Olaf in Longmeadows. 

There was a strong breeze blowing towards the Garda Boat Club End of Longmeadows and the Sandyford outfit lead 0-5 to 0-1 at half time, with 1 two pointer. 

John ‘Tesla’ Tuffy didn’t blow a fuse during the half time team talk and he didn’t realistically need to, because The Dark Force started the second half in typical St Brendan’s fashion with a point seconds after the throw in, which was a two pointer curtesy of Diarmuid ‘Dempsey’ Cooney, followed by a second two pointer from Tom ‘Heatmap’ Gallagher. 

The move Brendan ‘The Shoeman’ Brogan and The Return of the Mack Cillian Morrison almost pulled off against Ballyboden on Wednesday was perfectly executed here today when Morrison palmed the ball into the Olaf’s net after a carbon copy foot pass from Brogan from last Wednesday. 

Harry ‘1991’ Beggy continued his fine scoring form with his side’s second goal late on. 

The Dark Force suffered a 3-9 to 1-11 reversal against high flying table toppers Craobh Chairáin on June 4th, and draw 3-11 to 2-14 at home in Longmeadow’s to Fingallians in a match in which we saw the same situation as we saw in this corresponding fixture last year, but the other way round. 

Then, The Return of the Mack Cillian Morrison took a quick free and got a goal to rescue a draw for his side, Now, Fingallians did the exact same thing, last gasp free, took it quickly, and got a goal to rescue a league point for the Swords Outfit. 

On Wednesday the 28th, The Hurlers, sponsored by Bodibro, all 15 of them, continued to fulfil their fixtures, despite the inevitability of relegation, when travelling to Silverpark in Stillorgan and a fixture against Kilmacud Crokes, despite the comprehensive defeat, Jack ‘The Relegator’ McCarron, speaking exclusively to this writer, told me that the team are determined to keep plugging away in the hope of getting a few good results in next month’s Junior C Championship. 

On Tuesday the 4th, The St Brendan’s Camogie team, sponsored by Comtech engineering and Ryans of Camden Street, finally won their first game of the 2025 season defeating Ballyboden St Enda’s 4-9 to 1-3 with Ciara Howard netting a hat trick and Marie Moloney scoring the other major. 

So onto Monday the 9th, and the aforementioned Piano Smashers opened the scoring with a two pointer, and added three singles by the 11th minute when Cathal ‘Patrick Mahomes’ O’ Donnell opened the scoring for the home side with a points thanks to the assistance of two Clare men, The Clare Shout Niall Pender and The Banner Raiser Brian Hobbins, after both men saw goal attempts go a begging, which the latter got his pocket pinched at the last minute. 

Eoin Fallon got pretty frustrated when losing possession when swallowed up and continued to give out to his side, even after Garristown were penalised for picking the ball off the ground. Hobbins got pushed in the back which allowed O’ Donnell to convert the free in for his 2nd point. 

Garristown notched up their 10th point by the time O’Donnell completed his hat trick of points, after a jersey tug off Alan ‘Mack Hansen’ Pierce. The away side finished the first half exactly the way they started, with a two pointer and The Piano Smashers had a 0-13 to 0-3 half time lead. 

Garristown however, were playing with a strong breeze in the first half and the 10 point deficit didn’t realistically bother John ‘Tesla’ Tuffy, both those worries became apparent when the away side seemed to smash the contest by smashing the ball in the St Brendan’s net two minutes into the second half.  

St Brendan’s did respond positively with a two pointer from The Clare Shout Niall Pender, after good work from Michael Mone and Luke ‘The Alternative Nuke’ Reilly. The Piano Smashers took their foot of the gas and became too casual in their shooting, but not with the defending and goal shots from O’Donnell and Hobbins were saved for 45’s, but nothing materialised in either situation. 

48 minutes gone and all of Eoin Fallon’s frustrations were let out in one single shot, which went over the bar for a single. Fallon turned provider for Moran to make St Brendan’s tally so far 0-7. Moran also had an opportunity for a goal but tried to fist a low ball into the net rather than use the boot. 

St Brendan’s wanted to finish an otherwise disappointing contest with a flourish but Dylan ‘Not The Galwayman’ McHugh and Ritchie ‘Blackmore’ O’Hara saw goal bound shots saved, judging by his frustrations, O’Hara was pretty gutted not to find the net this time. 

But that frustration was quickly forgotten about as with three minutes to go O’Hara finally got the goal he craved. St Brendan’s finished the second half the same way they started, with a two pointer off Andy ‘The Landlord’ Moran to put some additional respectability on the scoreboard, despite the inevitable defeat. Despite the loss, Ritchie O’Hara dedicated his goal to Greta Thunberg, just to give her a lift on what she and others are going through in the Middle East at the moment! 

There’s 5 games left in AFL10 for the 2nd XV to avoid the relegation play off. Final score from Grangegorman, St Brendan’s 1-9 Garristown 1-17.