2024/2025 Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Hogan Cup Football Semi-Final – St Patrick’s Maghera 2-10 Mercy Mounthawk 1-8

St Patrick’s Maghera defeated Mercy Mounthawk by 2-10 to 1-8 in the 2024/2025 Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Hogan Cup Football Semi-Final on Saturday March 1st at Abbotstown.

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Late goal denies brave Mercy Mounthawk as Maghera march into Hogan Cup Final https://t.co/xXeeMMlng4

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) March 1, 2025

Late goal denies brave Mercy Mounthawk as Maghera march into Hogan Cup Final

Report by Jordan Murphy courtesy of the Irish Examiner newspaper

Hogan Cup semi-final: St Patrick’s Maghera (Derry) 2-10 Mercy Mounthawk (Kerry) 1-8

Managing to hold onto the ball much better than their opposition in the second period, St Pats Maghera of Derry prevented Mercy Mounthawk from Tralee from making a second-successive Hogan Cup final appearance on St Patrick’s Day as a late goal from substitute Dara O’Kane was the decisive factor in the Ulster champions setting up a meeting withSt. Colman’s of Claremorris.

The Tralee school made the stronger start highlighted by a seventh-minute goal from midfielder Ben Murphy as he went on a brilliant individual run to make it 1-1 to 0-1 in Mounthawk’s favour. They led until the 21st minute when Darach McGonigle finished off a Maghera surge into the Mounthawk end with a goal to put the Derry outfit ahead for the first time at 1-3 to 1-2.

A Cormac Óg McCloskey free put them further ahead but Paddy Lane brought Mounthawk back within one at the break with his third point to make it 1-4 to 1-3 at half-time in favour of St Pats.

Although Lane drew Mounthawk level on the scoreboard again at 1-5 apiece after 35 minutes, they would not score again until the 54th minute as Finbhar McShane, McCloskey, Darragh O’Neill and McIvor all contributed four-successive scores to put Maghera 1-9 to 1-5 in front.

When Lane added a 58th-minute free to make it 1-9 to 1-7 it looked like we were set for a grandstand finish but Maghera put their bodies on the line to prevent Mounthawk from getting some potentially game-changing scores.

Maghera’s second goal was on the counter in the second minute of injury time as O’Kane finished from close range to make it 2-9 to 1-7 with McCloskey rounding off the scoring for the victors as Gavan Casey was the only other Mounthawk player to register a point from a free that was aimed at goal but went over the bar.

The Derry school were deserving winners as they look forward not only to their first Hogan Cup final appearance since 2016 in two weeks time, but they will also be bidding for a first success in the competition since 2013.

The win also ended a losing streak for the school against Kerry schools such as Intermediate School Killorglin, Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne and St Brendans College Killarney going back to 1996.

Scorers for St Pats Maghera: D McGonigle (1-1), D O’Kane (1-0), G McIvor and C Óg McCloskey (f) (0-3 each), P Haran, D O’Neill and F McShane (0-1 each)

Scorers for Mercy Mounthawk: P Lane (0-7, 5f, 1’45’), B Murphy (1-0) and G Casey (0-1, 1f)

ST PATS MAGHERA: J McCloy (Slaughtneil); R Collins (Lavey), P O’Kane (Dungiven), N McNicholl (Drumsurn); D Doherty (Bellaghy), P Haran (Dungiven), D O’Neill (Dungiven); C McKaigue (Slaughtneil), K Barry Mullan (Dungiven); F McShane (Bellaghy), T McHugh (Drumsurn), M McGurk (Lavey); G McIvor (Ballinascreen), D McGonigle (Dungiven), C Óg McCloskey (Drum)
Subs: D O’Kane (Lavey) for K Barry Mullan (44), O Doherty (Portglenoe) for D McGonigle (53), D McCloskey (Dungiven) for T McHugh (60 +4)

MERCY MOUNTHAWK: R Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys); B Meehan (Kerins O’Rahillys), B Sharp (St Pats/Blennerville), J Fisher (Austin Stacks); P O’Halloran (Austin Stacks), D Sargent (John Mitchels), G Casey (Austin Stacks); D Kirby (Austin Stacks), B Murphy (Austin Stacks); A Tuohy (Austin Stacks), T Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys), S Corkery (John Mitchels); B Doyle (Churchill), P Lane (Austin Stacks), A Harty (Churchill)
Subs: C McGibney (Churchill) for A Harty (36), C Bastible (Austin Stacks) for B Doyle (50), D Lucid (Austin Stacks) for S Corkery (60), O Kerins (Kerins O’Rahillys) for A Touhy, J Hoare (Kerins O’Rahillys) for G Casey (both 60 +5)

REFEREE: I Howley (Dublin)

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Ticket Information

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Broadcast Details

This game will be streamed live on TG4 Sport YouTube.