Mary’s keen to add a provincial title to their prizes

St Mary’s have already ticked one box this season. By winning the senior county championship just over a fortnight ago they brought a first-ever three in-a-row to the club.

Now they’re after a first Leinster title, and on the evidence of their performance over Longford champions, Abbeylara, it’s not a forlorn hope. Twelve months ago the Ardee side stretched Dublin kingpins, Kilmacud Crokes, to the limit before going down to a narrow defeat.

We all knew of what Ciarán ‘Kiki’ Keenan was capable of, but Kilmacud were seeing him for the first time. They were highly impressed, enquiring afterwards if the young man was interested in playing in Dublin club football.

It was never going to happen. We’re talking here about a player steeped in the St Mary’s tradition. He has a big part to play on the Leinster trail, along with the others, Ronan Carroll among them.

This sprightly veteran is a real ace in the hole, starting mostly on the bench, but still capable of grabbing a score if introduced. He got a second half call on Sunday, and delighted supporters with a trademark long distance point.

This was at a stage where Mary’s were beginning to draw clear. They gave away a couple of first half goals, and at the change-over were on level terms when they should have been well ahead.

In turning in a solid third quarter, they were helped by an Abbeylara player being given a black card and another getting a red for a dangerous tackle on Donal McKenny.

It was shooting practice for the local side after that, and a decisive win in this qualifying tie put them in good order for next Sunday’s quarter-final with the Carlow champions, Rathvilly, Páirc Mhuire again the venue.

Dundalk Gaels looked to be on for another Louth provincial win when they swept into a four point lead in their intermediate championship match with Mearnóg at McGeough Park, Haggardstown, on Saturday.

The effort wasn’t sustained, however. The Dublin champions got back to within a point by half-time, and after that, it was the proverbial nip and tuck, the sides on level terms on a few occasions, including coming towards the end, when extra-time looked a real possibility.

But after spurning a good chance, Gaels had their hopes of replicating their championship-winning effort of 2003 dashed when Mearnóg nipped in for the winner, making it 0-8 to 0-7.

Coming up is county junior champions, Wolfe Tones’ first-ever provincial sortie.