the conclusion winning on the respectable margin of two goals 1 point. The final scores were: - Derrydonnell – 3 goals 1 point. Claregalway – 1 goal. This half was far more exciting with both teams playing considerably better as the game progressed, Derrydonnell scored three goals to win the title with a comfortable margin. The article continues regarding the celebrations in Derrydonnell. A correspondent writes: There was great jubilation in Derrydonnell on Sunday night. Bonfires and torchlights were blazing in all directions to County Championship honours. Immediately after their arrival a meeting was held, and the popular captain, Mr. P. Keane in a few well-chosen words, thanked the members of his team for bringing home the honours to Derrydonnell on that night. Surely, he said they had fought some tough struggles during the year, and he felt sure none of them wondered at their success that day. Regret was expressed on all sides for the accident that befell Jack Ruane in the first minute of the game and the team were unanimous in the opinion that but for this their score would have been much larger. After the meeting the team, repaired to where the cailíní were assembled and a dance was held in honour of the event, in which hurlers and followers joined and enjoyed themselves until the small hours of the morning. This dance was meant to have taken place in Ruane’s in Castlelambert but it is thought that Ruanes were still in Lisheenkyle at the time and hadn’t moved to Castlelambert, so the exact location is not known. Paddy Kelly, Castlelambert, was a member of the Junior Team that won the Co. Junior Championship later in 1929. His neighbour Martin T. Kelly interviewed him in the lead up to the famous 1987 County Hurling Final, which Athenry won that year. Paddy was only a young boy the time the 1911 team won, but he remembered hearing about it, though he was not at the game himself. Paddy Kelly knew some of the 1911 team and spoke a little about the game and the Derrydonnell Club. Athenry had many different teams that time – Newcastle, Cussaun and Derrydonnell. Derrydonnell won the Co. Junior Championship in 1929. They went Senior after that. I was involved with that Derrydonnell team. We played against Galway city in Claregalway. But the first win was when Derrydonnell won the Co. Championship in 1911. They were beaten in 1912. There were Junior finals in 1909. That is going back a long way. Well I seen them hurling again later on. They bet Claregalway for the final below in Tuam. I was running after me father. He brought me to all the matches. They used to have great matches that time…. Rough. I don’t know was it 17 or 21 they had on the team. 19
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzM2OTY=