2008  NACB  PLAYOFFS

Several thousand hurling, football and camogie fans thronged to Boston's Irish Cultural Center in south suburban Canton over the Labor Day weekend for the 2008 North American County Board national playoffs. Played in perfect weather conditions, the 66 games tournament was a tremendous success thanks to an excellently coordinated program jointly organized by the Boston Northeast Divisional Board and the NACB. Clubs from 24 cities across the country participated in the playoffs that consisted of seventeen championships up for contention.  Two new championships were added to this year's schedule, ladies intermediate football and all-American born men's football. In addition, 2 shield competitions, ladies junior football and camogie, and an over 40 men's football competition, were part of the schedule resulting in a tournament of 20 competitions, the biggest since the introduction of this NACB playoff format in 1982.

A record ten cities shared the winning circle. Chicago headed the list with four championships, senior hurling, senior camogie, men's junior C football and ladies junior "B" football. Boston and San Francisco followed with each winning three championships. Boston clubs captured the men's senior football, men's intermediate football and ladies senior football titles while San Francisco teams were winners of the men's junior "A" football, ladies intermediate football and junior camogie championships. Two championships went to Philadelphia with their All-American born team taking the first ever all-American football championship and the Shamrocks club capturing the junior "A" hurling title. The following cities captured one title: Austin, men's junior "D" football; Charlotte, men's junior "B" football; Indianapolis, junior "C" hurling; Milwaukee, junior "B" hurling; Washington DC, ladies junior "A" football. History was created as a result of NCB championship trophies going to the cities of Austin and Indianapolis for the first time.

The inauguration of the all-American men's football championship was a remarkable success. Four cities, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington participated in the All American men's football championship with all 3 games attracting good attendances. Most encouraging was the big attendance at the final between Philadelphia and Washington DC despite the attraction of the men's senior football final in progress in an adjacent field at the same time. Philadelphia won by 2 goals after an exciting and close contest. It was a fitting and emotional victory for Philadelphia as they captured the new and beautiful Stephen Breen memorial cup presented in memory of teenager Stephen Breen, son of Philadelphia divisional board vice-chairman Sean Breen, who died last year after a life long illness.   

As in previous years, the playoffs produced some great games and close encounters but also some poor and one-sided affairs. It was a great weekend for the Chicago Limerick hurlers who won their second senior hurling championship, their first since 1977. Having played at junior level for most of this decade Limerick were considered underdogs to take the 2008 title. However, they played excellent hurling, easily defeating a weak Boston Wexford  team in Saturday's one-sided semi-final and went on to defeat San Francisco Na Fianna by 4 points in a closely contested final.

Na Fianna's juniors came close to taking the junior "A" title but were defeated by Philadelphia Shamrock by just 2 points in a wonderful final. Six teams competed in the junior "B" hurling championship with Milwaukee retaining the title after winning it for the first time last year. A record 7 teams played in the junior "C" competition with Indianapolis coming out on top to win their first championship, defeating the newly formed Chicago Cusacks in a one-sided final.

In senior football, Boston McAnespies upheld their tag as favorites in capturing their second title, having last one it in 1998. Ironically, the three other contestants in this year's championship, Chicago Parnells, Philadelphia Kevin Barry's and San Francisco Sean Treacy's were contesting at senior level for the first time in the NACB playoffs. The closest and most exciting contest in this years championship was that between Parnells and Sean Treacy's which went into overtime and ending in near darkness with the Treacy's coming out on top. Kerry Boston experienced little trouble in taking their first Intermediate football championship having easy victories over San Francisco Ulster and Boston Galway. However, Ulster's junior team was successful, taking the junior "A" title with a 4 point victory Philadelphia Young Irelander's in an exciting final. Some of the best football games of the weekend took place in the junior "B" championship with two games going into overtime. The San Diego Setanta/Philadelphia St. Pat's game was a classic, producing a total score of 3-30 with Setanta winning by a point. Setanta were also involved in an earlier overtime game in which they hung on to beat Cleveland St. Jarlath's, also by one point after a thrilling encounter. Another classic was the quarter-final clash between Charlotte James Connolly and New England Celtics with the Charlotte team winning with a final and incredible score of 4-21 to 6-12. A fine Charlotte team went on to take their first "B" division title, beating San Diego in the final. There were several one-sided games in the junior "C" championship with the all-American born Chicago Patriots the most dominant team. They defeated a very young and promising Boston Celtics team, also an all American born team in the final. Several new teams competed in the junior "D" competition with one of them, Austin Celtics, winning their first title.

A brilliant Boston Roscommon ladies football team was the dominant team in the senior championship and easily won their first NACB title beating both Chicago St. Brigid's and Boston Shamrocks by large margins. Two teams competed in the inaugural Intermediate championship with San Francisco Fog City Harps defeating Boston Tir na Nog to become the first winners of the new trophy. Teams from Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington DC competed for the junior "A" trophy with Washington DC Gaels capturing it for the first time with a thrilling one point victory over Philadelphia Notre Dame in the final. As in previous years the ladies junior "B" football championship with teams from nine cities competing, produced a mix of poor and highly entertaining games. Chicago McBrides emerged the deserving winner with impressive displays. They defeated Detroit St Ann's by 7 points in the final to capture their first NACB ladies football title.

Chicago St. Mary's retained their senior camogie title with an 8 point win over Boston Eire Og while San Francisco Shamrocks also retained their junior camogie trophy with an easy over St. Mary's junior squad. The camogie junior shield was won by Washington DC Gaels who defeated Denver in the final

The weekend activities came to an end with a reception on Sunday night at the Irish Cultural Center. Guest speaker from Ireland was Jimmy O'Gorman, Chairman of the Munster Council. Besides praising the Irish Cultural Center facilities, he congratulated the Boston Northeast divisional board and it's playoff committee along with the North American Board officers for their contribution to the success of a wonderful weekend. Also out from Ireland were Liz Howard, Camogie  President, Liam Mulvihill former GAA Secretary General and the following referees: Seanie McMahon, Pat Fox Keith Delahunty, Terrance McShea, and Kieran Quigley.

2008  NACB  PLAYOFF  SCORES

Senior Hurling:

Semi-finals

Chicago Limerick      6-23          Boston Wexford         0-7  

San Francisco Na Fianna      3-13      Boston Tipperary      2-14

Final

Chicago Limerick     4-14     San Francisco Na Fianna      3-13      

Junior A Hurling:

Semi-final

San Francisco Na Fianna      2-13   Boston Tipperary      1-8

Final

Philadelphia Shamrocks      3-10     San Francisco Na Fianna    2-11  

Junior B Hurling:

Quarter-finals

Washington DC     1-14    Denver    1-10

Phoenix     2-6      Seattle    9-26

Milwaukee     2-18    Minnesota Twin Cities     1-3

Semi-final

Milwaukee    1-15     Seattle    2-7

Final

Milwaukee    3-15    Washington DC     3-6

Junior C Hurling:

Preliminary game

Seattle     1-10     Portland Me     0-6  

Quarter-finals

Indianapolis      3-7     St. Louis    1-8

Milwaukee    8-17     Concord Barleyhounds    0-1

Indianapolis     1-16    Philadelphia Shamrocks   1-8

Denver       4-1   Seattle    1-0

Semi-finals

Chicago Cusacks    6-12    Denver   0-3

Indianapolis    6-13    Milwaukee   1-8

Final

Indianapolis   5-9   Chicago Cusacks   2-11

Men's Senior Football:

Semi-finals

Boston Aidan McAnespies      1-10     Philadelphia Kevin Barry's    0-8

San Francisco Sean Treacy's    2-9           Chicago Parnells      1-8  (OT)

Final

Boston Aidan McAnespies      2-15     San Francisco Sean Treacy's   1-7

Men's Intermediate Football

Semi-finals

Boston Kerry      4-10     San Francisco Ulster    0-7

Final

Boston Kerry    1-13      Boston Galway     0-7

Men's Junior A Football

Semi-finals

San Francisco Ulster      2-12     Boston Donegal     0-8

Philadelphia Young Ireland's    3-13        Chicago McBrides    2-6

Final

San Francisco Ulster    2-9    Philadelphia Young Irelanders     1-8

Men's Junior B Football

Quarter-finals

Charlotte  James Connolly    4-21     New England Celtic     6-12

Detroit Wolfe Tones     2-8     Philadelphia Kevin Barry's    0-8

Cleveland St. Jarlaths     1-12     San Diego Setanta    1-13

Semi-finals

San Diego Setanta      0-20     Philadelphia St. Pat's     3-10 (OT)

Charlotte James Connolly     3-21     Detroit Wolfe Tones    2-5

Final

Charlotte James Connolly   1-10     San Diego Setanta    1-5

 

Men's Junior C Football

Quarterfinals

Chicago Patriots       3-12       Washington DC Gaels Gaels   2-10

Pittsburgh Celtics      3-6      Philadelphia Eire Og      0-12

Boston Celtics      4-15     Buffalo na Fianna     1-4

Semi-finals

Chicago Patriots    7-21    San Diego Setanta     0-8

Boston Celtics       4-13     Pittsburgh Celtics    1-10

Final

Chicago Patriots     2-15     Boston  Celtics    0-10    

Men's Junior D Football

Quarter-final

Phoenix Gaels   2-9      St. Louis     2-10

Fredrick Mason/Dixon     2-2    Baltimore     4-18

Charlotte James Connolly    4-14     Fredrick Mason/Dxon    1-0

Semi-final

Austin Celtics     3-16     Baltimore     2-8

St. Louis    1-11     Charlotte      1-5    

Final

Austin Celtics      1-17      St. Louis     2-5

    

Men's All-American Football

Semi-finals

Philadelphia     2-7       Chicago      0-3

Washington DC     5-10     Boston   1-5

Final

Philadelphia      4-7     Washington DC     3-4

Ladies Senior Football

Semi-final

Boston Roscommon      7-28     Chicago St. Brigid's      0-6

Final

Boston Roscommon      1-17      Boston Shamrocks      1-8

Ladies Intermediate Football

Final

San Francisco Fog City Harps     4-13       Boston Tir na Nog       3-5

Ladies Junior A Football

Semi-finals

Seattle Gaels     1-7       Philadelphia Notre Dame     5-23

Washington DC Gaels       4-8       Atlanta Clan na Gael      2-8 

Final

Washington DC Gaels     5-8     Philadelphia Notre Dame    4-10

Ladies Junior B Football:

Preliminary game

Pittsburgh Banshees     8-7      Denver Gaels      2-5

Quarter-finals

Atlanta Na Fianna     0-10      San Diego Na Fianna      0-7

Chicago McBrides      1-22    Charlotte     1-0

Detroit St Ann's        2-16       Seattle Gaels      3-4

Pittsburgh Banshees      4-6      San Francisco Fog City Harps     1-13

Semi-final

Atlanta Na Fianna     1-8        Detroit St. Ann's     3-6

Chicago McBrides         6-20     Pittsburgh Banshees     0-6

Final

Chicago McBrides        4-8       Detroit St. Ann's      2-7

Senior Camogie 

Final

Chicago St. Mary's      4-4      Boston Eire Og     1-5

Junior Camogie

Final

San Francisco Shamrocks      5-10       Chicago St. Mary's      1-6

Junior Camogie Shield

Final

Washington DC     6-6       Denver     0-1  

Men's Over 40 Football

Final

West      2-6       East       0-7

 

Eamonn Kelly

 

PRO - NACB