Posted by on Wed, 12 Sep 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 10th September 2018
The big night that so many Madden folk had looked forward to had finally arrived for the Madden U16’s last
Thursday. For the first time in the history of our proud club, we had an underage team hoping to take home the
honours with an All-County Division 1 Championship. Standing in our way was Clann Eireann. Going in quietly
confident yet understandable underdogs, Madden knew they had to be prepared. The attention to detail shown
from the Management team of Mickey Grimley, Tony McElvanna and Barry Mallon knew no bounds. From the ice
baths, to the team bonding excursions, to the one-to-one self improvement coaching, to the shared videos of
past players giving solid guidance, to the handpicked water boys who had been there, done it at the highest
level, this was a well coached unit who knew that in order to bring home the cup, they had to leave everything
out on the Athletic Grounds field. And that they did.
Clann Eireann scored first but Madden responded immediately. Eoin Grimley popped over two frees however the
Lurgan opponents then scored two more of their own to lead 3-2. The Clann Eireann full forward can be forgiven
for thinking he was about to hit the net with a ferocious blast until an excellent Shane Grimley pulled off a
point blank save. This seemed to demoralise their opponents, but it buoyed on the Madden youngsters. Crisp
clean tackling from defenders Joe Hughes and Caolan Adair kept Madden in it. The general reading ability and
strong energetic efforts of the excellent Ryan Mone made sure the full back line was air tight. The solid Finn
Hughes and Gary McGuinness made sure the ball was delivered well to powerhouses Shea Vallely, Josh King and
Eoin Donnelly. The non-stop tracking back and counter-attacking of Jack Murphy, Oisin O’Hara and speedster
Oisin Tohill made sure Clann Eireann almost never got a sniff of the ball. The finesse of Darragh McMullen,
and constant chasing of the ball of Tiarnan McGoldrick didn’t disappoint. The sharp shooting super sub Lee
Doran made a massive impression, and last but by no means least, the incredible point scoring exploits of
unquestionable Man of the Match Eoin Grimley who finished the game with 0-10 deserves immense recognition.
Both Danny McElvanna and Ryan McParland came on and played important roles as well as substitutes on the day
but who all played a huge part in the overall teams success throughout the year were Ronan Greene, Niall
O’Hare, Rory Lamb, Tony Coyle and Mike Haughey. The final scoreline read Madden 1-12, Clann Eireann 0-09. This
team who were rank outsiders in this competition from the outset has brought about a serious feel good factor
to Madden GFC and they deserve the utmost praise for their efforts. They will be representing our club in the
famous Paul McGirr Ulster U16 Championship in the next month or so, so I’m sure as like most matches before,
the Madden supporters faithful to the cause will be right beside the lads on the day urging them on. In
conclusion, this was one of the proudest days in the history of Madden GFC and we can only hope this crop of
youngsters can keep blossoming, developing and growing into solid young men who’ll go on to represent our club
for many years to come. #Doubt us now
Madden entered the 3rd round of Senior Championship Matches last Saturday as they made the daunting trip to
newly promoted Silverbridge to a field where Madden had suffered a disappointing League defeat just weeks
before. Luckily, right from the throw-in, one could see that Madden were up for this do-or-die clash. They
cruised to a 1-02 to 0-01 lead after 9 minutes after assured points from Conor Grimley and Aron McKenna right
before Kyle Morgan hit the back of the net after the goalkeepers misplaced kickout allowed Ciaran Rafferty to
penalise.
Rafferty himself then scored two clinical points either side of a Conor Grimley long range free. Niall
Grimley scored a left footer on the 26th minute and it proved to be the last score of a very spirited first
half performance from the Raparees as the scoreline read Silverbridge 0-03, Madden 1-06.
Marshalled by the calm yet commanding Goalkeeping exploits of Ronan Gallagher, the disciplined Madden defence
held firm in the first half, particularly with the duo of Mark Quinn, Peter Lappin impressing.
Silverbridge then scored 4 of the next 5 scores as they embarked on their ambush attempt. Two Aron McKenna
points kept Madden ahead, but it was the superb outfield work rate of the pragmatic Barry Mallon and Man of
the Match Liam Grimley who made sure Madden weren’t going to be denied. Another Kyle Morgan point just before
time elapsed put Madden 4 ahead, until the ‘Bridge put further pressure on with two points, however it was a
case of too little too late as Madden won just their second game in over three months to keep their season
alive. Final scoreline, Silverbridge 0-10, Madden 1-09. Madden now travel to Ballymacnab next Sunday to take
on Dromintee who they now face in the Championship for the second season in succession. Here’s hoping we get
the same result as last year, although reports suggest Dromintee will fancy their chances. It should be a
cracker.
Under the expert tutelage of Brendan McGuinness and Johnny Woods, Madden Minors travelled to Newtownhamilton
on Monday evening to take on Mullaghbawn in the Division 2 Championship Semi-Final. Encouraged by a tremendous
second half performance last time out against St Paul’s, Madden opened the game brimming with confidence.
However any of the large traveling support expecting a thriller weren’t satisfied as the damp weather played a
significant part in the speed of the game. The scoring prowess of Ronan Grimley and Joe Sheridan gave Madden a
deserved 5-3 lead at the break. However it was the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half that killed the game off
with Madden scoring five points in a row. Grimley and Sheridan linking up again, as well as Daire Tohill and
Ryan Carmichael getting in on the act. Some outstanding catches from Man of the Match Ruairi Hughes helped
maintain possession for the Raparees as Madden cruised into the Championship Final on a scoreline of Madden
0-11, Mullaghbawn 0-06. A tremendous achievement for the Madden lads who deserve lavish praise as playing
football in that type of conditions is very tough. They now meet big City rivals Pearse Ogs in the decider to
be played in the coming weeks.
Our U10’s had a busy week. On Wednesday, they visited Ballymacnab and played two matches. Then on Saturday,
they went to Pearse Og Park to take part in the famous Donal Powell Cup with 31 other teams. Our kids
performed very admirably and played some lovely football. They beat a number of teams including St Galls of
Belfast and Cuala of Dublin as they reached the Quarter Final of the Cup competition, where they lost to
eventual winners Ardboe.
Don’t forget the eagerly awaited Madden GFC Night at the Races is on in Madden Social Club on Saturday 22nd
September. The runners with names attached will be known and broadcast soon. This’ll be a night you’ll not
want to miss.
This weeks fixtures
- U6 & U8 Go Games, Madden U6’s & U8’s both play Derrynoose at home on Wednesday 12th September,
6.30pm
- Madden U10’s are taking part in the Athletic Grounds Blitz on Saturday 15th September, 10.30am
- Then on Sunday 16th September, Madden U10’s are taking part in the Derrynoose Blitz, Time TBC
- Senior Championship Play-Off, Dromintee v Madden (in Ballymacnab), Sunday 16th September, 2pm
Posted by on Wed, 12 Sep 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Wednesday 5th September 2018
Last Saturday evening, Madden Seniors welcomed the mighty Crossmaglen Rangers to Raparee Park for the 2nd of
their Group games in the Armagh Senior Championship. Played in excellent conditions, the start was not what
Madden had hoped for. Cross’ were 4-0 up after 6 minutes with star turns Rian O’Neill and Aaron Kernan leading
the way. A point from Captain Liam Grimley settled Madden’s nerves ahead of forwards Kyle Morgan and the
returning Aron McKenna both grabbing a point each to leave the scoreline 5-3 in favour of the South Armagh men
after 10 minutes played. However, two goals and three points in the next 10 minutes for the away side left it
an even greater mountain to climb. Points from Liam and Niall Grimley, and the impressive Niall Smith were
little consolation as the first half finished up, with three further Cross’ points leaving the half time score
Madden 0-06, Crossmaglen 2-11. The efficiency of the 6 time All-Ireland Club Champions was quite remarkable as
they only managed one first half wide.
Madden knew they needed to restore some pride and throw everything at their opponents in the 2nd half, and
that they did. Ryan Grimley went to full forward at the restart and caused chaos for the ‘Rangers defence. The
first knocked down high ball fell to the clinical Conor Grimley who smashed the ball to the net, right after a
Kyle Morgan point. Substitutes Kieran Grimley and Paddy Woods entered the fray at the 35th minute, and from
then on it seemed to be all Madden. Ciaran Rafferty and Conor Grimley nicked a couple of points to give some
hope, however Cross did get a couple of their own. The next 9 minutes though seen Madden score 5 in a row.
Aaron McKenna, Conor Grimley, Paddy Woods and two from Niall Grimley left Madden only two behind and dreaming
of the unimaginable with only 8 points left. Cross’ though scored three of the next four points, and led by 4
as normal time elapsed. It wasn’t over yet though as another high ball went into Ryan Grimley who palmed the
ball to the net on the 61st minute which gave the loud Madden support hope. A few half chances followed,
however they never managed to get the desired equalising point, and so fell to a one point loss. An inspiring,
memorable and downright gutsy Madden performance left everyone bittersweet, but a performance that proves that
on any day, our lads can mix it with the best, considering they out scored their opponents by ten points in
the 2nd half.
Final Score, Madden 2-15, Crossmaglen 2-16. There were strong Madden showings all over the park, but
particular mention needs to go to Donal Rafferty and Cillian Mallon for their 2nd half defensive efforts. The
four Grimley brothers, Liam, Ryan, Kieran and Niall were sizable opponents for Crossmaglen. Aron McKenna,
Niall Smith, Conor Grimley and Paddy Woods all contributed greatly to the cause.
Last Monday night, the Madden Minors travelled to St Paul’s in Lurgan to take on the home side in a Division
Two Championship Quarter Final. St Paul’s boosting some players from the victorious McRory and Hogan Cup
winning team St Ronan’s Lurgan were strong looking on paper. Madden didn’t seem to fire on all cylinders in
the first half with some dropped balls, and near misses leaving them 1-07 to 1-04 behind at half time.
The 2nd half though told a completely different story as they moved up in the gears. Forwards Ronan Grimley
and the imperious Joe Sheridan kept the scoreboard moving, as well as the excellent Ryan Carmichael and
energetic Daire Tohill adding composure when it was most needed. Ruairi Hughes lorded midfield, and the
full line of defence were very solid. Madden outscored their Lurgan counterparts by ten points in the 2nd
half, with the final scoreboard reading St Paul’s 1-09, Madden 3-10.
Buoyed by their impressive Quarter Final win against Middletown, the Madden U14’s travelled to Whitecross
last Tuesday night to take on Loughgilly Gaels in the Shield Semi-Final. Unfortunately though, nothing seemed
to go our way on the evening. Their strong opponents commanded most of the game and ran out deserving winners.
Hard luck to the Madden lads but most of all, thanks for giving us a great season, and we look forward to
seeing you back in the Red and Black next year.
There is a massive five days ahead for Madden GFC. We have the highflying U16’s playing in the All-County
Division One Final on Thursday evening. This will be a massive occasion and if you can, you should go to show
your support. This team are a credit to themselves and their coaches, and are fully deserving of their place
in the final. On Saturday, our Seniors travel to Silverbridge for the final Senior Championship Group game.
Madden need to beat Silverbridge and hope another results goes there way to gain a spot in the play-offs.
Finally, our Minors face Mullaghbawn in the Championship Semi-Final on Monday night.
Madden Raparees are delighted to announce an upcoming fundraiser for our Club which we hope anyone involved
with the club in any capacity, whether it be Manager, Player, Parent, Spectator or you just like to see them
doing well will show their support for. On Saturday 22nd September, the Club are running a “Night at the
races” in the Social Club and would love to see you there. You can purchase a runner for £10 now, or for any
business owners, sponsor a race for £100. Just see any Committee member. One very special prize presented on
the night will be a signed and framed Ireland International Rules Jersey from their Australian exploits down
under last November. To find out how to win it, just turn up on the night.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U10 Go Games, Ballymacnab U10 v Madden U10 (Away), Wednesday 5th September, 6.30pm
- U16 Division 1 Championship Final, Clann Eireann U16 v Madden U16 (Athletic Grounds), Thursday 6th
September, 8pm
- Madden U10’s are taking part in the Pearse Og Blitz on Saturday 8th September at 10am
- U8 Go Games, Armagh Harps U8 v Madden U8 (Away), Saturday 8th September, TBC
- Senior Championship Round 3, Silverbridge v Madden (Away), Saturday 8th September, 6pm
- U18 Division 2 Championship Semi-Final, Madden U18 v Mullaghbawn U18 (Newtown), Monday 10th September,
6.45pm
Posted by on Sat, 25 Aug 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Tuesday 21st August 2018
In a week that brought plenty of joy and celebrations in many ways, there was also much sadness as Madden GFC
lost a true friend of the club.
A very large Madden fanbase in red and black travelled to Silverbridge on Thursday evening to cheer on the
Madden U16 team who played against a very formidable oppenent from Killeavy in the Division 1 Championship
Semi Final. Almost in unknown territory for a club of Madden’s size to compete against the so called big boys
at this level, our boys started nervously, and were under the cosh right from the beginning as Killeavy took a
4-0 lead. However, Madden fought back with Jack Murphy, Ryan Mone and Darragh McMullan all doing their bit to
keep their team in the game. The defense of Caolan Adair, Gary McGuinness, Joe and Finn Hughes were tenacious
in the tackle. By half time, Madden’s wides tallied to 8, but yet they were still only 4 points down, with
Killeavy leading 0-07, to Madden’s 0-03.
As like any well drilled team, Madden moved up in the gears after the break. Their key personnel all upped
their games, with Eoin Grimley, Shea Vallely and Josh King leading the way for the comeback. Solid Goalkeeping
from Shane Grimley kept Killeavy at bay and maintained a clean sheet, whilst out the field, the efforts of
Eoin Donnelly, Oisin O’Hara, Oisin Tohill and Tiarnan McGoldrick were to be admired. Late substitutes Lee
Doran and Ryan McParland also did their bit for the team when it was most needed. With 56 minute gone, Madden
were down by two, before they rattled the net. A nail biting final few moments followed, as Killeavy scored
two points in a row to lead again, though the never-say-die attitude of this developing Madden side came to
the fore once more as a fisted ball into the box equated to another goal, which was scored 4 minutes into
injury time. This sent the Madden followers into jubilant celebrations but the job wasn’t done just yet. The
referee gave Killeavy enough time to have another chance, but the Madden defence held firm, and the team held
on to win the game, and seal their passage to the Championship Final. Final score Madden 2-07, Killeavy 0-12.
A very deserved, hard earned victory for the team and management who will now look forward to Thursday 6th
September, where they’ll play Clann Eireann in the County Final.
Played in wet conditions, last Tuesday our U14’s welcomed neighbours Middletown to Raparee Park for the
Division 3 Shield Quarter Final. Playing only 12-a-side, the first half was very tight. Three goals from
Madden, but conceding two left it all square at the break on a 3-05 to 2-08 scoreline. The excellent Conor
McMahon, Caolan McGoldrick and Evan Hughes all performing starring roles. The restart though is where Madden
upped their game massively. Numberous saves from Goalie Pearse Grimley, strong defence from Caolan Quinn and
Pauric Morgan, and efficient scoring from Dylan Crilly, Tiarnan Tohill and Cathal Maguire all helped to push
Madden well ahead. Jamie Smith, Cahal Donnelly and Dara Hughes each giving a great account of themselves
allowed their team to ease their way to victory and into the Semi-Final which will be played this Sunday.
Final Score, Madden 5-12, Middletown 2-12. Coaches Ricky Greene, Matthew Grimley and Tom Morgan will be
working hard this week in training to make sure our boys are well prepared to try to overcome a strong
Loughgilly Gaels team.
Under the stewardship of master tacticians Danny Donnelly and Matthew Grimley, on Sunday morning, a small
gathering of Madden U12’s ventured to compete in the Granemore Cup. Playing with vigour and showing an
impressive appetite to win, our boys defeated Ballyhegan, Ballymacnab and Co. Tyrone team Brockagh in the
Group stages. Caolan Quinn, Cahal Donnelly, Niall Stevenson and Paidi Comiskey all putting in great
performances to help Madden earn the victories. Dromintee came next in the semi final, but with players like
Kevin Tighe, Aaron Grimley and Dara Hughes, Madden were not to be undone. As if scripted, Madden got the team
they wanted in the final, their neighbours and rivals Keady. The unbelievable efforts of Shaan Bayrajee, Dylan
Crilly and Caolan McGoldrick all contributed massively to the win against Keady, which made the way for
Captain and leader on the day Tony Moore who lifted the Granemore Cup with huge pride. Massive congratulations
to the young lads for their achievements on a day that they’ll never forget.
This weekend sees the start of the newly formatted Armagh Senior Club Championship. Four Groups of four teams
will compete in a round-robin series, with each group winner going straight through to the quarter final, and
the 2nd & 3rd places teams having to play-off to determine who also makes the quarter finals. Madden have
three games, three Saturdays in a row. They begin their campaign against Clann Eireann at home this Saturday,
before welcoming the mighty Crossmaglen Rangers to Raparee Park, before traveling to Silverbridge the
following week. Good luck to the players and management in what is sure to be a tough, yet enjoyable
experience playing against some of the top teams in the County.
In June this year, we had a celebratory night for the victorious Junior and Intermediate teams of 1993 &
1994 that were managed by Clontibret’s Sean Woods. Sadly just 2 months later those players, management and
indeed many throughout our club are mourning Sean’s unexpected death after a short illness. Sean was in great
form that night and spoke as well as he had done on many occasions 25 years earlier. As one of our members
said on hearing the news on Sunday “ Sean loved Madden, and Madden loved Sean”. He gave us many happy days
both on and off the field and those of us that were lucky enough to know him during his time with us will have
very fond memories of him, and the odd yarn to tell as well. Sean was a mentor. A motivator. A father figure
to his players. He instilled in them an inner belief that they could be as good as any team they faced and
every single person bought into the theory. To his wife Bridie, children Geraldine, Brenda and Sean, we offer
our deepest sympathy on the loss of a true Gael whom we in Madden will never forget.
Rest In Peace Sean. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Upcoming Fixtures
- Madden U8’s are taking part in two Blitz’ this weekend, Armagh Athletic Grounds (Saturday 25th August,
10.30am) & Keady (Sunday 26th August, 10.30am)
- Senior Football Championship Round 1, Madden v Clann Eireann (Home), Saturday 25th August, 5pm
- Madden U10’s are taking part in a Blitz at Armagh Athletic Grounds, Sunday 26th August, 10.30am
Posted by on Sat, 25 Aug 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 13th August 2018
Playing in their last League game of the season, Madden Seniors made the daunting trip to Silverbridge, who
had a major prize to compete for, as a win would secure promotion to Division 1A next year. Missing a couple
of regulars and under pressure early from the quite intimidating large following of home supporters, Madden
just didn’t get going properly, as a strong ‘Bridge defence hustled the ball back on most occasions Madden
attacked. Sparse scoring opportunities allowed the Away side to get three points on the board, but with
Silverbridges’ dominance, the half time scoreline read Silverbridge 0-09, Madden 0-03. Unfortunately the
second half didn’t transpire as a remarkable fight back, as apart from the odd moment of flare including a
Conor Grimley goal which reduced the gap to four, Madden played second fiddle for most of the evening. A
forgetful outing, as I’d expect the players and management would like to just move on from and look towards
the Senior Championship which is only around the corner. Final scoreline, Silverbridge 0-17, Madden 1-06.
Congratulations go to opponents Silverbridge who deservedly achieved promotion for the second year running and
will compete with the big boys in Division 1A next year.
Madden’s U14’s made the trip to Forkhill last Tuesday evening. Despite some valiant efforts and fine score
taking, our lads were shown no mercy by the home side who ran out convincing winners.
At Saturday’s St Paul’s U10 tournament in Lurgan, Madden U10’s put in an impressive display to reach the
Semi-Finals, but to narrowly lose out to Wolfe Tones at the end by just one point. After beating the likes of
Maghery and Tir na nOg, our youngsters should be very proud of their efforts, and will be looking forward to
the busy week ahead. On Wednesday, they play Tullysaran, before making the journey to play in the Dromintee
Blitz on Saturday.
Our U8’s went to Tullysaran last Thursday and had a great time. As always, they played entertaining football
under the watchful eye of Coaches Phillip Mallon, Kevin McElvanna and Ciara Gallagher, and not to forget to
mention a collection of supporting parents. The younger bunch, the U6’s played host to Granemore on Sunday in
what can only be described as an enthralling encounter. It’s always great to see plenty of young Raparees
eager to wear the Red and Black Jersey with so much joy and pride.
This upcoming Thursday sees the eagerly awaited Division 1 Championship Semi Final played in the neutral
venue of Silverbridge, where our U16’s will play against the mighty Killeavy. This promises to be an
end-to-end game of classic Championship fever football, and your support for the young Raparees will be very
welcome. This is a historic event for our young boys to compete at this high level and one that hopefully they
can embrace. Good luck to the players and management, we’re all behind you. #uptheraps
Madden Raparees are delighted to announce an upcoming fundraiser for our Club which we hope anyone involved
with the club in any capacity, whether it be Manager, Player, Parent, Spectator or you just like to see them
doing well will show their support for. On Saturday 22nd September, the Club are running a “Night at the
races” in the Social Club and would love to see you there. You can purchase a runner for £10 now, or for any
business owners, sponsor a race for £100. Just see any Committee member. One very special prize presented on
the night will be a signed and framed Ireland International Rules Jersey from their Australian exploits down
under last November. To find out how to win it, just turn up on the night.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U14 Shield Quarter Final, Madden U14 v Middletown U14 (Home), Tuesday 14th August, 7.30pm
- U10 Go Games, Tullysaran U10 v Madden U10 (Away), Wednesday 15th August, 7pm
- U16 Division 1 Championship, Killeavy U16 v Madden U16 (Silverbridge), Thursday 16th August, 7.15pm
- U14 League Division 3B, Granemore U14 v Madden U14 (Away), Friday, 17th August, 6.30pm
- Madden U10’s are taking part in the Dromintee Blitz on Saturday 18th August, 10am
- U8 Go Games, Grange U8 v Madden U8 (Away), Saturday 18th August, TBC
Posted by on Sat, 25 Aug 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 6th August 2018
Already assured of Senior League football next season, Madden Seniors travelled to Derrytrasna on Friday
night to take on High Moss Sarsfields. An underwhelming first half performance left them trailing 2-08 v 0-04
going in at the break. Thankfully though, a much improved second half was delivered as Madden found their
range, playing more expansive and open football. This included a couple of unsuccessful goal chances with the
crossbar and post both hit. The uplifting turnaround left the team spirited as they approach Championship
season, but yet in all, a 2-12 v 0-13 defeat was the final result. Best for Madden on the evening were Niall
Grimley, Donal Rafferty, Niall Smith and Peter Lappin. A special mention goes to 18 year old Ronan Grimley who
made his Senior debut, for what supporters hope will amount to a bright future in the Red and Black for years
to come.
Next Monday will bring us the Draw for the Armagh Club Championship. As you may know for the first time this
year, teams get the opportunity to take part in a Round-Robin series which guarantees three matches per team.
Two seeded teams from Division 1A, and two from Division 1B, will square off in four different groups, with
the top finishing team going straight through to the Quarter finals, and the second and third placed teams
then playing off to see who joins them. An intriguing few weeks Championship football awaits us.
Under the watchful eye of their pragmatic Management team of Mickey Grimley, Tony McElvanna and Barry Mallon,
Madden U16’s welcomed Clann Eireann to Raparee Park last Thursday. In the first half though, the home side
just never got going properly falling behind to a 2-06 to 0-04 deficit as the Lurgan side looked classy. Not
dissimilar to their Senior teams’ second half exploits, the Madden lads came out all guns blazing after the
break, as a goal from the excellent Eoin Donnelly, and strong fielding from both Shea Vallely and Eoin Grimley
led the fight back, although it turned out to be just too little too late, as they succumbed to a 3 point
defeat. Final Scoreline, Madden 1-11, Clann Eireann 2-11. All-in-all though, an encouraging second half gives
them great hope as they look towards their Division 1 Championship Semi-Final in the next couple of weeks.
Our U12.5’s hosted the newly formed Championship Group of local teams on Saturday. Despite beating
Ballymacnab, Madden’s day ended slightly disappointing after a few unlucky defeats. But generally speaking,
the kids tried very hard and have every right to hold their heads up high and will learn plenty from their
overall performance.
Both our U10’s & U8’s visited Blitz’ on Saturday morning in Blackwatertown and Middletown respectively.
As always, our youngsters displayed great endeavour and pride in their jerseys as they develop their ball
handling, passing, tackling and scoring skills. A special mention goes out to the parents and grandparents who
always travel in large numbers to encourage and support our kids. Keep up the good work folks.
Madden Raparees are delighted to announce an upcoming fundraiser for our Club which we hope anyone involved
with the club in any capacity, whether it be Manager, Player, Parent, Spectator or you just like to see them
doing well will show their support for. On Saturday 22nd September, the Club are running a “Night at the
races” in the Social Club and would love to see you there. You can purchase a runner for £10 now, or for any
business owners, sponsor a race for £100. Just see any Committee member. One very special prize presented on
the night will be a signed and framed Ireland International Rules Jersey from their Australian exploits down
under last November. To find out how to win it, just turn up on the night.
Massive congratulations go out to Madden’s newest All-Ireland Road Bowls Champions Kelly Mallon and Sinead
Kiernan. Both ladies threw tremendous scores to triumph on the Tullysaran road at the weekend. Also, even
though he didn’t cross the line in first place, young Niall Stevenson should be very proud of his runner-up
place in the U14 boys section. Well done all.
Madden Raparees GFC would like to extend their sympathy to Mairead Moore and family on the death of her
mother Patsy in Granemore last week. Mairead was one of our dancers a number of years ago in our Strictly
fundraiser and her mum and family were all there to support her. Both Shea and Tony are underage players with
the club and Jim has been playing and managing at many levels over the years. To Mairead, Jim and family, and
to the entire O’Neill family circle, we assure them that they are in our thoughts and prayers at this
difficult time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U14 League Division 3B, Forkhill U14 v Madden U14 (Away), Tuesday 7th August, 7.30pm
- Senior League Division 1B, Silverbridge v Madden (Away), Friday 10th August, 7.30pm
- Madden U10’s are taking part in the St Pauls Blitz, Saturday 11th August, TBC
Posted by on Mon, 6 Aug 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 30th July 2018
Playing in their first League game in over three weeks, the Madden Senior Squad welcomed Annaghmore Pearses
to Raparee Park on Saturday evening. Depleted due to recent injuries and without a host of regulars on their
holidays, Madden were still able to remain competitive thanks to precision, tenacious tackling and an
overzealous will to win. Six first half converted frees from Niall Grimley, and a point each from Ciaran
Rafferty and Kyle Morgan wasn’t enough to keep their counterparts under wraps though, as Annaghmore went in at
half time 1-06 to 0-08 ahead. The goal coming from the towering full forward who utilised his strength
advantage to slip the ball past the assured Ronan Gallagher. On the restart, Madden hit somewhat of a purple
patch as they led 0-12 to 1-07 after 38 minutes. Ciaran Rafferty, Colin Mallon and Caolan Vallely all getting
on the scoresheet. Solid efforts from Liam, Ryan and Gerard Grimley around the middle strengthened Madden’s
challenge with Kyle Morgan also nicking another point however Annaghmore forced their way back into contention
with 3 points in as many minutes, to lead by a solitary point before Niall Grimley scored another long range
point one minute from time to level proceedings. The game concluded with both defenses holding firm, and
shared the spoils with a draw on a Madden 0-14, Annaghmore 1-11 scoreline. The performances of defenders
Kieran Grimley, Peter Lappin and Cillian Mallon all deserve a special mention. Not the overall seasonal
objective at the outset however this result now assures Madden safety in the division and guarantees Senior
League Football next year with two games to spare. Well done to both the Management team and players.
Hopefully this will springboard their season ahead of the inaugural Round-Robin Senior Championship which
begins in August.
Last Tuesday evening, Madden U16’s entertained County Monaghan neighbours Cremartin who included young Barry
John Grimley in their ranks, son of former Madden Captain, the illustrious Barry “Bugsy” Grimley. It turned
out to be a nice run-out for the Madden lads, who after a prolonged midseason break will be eager to return to
competitive action this week when they welcome Clann Eireann.
Madden U10’s travelled to Granemore twice last week. On Wednesday to play two simultaneous games against the
kids in White & Green, then on Sunday morning when they took part in the annual Granemore U10 Blitz. The
Blitz was a tremendous success, as sixteen teams took part, spread over eight mini-pitches. Our heroic kids
played some excellent football defeating the likes of Granemore, Pearse Ogs, Ballymacnab and Grange along the
way. Every child played their part courageously and are deserving of huge praise for playing seven games in
the Red & Black in a two hour period. The Coaching team of Eugene & Mary Crilly, Gary Comiskey, Helen
O’Reilly, Gary Hughes and Ryan Morgan as well as the large traveling parental support were beaming with pride.
Madden U6’s got a lovely wee outing on Monday evening when they travelled to Blackwatertown to take on An
Port Mor. Fantastic efforts came from Kacey Cox, Cahir Casey, Rioghan Grimley, Annie Greene, Leila Hughes, Joe
Gallagher, James Carroll, Killian Greene, Dara McElvanna, Lorcan McKinney, Olivia Smith, Conan Casey and
Fergal Mallon.
The recently announced Madden GFC “Night at the Races” will be in Madden Social Club on Saturday 22nd
September. You will have the opportunity to own a horse, or even sponsor a race. Contact any member of the
executive committee for more details.
This Saturday 4th August, Madden Social Club are hosting an exhibition with Darts legend Wayne “Hawaii 501”
Mardle whom some of you will be familiar with from commentating on sky sports Darts. As well as provide lots
of banter, he’ll play a number of local Darts throwers including our very own Senior footballer Gerard Grimley
and Vice-Chairman Paul Vallely. It’s only £5 in and as always, your support is very welcome.
On another note, Madden GFC would like to congratulate recent All-Ireland Girls U14 Road Bowls winner Shannon
Maguire on her victory in Cork recently. And would like to wish Madden’s Kelly Mallon, Geraldine Kiernan and
U12/U14 footballer Niall Stevenson the very best of luck as they take part in their own All-Ireland finals
this weekend.
Finally, thank you to any patrons who gave up their time last Thursday evening to clean up the Football
Grounds. Without the support, the work would have been left to a small group of people, so your help is very
much appreciated. Don’t worry though for those of who who missed it, their will be further opportunity down
the line to help out.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U14 League Division 3, Granemore U14 v Madden U14 (Away), Tuesday 31st July, 7.30pm
- U16 League Division 1, Madden U16 v Clann Eireann U16 (Home), Thursday 2nd August, 7.30pm
- Senior League Division 1B, Sarsfields v Madden (Away), Friday 3rd August, 8pm
- U8 Go Games, Derrynoose U8 v Madden U8 (Away), Saturday 4th August, TBC
- Madden U10’s are taking part in an U10 Blitz in An Port Mor on Saturday 4th August, TBC
- U12.5 Shield Play-Offs hosted in Raparee Park, Madden, The Madden U12.5 team will be taking part, Saturday
4th August, 12pm
- Madden U6’s are taking part in an U6 Blitz in Abbey Park on Sunday 5th August, TBC
Posted by on Mon, 6 Aug 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 23rd July 2018
Without a game for a couple of weeks, Madden Seniors needed a challenge and they certainly got it on Friday
night against last years Antrim Intermediate Championship winners, St Brigids Belfast. Despite some holiday
goers and recent serious injuries to Ryan Morgan and Neil McGuinness who we console with and wish the best of
luck with their recovery, Madden fielded a strong starting team. The game was structured to suit forwards as
both teams pushed forward relentlessly in the open contest. Goals from Gerard Grimley and Conor Greene helped
Madden lead 2-08 to 1-07 at the break. The Belfast team put in a very spirited performance and kept the
scoreboard ticking, although it was the Raparees forwards who took the overall initiative, and particularly
Kyle Morgan (0-04) and the reinvigorated Ciaran Rafferty (0-08) who seized control. Unfortunately a sucker
punch goal at the end levelled things up and resulted in a drawn match with the final scoreline Madden 2-18,
St Brigids Belfast 3-15. All-in-all though, an assured performance that leaves a positive mindset going into
the make-or-break period of the season. It was great to see the Madden Management blooding youngsters like
Conor Greene and Oisin Hughes, as well as granting a cameo appearance to blast-from-the-past Ronan Gallagher
who looked solid in nets. Many thanks to the traveling outfit St Brigids who for the second year running, made
the long journey to visit Raparee Park.
Madden U14’s played host to close-by neighbours Middletown on Tuesday last. Played in near perfect
conditions, both teams served up an entertaining hours’ football, although it was Madden who got off to the
better start going 7pts to 5pts up after 15 minutes. However by half time, Middletown had closed the gap to
1pt. The 2nd half started well for Madden, hitting a goal from the throw-in but the 4 week break and the
absence of key players took it’s toll as Middletown took the lead on 45 minutes and held out for an 8 point
victory. A decent team performance with everyone playing their part admirably. Final Scoreline Madden 5-12,
Middletown 6-17. Both teams will clash again in the 1st round of the Championship Shield, where hopefully
Madden with a bit more resilience can reverse the outcome.
Madden Raparees are delighted to announce an upcoming fundraiser for our Club which we hope anyone involved
with the club in any capacity, whether it be Sponsor, Manager, Player, Parent, Spectator or you just like to
see them doing well will show their support for. On Saturday 22nd September, the Club are running a “Night at
the races” in Madden Social Club. A fantastic night is guaranteed. Anyone who wishes to sponsor a horse at
£10, or sponsor a race at £100, in the coming weeks please contact any member of the executive committee. As
always, your contribution big or small, is very much appreciated.
On Saturday 4th August, Madden Social Club are hosting an exhibition with Darts legend Wayne “Hawaii 501”
Mardle whom some of you will be familiar with from commentating on sky sports Darts. As well as provide lots
of banter, he’ll play a number of local Darts throwers including our very own Senior footballer Gerard
Grimley. It’s only £5 in and as always, your support is very welcome.
Finally, this Thursday 26th July, in order to make sure our facilities and grounds are kept to a high
standard for all our teams, there is a small gathering of people going to Raparee Park at 7pm to do a general
clean up. If you’re free for an hour to assist in any way, your help would be very much appreciated. Thank
you.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U16 Challenge Match, Madden U16 v Cremartin U17 (Home), Tuesday 24th July, 7.30pm
- U10 Go Games, Granemore U10 v Madden U10 (Away), Wednesday 25th July, TBC
- Senior League Division 1B, Madden v Annaghmore (Home), Saturday 28th July, 7pm
- U10 Blitz, Madden U10’s are taking part in the Granemore U10 Blitz, Sunday 29th July, 11am
Posted by on Sat, 21 Jul 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 16th July 2018
Just the one solitary game took place involving a Madden team last week. Our Reserves made the long trip deep
into South Armagh to take on Dromintee. Disappointingly fielding with only 14 players, Madden began brightly
and gave as good as they got, going into the half time break level on a 0-06 to 0-06 scoreline. However, in
the second period, Dromintee were ruthless in the scoring zone, accumulating 2-11 to Madden’s 2-01, which
resulted in a 10 point loss for the Raparees on a final score of Dromintee 2-17, Madden 2-07. A strong showing
from 2 goal hero Pearse O’Hagan led the way for Madden, with courageous efforts also coming from Paddy Woods,
David Loughran, Gerard Grimley and Dara Connolly.
As like the previous 7 days, this week offers up a small amount of games. It will be back to normal in the
coming weeks.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U14 League Division 3, Madden U14 v Middletown U14 (Home), Tuesday, 7.15pm
- Senior Challenge Match, Madden v St Brigids Belfast (Home), Friday, 8pm
Posted by on Sat, 21 Jul 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Monday 9th July 2018
After coasting to victory against Whitecross last Tuesday, Madden Seniors had only a couple of days recovery
before they travelled to North Armagh to take on bottom of the table team Tir na nOg. The fact that Madden
have consistently struggled on the Portadown pitch for years led them to think this encounter would be
difficult, and as it turned out unfortunately as like previous years, the Raparees failed to impress in a
lacklustre display. The first half was very cagey and ended with only one score between the teams as Madden
led 9 points to 8 at the break. Supporters pleas for a better performance in the second period fell on deaf
ears as they never really got going properly. Tir na nOg finished the better team on the night with a late
goal, which left the final scoreline as a disappointing Tir na nOg 2-11, Madden 0-14. Positive efforts from
Neil McGuinness, Peter Lappin and Ryan Morgan deserve special recognition.
As it stands, Madden have 3 League games left but are only 3 points clear of the second from bottom team
Whitecross, so to guarantee safety, at least one or maybe two wins are likely required when the season
continues after the holiday break in two weeks time.
In a very high scoring and entertaining contest played at Raparee Park on Monday evening, under the watchful
eye of Club legends Brendan McGuinness and Johnny Woods, Madden U18’s took on an energetic Carrickcruppen.
Despite clinical efforts from forwards Joe Sheridan and Ronan Grimley, Madden came up just short on an
exasperating final scoreline of Madden U18 4-15, Carrickcruppen U18 5-19. Midfielder Rory Hughes as per usual
put in a serious shift as did the hardworking Chris McParland.
Madden U10’s made the journey to Grange last Wednesday for a game played in humid conditions. As they are now
accustomed to, all the kids showed tremendous effort and should be applauded for their desire to get the ball.
Special mention for their constant hard work goes to Jamie Crilly, Brendan Comiskey, Tadhg Grimley, Ryan
Mallon and Caolan Fitzpatrick.
Most of our teams are now on the mid-July break but play will resume in a couple of weeks time. As the summer
continues, some big Championship games are coming up, with the Senior Championship in particular where the
League conclusion will determine who draws who in the newly formed Round Robin series. Details of the new
structure can be found here http://armaghgaa.net/football/club-football-league-crucial-for-2018-championship/
Also certainly worth a mention is the eagerly anticipated U16 Division 1 Championship Semi-Final between
Madden and Killeavy which is scheduled for Thursday 16th August in Silverbridge.
Upcoming Fixtures
- Reserve League South, Dromintee v Madden (Away), Wednesday 11th July, 8pm
Thank you for your continued support of Madden Raparees
Posted by on Sat, 21 Jul 2018
Madden GFC Weekly Notes
Date; Wednesday 4th July 2018
Competing for the first time in almost three weeks, Madden Seniors welcomed Sarsfields to Raparee Park on
Friday evening. Madden began the game in lethargic form and quickly went well behind, with the Away team
scoring two goals in succession, to leave the half time score Madden 0-06, Sarsfields 2-08. The second half
didn’t turn out much better, as Sarsfields pressurised the Madden defence frequently. In a game that’s best
forgotten, the final scoreline read Madden 1-10, Sarsfields 4-13.
In a must win clash with old foes Whitecross on Tuesday, our Seniors knew that they had to perform, or a
defeat would leave them in an extremely vulnerable position in the League. Thankfully they started brightly,
with early goals denying Whitecross the ability to get into the game properly. By half time, Madden led 3-05
to 0-08 and were in complete control. They strolled comfortably through the second half until the final
whistle blew, with the result reading Whitecross 1-15, Madden 3-12. An important win in their quest to stay in
the division with better performances on the evening coming from Kyle Morgan, Niall Smith, Mark Quinn and
substitute Kieran Grimley.
Madden U16’s made the trip to Abbey Park to take on Armagh Harps in the Championship. Played in very warm
conditions, this eagerly anticipated quarter final match lived up to expectations and as like any good game,
the result was always in doubt right up to the final whistle. Eoin Grimley opened the scoring with a point
from play and a free, before Harps would get on the scoresheet. However it would be a further 15mins before
Madden would score again, and at this stage Harps had opened their account, leading 3pts to 2 with almost 20
mins gone. Darragh McMullan who had an excellent game then got on the scoresheet, which was soon followed by
an Oisin Tohill fisted point to put Madden on top again, heading into the last 5mins of the half. 2 further
scores from play from Darragh put the Madden boys 3 ahead but again Harps responded though with 2 from play
and 1 from a free to leave the h/t score Madden 0-6 Harps 0-6. Points were swapped over the first tense and
tight 10mins of the second half and it looked like the team that were able to possibly get a goal would likely
go on and win it. Harps did get that goal on 11 mins and they were at this stage winning a lot of breaking
ball all over the pitch. This Madden team have shown their ability in the league to take crucial scores at key
moments in a game, and after winning the ball Oisin Tohill rounded his marker, went on one of his trademark
runs and planted the ball in the corner of the Harps net to leave the sides level and all to play for with
15mins left on the clock. All over the pitch Madden upped their game and with Ryan Mone excellent at full
back, and Josh King now winning the midfield battle, more ball was going into the forward line and an Eoin
Grimley free was quickly followed by points from play from Jack Murphy and Oisin Tohill. We had chances to
pull further ahead, but they either went wide or dropped short and Harps got the scoreboard going again to
leave 2 between them with 7mins remaining. The game went Maddens way when a ball into the square was broke
back out to Oisin O’Hara and a point would have been a good score, but with always an eye for a goal chance
Oisin planted the ball low and hard into the Harps net and the win was almost there. A point from play from
Eoin Grimley seemed to ensure victory with a minute left but some last ditch defending was required as Harps
threw everything forward trying to salvage the game. 2 points from play was all they could muster, and Oisin
Tohill who had an excellent second half completed the scoring with 36mins on the clock. Final score Madden
2-12 Harps 1-10. An excellent result and although not our best performance of the year, when it comes to
Championship football, it’s all about the result and moving into the Semi-Final. Best on the night were Ryan
Mone, Finn Hughes, Shea Vallely, Josh King, Eoin Grimley, Darragh McMullan and Oisin Tohill.
Madden U10’s had a memorable evening in Pearse Og Park, Ballycrummy last Wednesday evening as they ended up
beating all the teams put in front of them. They beat four very strong teams which included Crossmaglen,
Pearse Ogs, Ballymacnab and Tullysaran. Unusually, played as a Silent Blitz where the kids had the freedom to
make their own judgements without verbals from coaches, it was a great success. Efforts from the whole squad
deserve massive respect, with a special mention going to Niall Woods, Danny McGurgan, Paddy Comiskey, Caolan
Fitzpatrick and Reece Hughes.
On Sunday morning, our U8s took part in a mid- Armagh blitz hosted by Granemore. Playing in very warm
conditions, our youngsters played against the Armagh Harps, Pearse Ogs, An Port Mor,
Granemore,Ballymacnab & Derrynoose. The kids more than held their own in all games, competing very well. A
great effort was made by all with Oisin Tighe, Niamh McElvanna and Patrick Morgan doing particularly well.
Oisin Coyle, Sean Lappin and Tara Gray showed great improvement also. Well done to all.
Joyous from their unforgettable victory over Clare at the Athletic Grounds last weekend, Armagh were rewarded
with a trip to Portlaoise at 3pm this Saturday where they will play the Division 1 bound Roscommon. Sure to be
another big occasion, Madden’s Niall Grimley coming of the back of a particularly strong final 10 minutes
against Clare, is wished the best of luck from involved with Madden GFC. Hopefully Niall and the Orchard
County men can kick-on and reach the inaugural Super 8’s the following weekend.
Upcoming Fixtures
- U10 Go Games, Grange U10 v Madden U10 (Away), Tonight, 7pm
- U16 League Division 1A, Crossmaglen U16 v Madden U16 (Away), Thursday 5th July, 7.30pm
- Senior League Division 1B, Tir na nOg v Madden (Away), Friday 6th July, 8pm
