In Ladies senior football, The Roscomon girls would not let the final slip away from them this year, as they

held on to the very end to claim victory over thier rivals The Shamrocks.

Boston Ma. August 30, 2006. Boston can again lay claim to some of the best GAA action this side of the Atlantic Ocean, with the successful conclusion of the 2006 Boston Northeast GAA Championship finals that were played over this past weekend at the Irish Cultural center in Canton. In conditions that were to say the least miserable, a large crowd was in attendance in the pouring rain to witness some fine Gaelic football and hurling action. [For a full report on all the action, check out The Boston Irish Zine]It is on from here to Philadelphia this coming weekend for the North American Championship finals [click here for the full schedule of games]. All going well I plan on being on the sideline to capture all the action. The very best of luck to all the teams..

The NACB final will be played at

7979 State Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19136-3407

Google Map it!

[looks better on the ground!]

The Boston teams that will feature in Philadelphia

2006 Ladies Senior Champions: Roscommon
2006 Ladies Junior Champions: Roscommon
2006 Men’s Senior Football Champions: McAnespies
2006 Men’s Junior Football Champions: McAnespies
2006 Senior Hurling: Wexford
2006 Junior Hurling: Fr. Toms
2006 Intermediate Football: Galway [Back to senior level football for Galway in 2007]

In the end there was no holding McAnespies as the took the

victory over the Shannon blues in SFC

Boston Gaa: Sunday August 13th 2006

Ladies senior football/Championship
Tir na N’og 2-05 Shamrocks 1-14

The ladies of the Boston Shamrocks GFC would again leave their mark as they grabbed the victory over Tir na nog.
Tir na nog were lucky to show two goals on the score card as they were both by chance, easy scores. The Shamrocks will await the outcome of next Sunday’s semi final game between Roscommon and Tir na nog to determine who they will meet in the final
.
Hard to call, but I would give the edge to Roscommon in the semi final based on their performance in their last game.


Men’s senior football/Championship
Donegal 1-17 Mayo 0-05
A sense of urgency was obvious in the opening minutes of the first of the men’s senior football games to be played on this day. Donegal had to take this victory to move to the semi finals, an early favorite for the title, Donegal suffered a crushing loss to the Shannon Blues a week earlier. Donegal put down their deposit for the semi-final early in this game against Mayo and had the contract in hand by the half, never to look back.
Donegal goes onto meet McAnespies, this will surely be one of the best games of the year, tight to the end possibly going to extra time, don’t miss this one!

Senior hurling/Championship

Wexford 4-20 Fr. Toms 3-15

Massive stuff! Wexford steps forward as the team to beat, an awesome show of pressure and results. Fr. Toms played their game, contact, hard hitting, they would show with scores early but lost momentum, often not seeming to have the answers for the skill of Wexford.
Although both teams were already through to the championship semi-finals before the sliothar dropped Sunday, this game decided who would sit a top of the pile.

Bring your safety glasses next Sunday as there will be bits of hurls flying as Wexford goes onto meet Tipp in the semi final. I would have to give Wexford the edge, unless Tipp can bring the team back together for the finals.

Men’s senior football/Championship

McAnespies 0-11 Blues 0-8

After coming off a victory against Donegal last week Shannon Blues would come into Sundays match against McAnespies with a chance to go onto the finals. A game that could have gone either way, it was a hard fought first half. Macs would open quickly in the second, pulling away from the Blues. But with every bit of heart that could be found on the GAA field the Blues would bring it back within check to level the scores, down to the wire it went. These are two teams that have some great supporters and did they ever spur on their respective team to the very end. In the end there would only be one victor, the Mac’s would find that sixth gear and pulled away from the Blues.

Shannon Blues now face the daunting reality that they might be bumped down to Intermediate football for next year. They will playoff against Cork; the victor stays in the senior championship the losses steps down.


Semi Final ScheduleSaturday August 19

Field A

1:15 - Jr A semi-final Donegal v Cork

2:30 - Jr A semi-final Wolfetones v McAnespies

3:45 - Jr Hurling Semi-final

4:00 - Ladies Jr Ft semi-final Roscommon v Shamrocks

5:30 - Int Football semi-final Kerry v St. Colmbkilles

Sunday August 20 Field A

12:00 LSF semi-final Roscommon v Tir na nog

1:15 Senior Hurling - semi-final Galway v Fr. Toms

2:30 Senior Football - semi-final Donegal v McAnespies

3:45 Senior Hurling - semi-final Tipperary v Wexford

5:30 Senior Football - semi-final Wolfetones v Gaels

Boston Gaa, Sunday August 6th 2006

Armagh ND Vs Cork SFC
An Armagh team that had it’s share of up and downs in the 2006 SFC [more downs that ups] would make good in their last championship game of the year. Down to Cork in the opening half of the game, Armagh would charge back to take the lead with goal by Mannion and go on to take the victory. Cork finds themselves needing to pull out all the stops or face relegation.

Cork 2:04 Armagh ND 1:10


Donegal Vs Shannon Blues SFC

Donegal could put this loss down to a four-week lay off, but for whatever reason this was not the same Donegal team that showed up in past outings.

Shannon Blues masterfully knocked Donegal out of the game before they got started. An early point from a free by Kevin Curran would put Donegal on the board first, but the Blues were well able to keep the northern boys at bay. Hard hitting on and off the ball would keep the New York based referee on the whistle, while offering up a few yellow cards along the way. The loss for Donegal leaves them in a must win game next Sunday against Mayo, to secure a place in the finals.

For the Blues, correct me if I wronf but if a series of events fall into place they could find themselves in the playoffs, stranger things have happened. If not they could face Cork in a relegation playoff game.

Shannon Blue 1:10 Donegal 0:11

Senior Hurling:

Tipp Vs Galway SHC

Again for the second time in two weeks Tipp would fall, for those of you not understanding the significance of this, you need to understand that this is a team that has not lost a game in nearly two years. Galway held the edge through the play, getting the ball past Kevin Jordon not once but twice…although in the end the victory by Galway was with a single point, Tipp were not themselfs. I say it now! get the B.S. resolved with Grady and fill the hole left in his absence. ”Coming together is a beginning.Keeping together is progress.Working together is success” by Henry Ford [and he's a boy would know].

Tipp 1:14 Galway 2:12

Schedule for Sunday August 12th
12:00 Intermeadit Football >>St Columbkilles V Kerry

1:15 LSHC >>Tir na nog V Shamrocks

2:30 SFC >>Donegal V Mayo

3:4 SHC >>Fr. Toms V Wexford

5:00 SFC >>McAnespies V Shannon Blues

PASTRANA TAKES FIRST-EVER RALLY CAR RACING GOLD AT
X GAMES 12
MCRAE ROLLS IT, RIGHTS IT, MISSES GOLD BY 0.52 SECONDS
Los Angeles – August 5, 2006 Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom won the first-ever X Games Rally Car Racing gold medal, but Colin McCrae may have stolen away the
signature moment from the debut final at The Home Depot Center.
McCrae, who entered Saturday’s “Super Special” ahead of Pastrana by 0.5 second
overall, appeared to be headed for the gold as he re-entered the stadium for the final
push to the finish line.

That’s when the car got loose on McCrae and co-driver Nicky
Grist and rolled over. True to his reputation as a rally car racing legend, McCrae didn’t
miss a beat, kept his foot on the pedal, and when the car landed back on its tires gunned
to a silver medal finish – missing gold by just 0.52 seconds.

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino drove away with the bronze medal.
Even Pastrana, who also took home X Games gold on Friday night in the Moto X Best
Trick, had praise for McCrae following the competition.
“It’s an honor to be next to Colin McCrae,” said Pastrana. “I’m very surprised to have
won the first X Games rally car event. No words can describe it.
It’s been the best week of my life.

I’m so happy that rally racing has a presence in the X Games.”
McCrae, disappointed the gold got away from him, was still excited about Rally Car
Racing’s debut at X Games 12.

“It’s not the way I wanted to finish,” said McCrae, “But it was the best show we could
possibly put on here at X Games. I’m so happy to get the first X Games rally racing silver
medal.”

Block added, “It’s exciting to take the first X Games bronze and to be racing in the
presence of Travis Pastrana and Colin McCrae.”

Rhys Millen burns rubber as he slides the car around the paved course at the

Home Depot center home of Rally @ X-Games 12

ESPN Images/Shazamm

Will McRea lift the Gold?

The practice is complete; the stage is set for the explosive introduction of Rally @ X-Games 12 in LA. Rally America’s overall Championship points leader Travis Pastrana has already lifted a gold Medal in the Moto X Best trick competition.

ABC will air the Rally today between 3-6pm EST. Chances are good for Subaru to take the Gold, Silver and Bronze, with all but 4 of the 12 contenders in the Open Class AWD been Subaru’s. The crews have already completed several stages in the hills outside of LA earlier this week, but this is what it is all about, getting to the Home Depot center to strut their stuff. It should be an easy win for McRea, but after that it’s all up for grabs.

Rally America brings Colin McRea and a selection of US rally drivers to X-GAMES 12

August 2, 2006) - Subaru Rally Team USA drivers Travis Pastrana and Ken Block are ready to kick off the first ever X Games Rally, today Aug 2, 2006.

The X Games Rally is a standalone, invite only event within the 2006 Rally America National Championship, it marks the first time any form of car racing has been included in the hugely popular ESPN X Games.

Today the invited drivers will tackle eight gravel stages north of Los Angeles, then on Saturday August 5th the event will conclude with a special stage in and around the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, televised LIVE on ABC starting at 3pm EDT.

Joining Subaru Rally Team USA, all driving Vermont SportsCar prepared Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars, are former WRC Champion Colin McRae and 2005 Rally America PGT Class Champion Tanner Foust. McRae, one of the most successful World Rally Drivers in history as well as one of the most popular, is the clear favorite to take X Games Gold. McRae will be joined by his longtime co-driver Nicky Grist. Joining McRae will be 2005 Rally America PGT class Champion Tanner Foust and co-driver Scott Crouch.

In addition to Foust's rally career he also has found success as a Hollywood stunt driver and is a top drifter in the Formula D Series. The four drivers have completed two days of testing in their freshly built Open Class Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars.

These are new cars for the X Games, they are lighter and more powerful than the cars that Pastrana and Block have used thus far in the 2006 Rally America National Championship, where and his co-driver Christian Edstrom sit atop the overall standings after their recent 2nd Overall finish at the Maine Forest Rally.

All four cars will be shod with the latest BFGoodrich Tires. "We tested the cars for the first time on Monday and I instantly felt a very good difference, the cars are more nimble, more powerful," explained Pastrana. "I can't wait to showcase rallying at the X Games, its going to be amazing." "We are very focused, there are less total stage miles than a typical Rally America event, so everything counts so much, we really need to fast everywhere with no mistakes," said Ken Block's co-driver Ales Gelsomino.

The addition of rallying to the X Games will be a major boost for the growing sport in the USA. Hundreds of media from around the World are in Los Angeles covering the events and rallying will gain significant mainstream exposure. The Live coverage on a major network like ABC this Saturday afternoon will be a first for US rallying as well.

In addition to watching the rally stages on ABC this weekend, fans can keep up with the team and the event by visiting www.rally.subaru.com: for daily photo updates and news. Also, a daily blog at www.wrc.com: will follow Subaru Rally Team USA behind the scenes at the X Games while live updates and further event information can always be found at www.rally-america.com: . Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, STI (Subaru Tecnica International), SPT (Subaru Performance Tuning), Alpinestars, Motul, PIAA, Recaro, Meguiars and Vermont SportsCar.

DUDDY WITHDRAWS FROM BOUT

Derry City’s John Duddy, an undefeated middleweight boxer, has withdrawn from an Aug. 10 bout in Las Vegas against Carlos Bojorquez because of heat prostration that Duddy sustained while training in New York. Duddy, 27, collapsed as he scaled the steps of his apartment building in Queens while clutching a heavy gym bag. He is 17-0 with 15 knockouts.
Eddie McLoughlin Duddy’s Manager and friend said, 'John just needs some rest as he had to see our sports doctor because he is suffering from heat exhaustion.
'However he will be back in full training in two weeks time. We are disappointed because we were all looking forward to the show in Las Vegas.
'But the important thing for us is that John is fully fit and well and at the moment he is not and the prudent thing to do was to withdraw him from the fight.'
Meanwhile Duddy's next fight could see him meet veteran Mexican Yori Boy Campas at Madison Square Garden on September 29.
McLoughin added: 'Campas is lined up for late September and that is a fight we all want to see