Get to Know the Teams! Doolans Cow & Valeview Shankill

? Finbarr Buckley (CBL) & Valeview Shankill

? Valeview Shankill FC Instagram

Doolans Cow:

Doolan’s Cow were formed in 2005 by Eamonn and Ciarán Murphy and entered the Cork Business & Shipping League in 2005/06 under the name of Island Tavern. The club won the O’Driscoll Premier Cup in 2008/09 beating Fermoy Nissan MCM in the final at Turner’s Cross . A name change to its present one of Doolan’s Cow brought a change in fortune and a first Mooney Cup Final appearance in 2012/13 where EMC ran out winners. The league and cup double was achieved in 2015/16 with the club’s most memorable and successful season to date coming in 2016/17 with the acquisition of all four domestic trophies, equalling Youghal Yarns’ feat of 1992/93.

The club won the championship for a third time last season and are on course to make it through to a fourth consecutive shield final. Denis O’Sullivan, Wayne Kavanagh and Robert Graham currently manage the team who play their home matches at Mayfield Community School (All-Weather). Doolans Cow beat their CBL rivals UCC United in the 4th Round of the FAI Junior Cup this year to get through to the open draw. The Cow also put Munster Senior League Junior Premier Division joint leaders Everton to the sword in the 2nd Round of the Munster Junior Cup before Christmas after a 6-1 win in Mayfield. The glory will continue into Spring of 2020 where a semi final against Limerick Desmond side Rathkeale in the MFA League Champions Trophy is due to be played in February or March

Recently, 2 of Doolan’s current players Darren Geraghty & Tony O’Reilly were names in the CBL / EchoLive.ie Team of the Decade. Geraghty, captains the decades team from the centre of the park as he had done so effectively with his club in their double and quadruple winning seasons of 2016 and 2017. O’Reilly was the Premier Division’s top scorer on two occasions and along with his strike partner James Cotter, the two have claimed the majority of Doolan’s goals since their partnership flourished in 2015.

Valeview Shankill

Originally formed in 1923, Valeview Shankill FC was reformed in 1988 following a merger between Valeview FC and Shankill Youth Club. Based in Shankill, Co. Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, the club currently plays in the Leinster Senior League. During the 90s and subsequent 00’s we played in the highest intermediate leagues of the Leinster Senior League and we were a very successful club and we had some of the best footballers in the Borough. Due to no fault of anyone the club, unfortunately, fell on hard times and were forced to pull the Sunday side from the intermediate league and a decision was made to play Saturday football in order to rebuild the club up, we entered the Saturday Premier early on in 2012 and that’s where the start of this crop of players came together and many of them still to this day make up the core of the players in the current squad, Captain Luke Roe, Kevin and Al Moore, Barry Cooney to name but a few who all played for the club during their Intermediate days and stayed loyal to the club during the hard times.

Success followed in the form of the 2013 Liam Dodd cup and then followed in 2014 where they won the premier 1 Saturday league under the guidance of then-manager John O’Carroll, further success came in the years which followed with another cup win for the newly formed Sunday side(2nd Team),  The club decided in 2016 to have another crack at Sunday Football on a first-team basis and entered again into the Sunday Premier 1 and in the first season back gained promotion which was a huge achievement.

Again this summer the club decided to go back to Saturday football in order to attract some of the best players in the area which we have. At the end of last year, former Manager Brian Flynn who is now apart of the coaching staff decided to step aside and was replaced by our current manager Stephen Brennan who himself is a former Valeview Schoolboy and Senior player himself, not to mention a former Newcastle and Ireland youth player and league of Ireland regular. Under the new coaching staff of Stephen, Raff and Brian, aswell as the additions of the 6 or 7 new players mixed with the boys who have been here for years they have started the season very strongly lying 3rd in the League and the team spirit we have couldn’t be stronger, they are really looking forward to the trip to face Doolans Cow Fc in the 5th round of the FAI New Balance Junior Cup.

Lastly, as you know the volunteers are the pillar’s of any club at this level or any level and Valeview recently lost a big one in their dear friend and absolute gentleman Pat Cooney who was an ever-present at their games, doing all he could do for the club and will forever be in the hearts of Valeview. There will be a minutes silence before the game on Sunday as a mark of respect.

The FAI New Balance Junior Cup 5th Round tie between Doolans Cow Bar FC & Valeview Shankill FC will take place this Sunday January 5th 2020, with a kick off time of 1pm in Mayfield Community School.