Five youngsters from the Drumhowan club made history last weekend in Castlebar when they became the first team from Monaghan and only the second from Ulster to retain their All-Ireland title in over 40 years of Scór na nÓg. Drumhowan’s Scór na nÓg Instrumental Group of Eimear and Conor Quinn, Stephen and Colm McMahon and Finbarr Brennan won the All-Ireland last year in Derry and just over 12 months later, the same quintet were back to successfully defend their title.
The Drumhowan group saw off opposition from Cork, Offaly and Sligo on Saturday to remain the cream of the crop in Ireland, before receiving their All-Ireland medals from GAA President Liam O’Neill in the Royal Theatre.
Monaghan County Board Public Relations Officer and Drumhowan man Noel Duffy hailed the win as a “great achievement”. Duffy agreed that it was no accident that this had happened and it had been anything but an overnight success, singling out group tutor Francis McMahon, “who, along with the famous five, made it all possible”.
