The Starlights brought home their first ever All Ireland title yesterday when our wonderful U/14 team defeated De La Salle of Waterford to win the Division 4 Feile Final and anyone who wasn’t there to witness this marvellous event missed a momentous event in the Clubs history.

The large crowd of parents, Club Officials, friends and well wishers who did make the trip to Kildare were treated to fabulous displays of excellent and determined football that would put many of our more senior teams to shame. This side who were just pipped by a single point in their qualifier in the hurling feile by Blackrock of Cork were never going to suffer the same fate in the football. They went there full of fire and passion and the determination and confidence to win - an element often lacking in our club and indeed the whole county. In their games they displayed a standard of football that would have been perfectly at home in some of the higher divisions beating their hosts Ardclough in the first match 5.6 to 2 points, the Sarsfields of Newbridge 6.10 to 1 point in the second game and seeing off the Louth Champions in the qualifier 4.8 to 1.15 to gain a place in the semi final against the Longford Champions.

The semi final was indeed their toughest game. After a good beginning leading 2.2 to 4 points at half time we allowed Longford to come back at us and go ahead by 2 points with a minute left on the stop watch. It looked like the end once again for the Starlights - beaten narrowly after a brave performance but this U/14 side has something different - something that should be bottled - and when we all thought we were going home empty-handed a ball landed in around the Longford goal mouth and was gathered expertly by the dually talented Kevin Foley who without hesitation bore down on goal and buried it in the back of the net - Ref blows the final whistle - game over - Starlights win by a point and march on to the Final in Moorefield on Sunday morning.

De La Salle of Waterford had seen off the Westmeath Champions the evening before in the semi final and looked a good strong football side but with suberb displays from Colin Nolan, Liam Ryan, Ryan Mahon, Darragh Pepper, Fionn Carty, Daniel O`Brien our agile goalkeeper Aaron Sinnott and of course the awesome Kevin Foley and indeed every other member of the team - the Starlights saw off their challenge and beat them 2.8 to 1.5 to gain the honour of being our first ever Feile Champions.

I cannot say enough about these young players and indeed their mentors who have done such an amount of work with them in both codes but more than that have given them a sense of pride in their jersey, their club and their county. Padge Walsh, John Walsh, Michael Foley, Tommy Foley and Seamus Deegan have turned these men of the future into winners and indeed into great ambassadors for their club and their county. If they are the future of the Rapparees/Starlights and indeed Wexford then we have many days in the sunshine to look forward to. They have a tremendous pride in themselves, and play for each other and their families and their club and indeed that is what Feile is all about.

It is truly a wonderful and unique festival and I would like to pay tribute to all the clubs in Kildare and particularly our hosts Ardclough for the wonderful warm hospitality we received and a very special thank you to our own Feile Committee and our Treasurers Neville Conroy and Michael Roche for the trojan work they did fundraising for the event and to all the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends who supported these lads and the club in Kildare over last weekend and indeed in Galway at the hurling.

Thanks also to Pat Tobin and Purt Doyle - Chairman and Secretary of our Coiste na nOg who have our underage section humming this year and to Coiste Loch Garman, The Shamrocks GAA Club and Enniscorthy Rugby Club, and Fethard GAA Club for all their good wishes and congratulations. Finally, my thanks to our U/14 panel for all the joy, excitement and entertainment you have given us in both Feile Campaigns. Come on the Starlights!