Scór na nÓg
Killoe’s participation in Scór na nÓg dates back to the 1970-71 season when Scór na nÓg was first introduced alongside Scór Sinsir. A first County title win for the club in Scór na nÓg did not come until 1983-84 when the Set Dancing group of Mairead Donohoe, Karen Browne, Fidelma Rowley, Martina Brady, Elizabeth Duggan, Eleanor Hagan, Mary Hagan and Teresa Hagan won the County title with Killoe also winning the overall ‘Club of the Year’. The following year the same Set Dancing group retained their County title for 1984-85 with the Hagan siblings Gerard, Teresa and Eleanor also successful in the Instrumental Music category and breaking the mould by reaching the clubs first Leinster Final – a feat they would repeat the following year.
In 1990-91 the club achieved a double success of County titles with Deidre Kenny winning the Solo Singing and the team of John Devaney, Brid Doherty and Aiden Doherty winning the Question Time. The following year in 1991-92 a team of John Devaney, Aiden Doherty and Michael Browne retained the Question Time County title. 1992-93 was to prove a landmark year for Killoe in Scór na nÓg with the tremendous success of the Novelty Act team with ‘Heaven’s Just A Sin Away‘ – a political satire written by Mickey Kenny and Mick Fleming. The cast of John Devaney, Aiden Doherty, Lisa Kelly, Liam Brady, Paul Devaney, Mark McGoldrick, Kieran Browne and Laura Doherty won the County title in late 1992 and went on to win the Leinster semi-final and reach the Leinster Final in the Olympia Theatre in January 1993 which they won – a first for Longford in this category. The group advanced to the club’s first All-Ireland final but were beaten on a memorable night in the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. In 1993-94 the Question Time team of Aiden Doherty, Ian Browne and Shane Hughes won a third County title in four years in the Question Time category.
In 1994-95 another political satire ‘Aeroflop‘ won County honours in the Novelty Act category and were narrowly defeated in the Leinster Final. The cast consisted of Ian Browne, Lisa Kelly, Kevin Molloghan, Aoife Doherty, Shane Hughes, Laura Doherty, Liam Brady and Claire Hughes. Three years later in 1998-99 ‘The Last Judgement‘ with a cast of Shane Doherty, Damien Walsh, Fiona Kenny, Natasha Bankowski, Patrick Doherty, James Hughes, Sean & Joe McCormack claimed County honours in the Novelty Act and narrowly lost out in the Leinster Final after impressing judges with their energetic performance. Further success in the Novelty Act category followed with county titles in 2000-01 and 2001-02 with ‘Reeling in The Years – Scenes from A Second Millennium‘ which lost out in the Leinster Final the second time round on a count back.
The focus of Killoe’s success in Scór then shifted to the music categories with the Ballad Group winning the county title in 2002-03 under the tutelage of Grainne Fox, the first of a remarkable four-in-a-row County Scór titles that would take them all the way to the All-Ireland Final. In 2005-06 the Balled Group team won their fourth County title and reached the Leinster Final for the fourth year in a row, and this time claimed the title and the club’s second ever provincial title in Scór competition. They were unlucky not to claim All-Ireland honours in Athlone, losing out to Caltra from Galway despite receiving the highest score. The Question Time team of Kevin McDermott, Denis McGoldrick and Ronan McGoldrick were also successful in 2004-05 winning the County title. In 2008-09 Fergal O’Donnell won the County title in the Recitation and reached the Leinster Final while the Figure Dancing team won the County title in 2014-15 and Instrumental Group won the County title in 2015-16 and reached the Leinster Final.
2017-18 would see County titles for Balled Group, Solo Singing and Question Time teams with the Balled Group capturing the Leinster title and advancing, along with the Question Time team, to the All-Ireland Final in Sligo. 2018-19 saw County titles for both Question Time and Solo Singing, with Anna Moorehead advancing to the Leinster Final. In March 2022 the club won County titles in Solo Singing, Novelty Act, Set Dancing, Ballad Group, Recitation and Question Time with Balled Group, Recitation and Question Time teams advancing to the Leinster final. The Question Time team of Gerard Keogh, Ryan Keogh, Tommy Tully and Conor Doherty won the Leinster Final and advanced to the All-Ireland final.
2022-23 saw County title wins for Question Time, Ballad Group, Solo-Singer and Novelty Act teams, and Killoe won the Club of the Year award too. The Question Time team of Ryan Keogh, Gerard Keogh, Conor Doherty & Tommy Tully made it through to the Leinster Final, as did the Ballad Group team of Rebecca Moorehead, Abbey White, Aimee Dolan, Robyn Dunne and Alex Lee, along with the Novelty Act team of Orlaith Craig, Aimee Dolan, Adam McCarthy, Madison Canty, Rachel Lee, Elaine Casey, Cian Gilna & Aoife Lee. The Question Time team of Ryan Keogh, Gerard Keogh, Conor Doherty, Tommy Tully and their mentor Aron Fitzpatrick advanced further to the All-Ireland Final and on Saturday 6th May 2023 won the All-Ireland title, a first for the Killoe club and only the second club from Longford to ever win the All-Ireland title for Question Time at Scór na nÓg. The Question Time team of David Quinn, Cian Gilna, Adam McCarthy and Conor Doherty reached the Leinster Final in 2024-25, and although they did not take first place, they did enough to qualify for the All-Ireland Final in January 2025.
Scór competition was established in 1969 with the aim of promoting Ireland’s traditional pastimes and culture while offering club members the chance to meet up, have fun and represent their club during the winter months while Football, Hurling & Camogie had ceased. Scór Sinsir began in Longford on 17th December 1969 with the first Scór Sinsir Final taking place on 5th February 1970 in the Temperance Hall in Longford town. Scór na nÓg (youth competition) began the following season with both Scór Sinsir and Scór na nÓg County finals taking place together in Longford in late 1970 ahead of provincial and national finals in early 1971. Scór competition often began towards the end of a year, with Provincial and National finals in the early months of the following year. Scór competition is divided into two age levels: Scór na nÓg for under 17 and Scór Sinsir for over 17. There are eight categories covering multiple aspects of Irish culture: Figure Dancing, Solo Singing, Ballad Group, Recitation, Novelty Act, Instrumental Music, Set Dancing and Quiz. Solo Singing was added in 1971, Novelty act was introduced in 1973 to replace Motion Speaking and Figure (Céilí) Dancing replaced Step Dancing (Solo Dance) in 1974. Clubs taking part in Scór compete at County level to qualify for the County Final and become the County winner. Thereafter they advance towards a Provincial final and finally on to the All-Ireland final.
