Report below is summarised from the South Shore SAC Facebook Page:
The final day of the 2025 Leinster League, fished at Kilcoole, opened in bright, calm conditions, with several anglers—Wayne Hamilton, Paul Tyndall, Anto Scanlon, Eric Gasparro and Ciaran Fogarty—still in contention. The junior title race between Phillip Kennedy Ryan and Luke Kinsella was also extremely close. Spirits were high among the 40 competitors at check-in, where Ciaran Fogarty drew the coveted Peg 40.
Fishing began at 1 p.m., but despite the clear sea, anglers faced a strong tide run and heavy grassy weed. Early catches included flats for Ryan Blair and Eric Gasparro, while in Zone B, Ciaran was rumoured to be finding valuable dogfish. Weed caused major issues, even dragging one of Eamonn Bermingham’s rods into the surf—requiring a successful but soaking retrieval.
Fishing remained slow overall. In Zone A, Ryan Blair’s late surge, including a dogfish, secured him the zone win with six fish, followed by Eric Gasparro and James Ryan. In Zone B, Ciaran Fogarty dominated with 11 fish, including several dogs and a standout 35 cm flounder, giving him both the zone and overall win. Alan Mulcahy also had 11 fish for second, with Eamonn taking third.
Junior angler Phillip Kennedy Ryan produced a superb eight-fish performance that would have won an adult zone. Luke and Sean Kinsella also fished strongly. Pool winners included James Ryan (36 cm bass), Stephen Byrne (33 cm flounder), Alan Mulcahy (42 cm coalie) and Ciaran (35 cm flounder).
Once tallied, Eric Gasparro was crowned the 2025 Leinster League champion after an impressively consistent season. Phillip Kennedy Ryan claimed the Junior League title by a narrow margin ahead of Luke Kinsella.
The Leinster Shore and Southshore SAC Committees thanked all anglers for their support throughout the year, noting over 100 participants across events. Dates for the 2026 Leinster League will be announced soon, with more sponsored events and increased prize money planned.
