The Avondhu

Looking at past, present and future

Although it was originally billed for Thursday night, Cork eventually began their McGrath Cup senior football campaign with a win. Overcoming the always dogged challenge of Clare in their rescheduled opening tie at a cold and wet Milltown Malbay early on Saturday afternoon last. A confidence boosting result for new gaffer Keith Ricken. They were due to face Waterford on Tuesday night just gone.

What these competitions need is an unexpected result, one that makes you sit up and take notice. Surely Stephen Molumphy and Kerry provided it. Overcoming the challenge of a fancied Tipperary at Tralee in the Co-op Superstores Munster hurling Cup also on Saturday last.

Opening passages of play as a new season splutters into action. Yet the outgoing meandered on with top grade matches from both codes at provincial and national level the day after. It’s not confusing. We will just call it a contradictory time of the year.

Few could complain with Ballygunner being crowned Munster Club Senior Hurling Champions as previously hinted. They sent out a clear marker with that hugely impressive quarter final victory over Ballyea. But they can win ugly too. Getting stuck in when withstanding the always ferocious battle put up by Loughmore – Castleiney they day after that. Then they annihilated Limerick champions Kilmallock at Páirc Uí Chaomh on Sunday afternoon last. It seems an obvious comment to make but they are going to take some stopping.

Congratulations to Ballygiblin. It sounds ironic that they were playing a team only six miles away, overcoming the challenge of Tipperary champions Skeheenarinky in the junior final in Mallow. They are now the only Cork representatives remaining in competitive hurling action. As Courcey Rovers lost out in extra time to Kerry senior champions Kilmoyley in the Munster intermediate hurling final in Limerick. Emphasis now turning to football.

Having a peek out over the fence to upcoming intercounty action. Cork will be in Dr Hyde Park to face Roscommon in their opening fixture in division two of the national football league, that’s on Sunday, January 30. On the following Saturday evening they will be up against Clare again in their first home league fixture. Fixed for Páirc Uí Chaoimh on the evening of February 5th. Throw in will be 7pm. Also in the group will be Derry, Galway, Meath, Down and Offaly. They will be doing well to emerge from that.

That Clare match should be a double header. They face the banner county in division one of the national hurling league at 5pm. First match on the road is in Tullamore on Sunday, February 13. Limerick, Galway and Wexford complete group A. Draw your own conclusions. According to the master plan Cork inter club championship draws will be made on Tuesday, January 25.

BRIEF REFLECTION ON JUNIOR FOOTBALL YEAR

It was only end of April / early May when training as we know it would take centre stage. St Catherines were in Timoleague facing Argideen Rangers in the intermediate hurling league cup on the morning of Sunday, June 13. Still in that exorbitant heat and just over twenty hours later it was over to Castlelyons as its junior equivalent would open up. Three of the four applicable juvenile teams had sampled the action. Indeed for one year only there would be minor as we used to know it and already the U18 age group were out in both codes labelled pre-season friendlies, all approved by Rebel Óg with official referees appointed. Coming from a standing position with no competitive activity since early the previous October, this was proving some jolt to the system. Yes a condensed season was up and running, would slowly gain momentum and delighted we were to have it back as we assembled in the carpark in Sallybrook for a round one fixture in group five of the East Cork junior football league cup. It was Sunday evening, June 20.

Daniel Mangan with the key pass picked out Eoin Wallace for the game’s only and match winning goal on twenty seven minutes. It finished at 1-08 to 0-08. A competition that seemed to lose focus fairly quickly and had almost slipped off the radar completely when resurfacing at year’s end. However that opening win could bring its own pressures. Now facing Glanmire again the opening match of group one in the round robin junior B football championship following the toss of a coin played in Ballynoe at 8pm on Monday evening, July 12. Truthfully the opposition fluffed their lines when presented with a late equalising chance, Eoin Condon’s goal proved decisive with the Saints emerging victorious on an end scoreline of 1-09 to 0-11. Truthfully overall one couldn’t have expected a better start than this though Murphy’s Law that anything that could go wrong went wrong reared its ugly head in the next match against Glenville on Tuesday evening, July 20. It finished St Catherines 0-16 Glenville 6-06. While Midleton seemed distressed in the final group game again at Killeagh this time in a deluge of rainfall on Thursday evening, August 5. It finished at St Catherines 1-18 Midleton 1-01.

It would be Glenville again in the Michael O’Connor Motor Factors sponsored East Cork junior B football championship final. Pencilled in for Rathcormac on the evening of Sunday, August 15, it was a James Hayes pass helped set up now team captain Eoin Wallace for the lead goal on nineteen minutes. Catherines ahead at 1-02 to 0-03 at the interval. But Glenville recovered well from losing a man and a PJ Dennehy goal had them on their way. It was 1-08 to 1-05 at game’s conclusion and it was team captain Rob McKenna receiving the Michael Boig Coleman Cup from board chairman Donal O’Keeffe at the post match presentation.

No time to wallow. It’s a very condensed programme of matches. All involved have bought in to the schedule with that understanding. Six days on from the East Cork final loss and the draws were made for the opening fixtures in the county junior B football championship. Competition for B graded teams only and entirely from what Glenville would now be chasing. St Catherines had been paired with Garnish and it was down for 2pm on the afternoon of Satur

day, August 21. Venue was to be St Mary’s GAA Club in Enniskeane/ Ballineen, kind of half way between Bandon and Dunmanway but that didn’t materialise, by Thursday afternoon venue had changed. Now we were off to Kilmichael. It was also a very busy weekend on the intercounty front. Cork teams out in Tullamore, Thurles and Dublin - all high profiled and glamourous ties. We had casualties.

Early goals from Darren Deery and Brian Terry O’Sullivan would inflict irreparable damage. Garnish ahead at 2-05 to 0-3 at the interval going on to advance on a finishing scoreline of 2-13 to 1-05. Eoin Condon scored the Catherine’s goal ten minutes into the second half. Mild confusion again reigned re the venue for the second round or last chance saloon tie against St Kilbrin. Only confirmed on the morning of the match for the massive GAA complex at Carrigoon, Mallow. Throw in under the lights fixed for 8pm on Friday, September 3. In a low scoring contest it was 0-3 each at half-time. A Padraig O’Connor goal edged the Saints ahead on thirty three minutes. Cancelled out by a Niall field effort later and Kilbrin were second round winners in the Bon Secours county junior B football championship. Score at the end was Kilbrin 1-06 St Catherines 1-04. Confirming a result from county semi-final stage at Ballyhooly eleven years previous.

We are now on the cusp of sliotar season with three teams involved and it wasn’t over until a rearranged clash with Bride Rovers in the East Cork junior C hurling championship going ahead at Ballynoe on Sunday morning, November

7. So now what springs to mind is that disco hit from the early to mid-seventies and get right back where we started from!

Following a toss of a coin Ballinacurra were visitors for what was in effect a league cup semi-final on the morning of Sunday, December

5. Eoin Wallace and Padraig O’Connor were the early second half goal scorers and on a 2-09 to 0-09 scoreline the Saints were in to the decider and a third meeting with Glenville, this time at the opponents venue one week later on Sunday morning, December 12. Team captain Wallace again and Eoin Condon the goal scorers and right at season’s end a divisional title claimed. Board chairman Donal O’Keeffe making the presentation in a howling swirling wind. Final score St Catherines 2-08, Glenville 0-06. Turkey would taste that bit more appropriate now!

Team manager was Pat Clancy, ably assisted by fellow selectors Laurence O’Connor and Dave Wallace. Also involved for the major part of the football season was Ballynoe based Clonakilty born Kevin Ryan who did a lot of the physical work with the players.

PLAYERS INVOLVED IN LEAGUE CUP FINAL

Eoin Wallace (team captain), Eoin Sheehan, Kieran Neville, Shane O’Brien, Darragh Galvin, Aaron Neville, Eoghan O’Riordan, James Hayes, Rory Galvin, James Neville, Padraig O’Connor, Brian Davis, William Leamy, Eoin Condon, Philip Keane, James Casey and Harry Draper.

NEXT WEEK

When with you next time around a brief reflection of the U13 football and hurling campaign from a season now complete.

EARLY LOTTO RESULTS

First lotto draw of the new year was held on Monday night, January 3. Numberss drawn were 1, 6, 23 and 25. There was no winner of a jackpot then standing at €17,800. Consolation winners being: P/Z Hartigan, Conna; Regina Hartigan, online; Dick Hegarty, Garrycahera, Ballynoe; Jennifer Daly, Tallow and Pat Hartigan, Conna. We will have a further update for you in a week’s time.

ST CATHERINES GAA CLUB SPONSORS

T&A Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Ballynoe are sponsors of St Catherines GAA Club. Mulcahy Steel are sponsors of St Catherines Juvenile GAA Club.

SPORT

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2022-01-13T08:00:00.0000000Z

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The Avondhu (Ireland)