Dungarvan Observer | Friday, 11 September, 2015
GAA
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Gaelic Jottings Clinton Hennessy and Stephen Molumphy win Boston Senior Hurling medals Tipperary 2-25; Fr. Tom Burke’s 0-16. IT was a dominant Tipperary that took the senior hurling championship trophy on Sunday week last with a masterclass performance of the ancient game. Willie Egan was unparalleled on the field, at centre back. He dictated the game and set the stage for a victory that sees Tipp capture all of the senior trophies on offer in 2015. Tipp effectively put the game away at the end of the first half as the Premier men were quick, sharp, and deadly from any angle or range. Waterford supplied two players to the winning Premier outfit in Ardmore’s Clinton Hennessy in goal and Ballyduff’s Stephen Molumphy at wing back. Tipperary gave a clinical first half display. There was no position where Tipperary did not impress. From Clinton Hennessey in goal, who on a couple of occasions not only made a fine save, but also distributed the ball to the right person. David Reidy and Alan Quirke at corner forward were quick and deadly with every whip of the hurl. The pair were a constant thorn in the side of Fr. Tom Burke’s corner backs and between them they accounted for 1-7, half of Tipperary’s score for the half. Egan at centre back was probably the man of the match, as play flowed to and from the Kilbrin man. John Coughlan at wing forward was also on top form. Heading into the break it was a fourteen point 2-14 to 0-6 Tipperary lead. The final quarter saw Tom’s improve the complexion of the scoreboard, and did so with points from Flynn and Winters. Joyce-Power almost netted, but his shot from inside the box was blocked by Damien Moloney. Tipperary make it a sweep of cups with the senior championship trophy to add to the New York sevens and the Sheehan Cup.
Western Board Fixtures Friday, 11th September Comeragh Oil Intermediate Hurling: Ballysaggart V Ardmore at Fraher Field 8.30 pm Local Bar Junior Hurling B Quarter-Final: Glen Rovers V Clashmore/kinsalebeg at Fraher Field 7 pm Saturday, 12th September Local Bar Junior Hurling B QuarterFinal: Abbeyside V Ballysaggart at Colligan 2 pm Sunday, 13th September Local Bar Junior Hurling A SemiFinals: St. Mary’s V Geraldine at Fraher Field 5.45 pm Colligan V Abbeyside at Fraher Field 7 pm There is a lot at stake in the final Western Intermediate Hurling Group game to be played in the Fraher Field this Friday evening. If Ardmore win they are qualified and if they lose they will be eliminated from the championship and Shamrocks will progress as Ardmore were beaten by the Knockanore club in their head-to-head Group game. If Ballysaggart win, they will be qualified and if they lose by more than six points, Shamrocks will take their place in the quarter-finals on scoring difference. Last year Ardmore were playing in the
Senior grade and two years ago Ballysaggart were in the Junior championship and if that is anything to go by the seasiders will be favourites to win out here. Ardmore look to be a better balanced team while Ballysaggart have brilliant individual players in the Bennett brothers. This game should be well worth a visit. The two Junior ‘A’ Hurling semi-finals will take place on Sunday evening and St. Marys and Colligan will be fancied to account for Geraldines and Abbeyside respectively. Geraldines will have their own views on their chances of returning to the final and if they play to their best, St. Mary’s will have to do so also to defeat them. Abbeyside defeated Geraldines in their last game and they won’t be lacking in confidence when they line-out against Colligan in the second game. The Village have lost Neil Montgomery to their Senior side and he is a definite loss but they still have the numbers in the club at present to challenge strongly for a win here. Abbeyside were in the Intermediate grade up to last year and so this is a novel pairing for patrons at this stage of the competition. Two Junior ‘B’ Hurling quarter-finals complete the weekend’s programme with Abbeyside’s third team favourites to beat Ballysaggart while the Glen Rovers and Clashmore/ Kinsalebeg game should be much closer if last year is anything to go by when extra time was required to separate them. Clashmore won that day with an inspiring display by Ronan Fitzgerald but he is an Intermediate player in 2015 and his loss may lessen their chances this time round.
Ballymacarbry … A community alive and ticking ONE could not but be impressed with the amount of activity in the Mill Field in Ballymacarbry last Thursday on an evening that Fourmilewater hosted St. Olivers in their final Group 1 Division 3 County Minor Hurling Championship game. First of all, the village itself looked out of the Bord Failte brochure of beautiful places to visit with the recently officially opened Community Centre, the jewel on the crown so to speak. Hidden off the road is the Mill field, home to the Nire and Fourmilewater clubs, and one has not seen as many young children gathered in any field at the one time learning the basic skills of hurling and Ladies football. Their place on the training pitch was then followed by Fourmile’s Senior hurlers training under the watchful eye of Michael Ryan and the Ballymac Ladies football team preparing for their upcoming County final. All this was happening while the minor match was on and the pitch was in as good a condition as we have ever seen it. The lights were switched on at half-time which snuffed out the worries of a late start to the game and talking to Chairman of the field development committee, Paddy Joe Ryan, the Observer learned that plans are afoot for new dressing rooms and a miniature stand at the venue. Certainly, the community and local clubs are alive and ticking in Ballymac and with the support and hard work of everyone, there is no doubt but that these development ambitions will be realised sooner rather than later. Credit to all concerned.
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary quarterfinal Fixtures Friday, September 11th Nenagh Eire Og v Roscrea at 6 pm in Moneygall Sunday, September 13th Killenaule v Portroe at 2 pm in The Ragg Kilruane MacDonaghs v JK Brackens at 2 pm in Toomevara Kildangan v Upperchurch/Drombane at 3:30 pm in Toomevara Eire Og Annacarty v Lorrha at 3:30 pm in The Ragg Thurles Sarsfields v Mullinahone at 6pm in Leahy Park Cashel Byes for Drom & Inch and Clonoulty/Rossmore
Marketing Hurling HURLING needs to be marketed more specifically with “stand-alone promotion,” says marketing expert Mick O’Keeffe of PSG Communications, who advocates squad numbers and names on the jersey to help identify players obscured by hurling helmets. “There’s a sense in the GAA of football and hurling being treated the same,” says O’Keeffe. “But just as structures and rules have been examined in football, specific promotion of hurling and hurlers is needed. “There’s probably a concerted effort needed to promote the stars of the game. Some hurlers are well known, but only a handful of them are household names. There’s a requirement to promote them more. “Hurlers are at a massive disadvantage to begin with as you don’t know who half of them are as they’re wearing helmets. Stand-alone hurling promotion is needed.” O’Keeffe added that lower player numbers and less media exposure for players doesn’t aid hurling’s profile. “The other drawback is that hurling’s still a 12-county game. There are large parts of the country where it doesn’t have the same resonance as football – parts of the North, the West, and in Dublin, it’s still only growing in many areas. There’ll be a full house on Sunday for the All-Ireland final, but is it gripping the nation as an event? I’m not so sure.“Hurling’s probably more popular now than it was 25, 30 years ago, but it’s played at the top level in fewer than half the counties in the GAA.
“My All-Ireland’’ THE former Cork underage dual star Jamie Wall walked into the Rochestown Park Hotel function staged recently to celebrate Cork’s double All-Ireland winning Senior teams of 1990, all of twenty five years ago with the aid of an Exo-skeleton. The gala lunch sold-out, with over 600 attendees and proceeds went to the Friends of Jamie Wall fund and the Friends of Dessie Fitzgerald Fund. Now 23, the former dual Cork minor and U-21 player was paralysed from the midriff down by a spinal abscess last year. MC for the function, Marty Morrissey also spoke with Jamie’s rehabilitation coach Colin O’Shaughnessy, whose Cork gym holds Ireland’s only Exo-skeleton. Jamie uses the device up to three times a week to
Pictured at the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Camogie Finals Captains’ Day held in Croke Park, Thursday, September 3rd were: (l-r) Susie O’Carroll, Kildare, and Caithríona McGlone, Waterford. The Camogie Association will use Hawk-Eye, the point technology system on All-Ireland Finals Day on September 13th and are the first female Gaelic Games organisation to utilise the system. Defending champions Cork are going for their second title-in-a-row and will be aiming to equal Dublin’s record of 25 senior All-Ireland titles. Full details on the upcoming games are available on www.camogie.ie [©INPHO/Cathal Noonan]
simulate walking movements. Jamie has described the motivation to walk again as "My All-Ireland".
JBM’s successor TWO of the men linked with the vacant Cork hurling manager’s post have ruled themselves out of contention to succeed Jimmy Barry-Murphy. Pat Mulcahy, who led Cork IT to a Fitzgibbon Cup final and semi-final in the past two seasons, and Pat Ryan, manager of Sarsfields for county SHC wins in both 2012 and 2014, had both been mentioned as possible successors for Barry-Murphy, who resigned last Saturday week. Both have cited other commitments as preventing them from being considered, however.“To be mentioned as a possible candidate for the recent Cork vacancy is very much humbling,” Mulcahy said. “However, given I have a young family and both my wife and I work full-time, it would not be possible to give this privileged position the time and commitment it fully deserves. “Sometime in the future, I would like to think I could bring something to a Cork hurling team, as it’s something I’m passionate about. Unfortunately, right now, for personal reasons, I cannot commit to it. I wish Cork the very best in their search for a new manager.” Ryan, aiming to lead Sars to a seventh county final in eight years and help to achieve back-to-back titles for the first time, is focused on club commitments for now, which would seemingly prevent him from taking up the role too. “The focus is on Sarsfields and we have a huge game ahead of us at the weekend and that’s our only interest at the moment,” he said. “We are fully confident the Cork County Board will appoint the best person for the job when the time is right.” Other candidates, such as Kieran Kingston, a selector under Barry-Murphy in 2012 and 2013 and coach in 2014, his successor as coach Mark Landers, and
former managers Donal O’Grady and John Allen have yet to indicate their intentions regarding the post. Former Cork captain Tomás Mulcahy indicated on The Sunday Game three days ago “at this stage, it’s a ‘no’ for me.” Mulcahy had been the favourite when Paddy Power opened a book on the post.
Wheelchair Hurling THIS is a new initiative between Waterford GAA Coaching and Games Development and Waterford Sports Partnership. Wheelchair Hurling Programme is for disabled and nondisabled athletes over 16 years. Waterford intend to form a team to compete in Regional and National Competitions. The programme commences on Thursday, 17th September from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Kingfisher Club, Tramore Road, Waterford. The programme costs €5 per person per night and the wheelchairs will be provided. For more information you can contact either of the below: Eoin Breathnach - County Games Manager - Waterford Coaching & Games Development - 087-9219345 or Pauline Cunningham - Sports Development Officer -Waterford Sports Partnership - (051) 849855.
Scór Na Seachtaine DONIE Breathnach’s 62nd minute pointed free for An Rinn to win against the Brickeys in Fraher Field last Saturday night and qualify them for the quarter final stage of the Western Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Sympathy THE Observer extends its sincere sympathy to popular Kill clubman Mick Ahearne on the recent death of his sister Bridget Woulfe in Limerick.