St Catherine's Notes (15th Jul)
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Juvenile GAA club one of main beneficiaries of ConnaBride Vintage Rally
It was a week starting off with the Lá na gClub celebrations on the bank holiday Monday. One of the biggest mid-summer attractions in the parish would be the Conna Vintage Club and Rally and Family Fun Day. This year organisers chose Marymount Hospital and Hospice along with camogie, ladies football and St Catherines Juvenile GAA Clubs as main beneficiaries.
On the playing pitches a week of regular league activity as just in this moment in time we negotiate one of, if not the, busiest periods of the current season, involving decent treks to Ahiohill to play garnish in the quarter-final of the county junior B1 football championship and round eight of the division four county hurling league fixed for Cloughduv tomorrow evening, Friday, June 14th at 7.45pm. Reports on those matches will feature next week. For now, this is what we have on offer for this morning. Read on.
Club activity from the field of play
Round 6 Div 2 Amarenco East Cork Junior hurling league
St Catherines 0-10
Midleton 2-17
Following the inevitable conclusion of Lá na gClub, a quick return for this junior league tie at a mild, humid, albeit dry Ballynoe, on bank holiday Monday evening, June 3rd last. Goals from Harry Wall and Ryan McConville, both in the opening eight minutes meant Midleton were always in the ascendancy. Ciaran Pietropaolo and Philip Griffin pointed some excellent scores for the home team. Ronan Clancy could always be relied upon with the frees. Meaning it was 2-07 to 0-06 for the Magpies at the break and although they would lose a player on two yellows and the understandable red following on, always held the upper hand to the finish.
Scorers: R Clancy (0-06 frees), C Pietropaola and P Griffin (0-02 each).
St Catherines team: J Bryan, C McCarthy, C O'Brien, T Barry, J Hayes, E O'Driscoll, M Geary, A Neville, C Hayes, D O'Connell, R Clancy, T O'Donnell, C Pietropaolo, P Griffin, H Draper. Subs: C Leamy for M Geary (38), S Cotter for P Griffin (47). Also S Kearney.
Ref: Ben Daly (Russell Rovers).
Round 2 Div 2 Amerenco East Cork junior hurling league
Youghal 2-18
St Catherines 1-13
While Youghal had the edge in a rescheduled round two hurling league tie when played up in Magnier’s Hill on Friday evening last at 7.30pm. Leading on a half-time scoreline standing at 1-07 to 0-07 and with the breeze to their backs, went about adding another to their tally. They were denied by some impressive Jake Bryan goalkeeping, tidy and reliable Ciaran O'Brien defending and even though the supply wasn't coming, half forward Ciaran Pietropaolo was still able to nick a half dozen points from open play as this fourth and final quarter progressed on a 1-16 to 0-13 scoreline.
Man of the match Dion O'Donoghue, goaled a penalty on 56 minutes, bringing his overall tally to 2-09. Ronan Clancy responding with a consolation goal for the Saints near the end.
Scorers: R Clancy (0-05 frees; 1-06), C Pietropaolo (0-06) and M Draper (0-01).
St Catherines team: J Bryan, R English, C O'Brien, C Leamy, J Hurley, D O'Connell, M Geary, C Hayes, A Neville, C Pietropaolo, R Clancy, H Draper, C O'Neill, P Griffin, S Cotter. Subs: R McConville for S Cotter (second half), S Kearney for H Draper (37').
Referee: Niall O'Neill (Midleton)
Underage section
Minor hurling challenge
One always likes going up to this part of the country this time to Araglin, sound people up there, for a minor hurling challenge on the evening of Wednesday, June 5th. Bereft of any exam tied players and the Saints mentors must be well pleased with a ten player scoring return. Two of the three subs introduced making their mark.
Araglin, combined with Kilworth, had good players in Dermot O'Riordan, Cillian Watts finished off a stunning first half goal and Liam Og Hegarty was the sweetest striker of the sliotar on the pitch. St Catherines were easy enough victors of this minor hurling challenge, refereed by the always reliable John O'Brien of Ballygiblin.
Quarter-final Div 2 Rebel Og East U14 FC
St Catherines 1-07
St Colmcilles 5-06
Hold off on a Buttevant league report now planned for early next month as the various divisional boards switch to knockout competition. With the Saints involved in this football championship quarter-final going ahead in Ballynoe early on Saturday afternoon last. Throw-in down for 12.30pm.
Kenneth O'Connell, with a goal and a quickly followed point, had the home team ahead for the first and only time. Leading 1-04 to 1-02 to 24 minutes. All the good work usurped by a second Liam Hooley goal just before the break with St Colmcilles, combining White’s Cross and Carraig na bhFear, now to the good on a half-time scoreline standing at 2-02 to 1-04.
For the Saints there was some focussed and timely defending, particularly from Jack Cuneen and outside of him Jack Coughlan, but neither had a chance with Cathal Geaney goaling a penalty kick two minutes into the change of ends. It was a time the game was effectively decided with goals from Alan Murphy and Sam Dunne, quickly following up against a Saints team trying to the end, but weren't to peg back that kind of margin.
Scorers: K O'Connell (1-04), T Morrison, T Walsh and E Dillon (0-01).
St Colmcilles scorers: L Hooley (2-00), T Harden (0-03frees; 0-05), A Murphy (1-01), S Dunne and C Geaney (penalty; 1-00 each).
St Catherines team: J Cuneen, C McCarthy, S Riordan, J Coughlan, S Moore, B O'Connor, N Keane, K O'Connell, C Higgins, E Dillon, R Walsh, T Morrison, R O'Donoghue, S O'Keeffe, J Mulkerrins. Sub: C Fitzgerald for J Mulkerrins (second half). Also Z Pyne.
Referee: Anthony O'Regan (Youghal).
Phase 2 Rd 1 Coiste na nOg county U13 football league
St Catherines v Cobh
These two teams came together in a previous round only a month ago. Cobh won that morning by two points. Now the situation is totally reversed when opening phase two of the U13 football league at an overcast Ballynoe early on Sunday morning last. What was obvious was the ferocious work rate of Cian Fitzgerald with Gary Leahy also winning an amount of ball around the middle of the pitch, proving an ideal foil for Kenneth O'Connell, who with Sean Keeffe and Olan Sheehan, were securing the bulk of the scores.
Cobh made a few switches on the change of ends, were coming more into it and popped up for a few nice well taken scores. A Sean McGuire penalty stop and tigerish Jack Mulkerrins defending, meant the home team wouldn't be stopped. Get ready for trips to Carraig na bhFear and Aghabullogue.
Scorers: K O'Connell (3-06), O Sheehan and S O'Keeffe (3-02 each), D Kenneally (1-00 each), C Fitzgerald, P O'Sullivan, N Keane and B Coakley (0-01 each).
St Catherines team: S MaGuirem J Mulkerrins, S Moore, T Sheils, A O'Gorman, N Keane, Z Pyne, G Leahy, K O'Connell, J Bryan, C Fitzgerald, O Sheehan, B Coakley, P O'Sullivan, S O'Keeffe. Changes: O Feeney, A Coakley and D Kenneally for T Sheilds, J Bryan and P O'Sullivan (all second half). Changes: T Shields, P O'Sullivan and J Bryan for S Moore, S O'Keeffe and C Fitzgerald (all 54').
Referee: David Hickey (Youghal).
Yet another huge upcoming weekend
We're only too well aware of the huge crowds encircling the provincial senior hurling finals. In excess of 80,000, 45,000 in Thurles alone as the curtains eventually come down on yet another truly memorable Munster championship. Get ready for another huge upcoming weekend. Tullamore, ideally placed there in the middle of the town, will be stretched to the rafters for an exceedingly attractive double header this forthcoming Saturday afternoon. Both involving Rebel red Cork, they play Offaly in the preliminary quarter-final of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship. Revitalised Offaly, Joe McDonagh Cup and All-Ireland under twenty hurling winners. Offaly are back. Offaly are on a hurling high, suffering an all merciful drubbing from Cork back in an early March league encounter. They will be anxious to redress that and maintain their current high standard of play. How much they've come on though will be tested to the extreme here.
While much maligned Cork, now with a win over newly crowned Ulster champions Donegal under the belt, now come face to face with more Northern opposition in the form of Tyrone in round three group three of the All-Ireland senior football championship. Like Offaly, Tyrone also won the All-Ireland U20 title, they did in football. Three counties, all doing well, backed by popular support. It’s going to be a busy day in the midlands. Rebels abú.
Lotto results
Being a bank holiday, last week’s lotto draw was held over and staged in the clubrooms Ballynoe on Tuesday night, June 4th at 10pm. Nos drawn being 1,14, 16 and 17. There was no winner with €30 consolation prizes going to: Cotter family, Ballynoe; Nora Ryan, PO, phone number supplied; Frances Hamilton, online; Emma Cronin, Clashegannive, Conna and Emer O'Keeffe, online. With a jackpot standing at €6,600, most recent draw was down for Monday night last, June 10th. Results on the way.
Lá na gClub
Having been originally scheduled for week ending May 26th but a victim of poor conditions, St Catherines Lá na gClub, a fun day for all the family eventually went ahead in the pitches in Ballynoe on bank holiday Monday, June 3rd from 1pm. Going on until early evening and thankfully, this time the weather held up.
Coaching officer Eamonn Buggy drew up a wide variety of events including mixed orienteering challenge, fittest family, step challenge for walkers along the track. Mixed hurling and football blitzes with the premier junior hurlers playing the senior camogie team, also face painting, chalk colouring on ball wall, etc. Proceeds from lotto tickets sold on the day going towards cancer research, all for a good cause. Successful undertaking and many thanks to those who helped out with car parking, borrowing tables and chairs from the hall and the lotto table sales. What was noticeable was how quickly the place was tidied up. All looking perfect again, almost as if nothing happened.
Games in Ballynoe
Two matches involving outside clubs were held on St Catherines GAA pitch, Ballynoe recently. Erin's Own defeating Fermoy 1-21 to 1-10 in round seven of the division two county hurling league. That was Friday evening May 31st. While on Sunday afternoon last on a scoreline of 1-18 to 1-04, Ballinacurra were too strong for Abbey Rovers in the quarter-final of the county junior C football championship. Referee being Mike Carey of Bride Rovers.
Up next on your fixture list - Friday, June 14th round eight division four county hurling league v Cloughduv at Ballincollig at 7.45pm. Monday, June 17th at Rostellan U14 hurling championship v Aghada at 8pm.
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.