CAMPA PEILE: Don’t forget that our club summer camp which will take place in Connolly Park from Tuesday August 6th to Saturday August 10th (ó 9.30am go dtí 1pm gach lá). Tá an t-am ag sleamhnú! Fáilte roimh chách!

PEIL FAOI 7/8/9: Great Under 7/8/9 football was played once again last Sunday morning in Caherslee. ‘Hope to see you all at 11am on Sunday next (28th July). Come along, everybody!

PEIL FAOI 11: (i) Football-for-Fun will take place at 10.50am on Sunday next (28ú Iúil) in Caherslee and at 6.20pm on Thursday in our own Connolly Park. These sessions will continue as we await the next series of v.i.p. games, namely, the exciting Central League challenges. Brilliant encounters ahead! Our various challengers: Firies, Ballyduff, Kilcummin and Milltown! Boys, can we live with the excitement? (ii) On Tuesday of last week (16th July) we attended the Munster U11 Activity Day in Fitzgerald Stadium where our boys had three consecutive games, trí cinn de chluichí iontacha spórtúla v Listowel, Rathmore and Bride Rovers (Cork). What a great and exciting day was had by our young and enthusiastic Rockites. Among the high points of a wonderful day was a tour of the famed Dick Fitzgerald Stadium. Just imagine being in the dressing rooms of our Kerry stars….the rooms in which David and Páidí Clifford, Joe O’Connor, Dylan Ó Cathasaigh, Diarmuid Ó Conchúir, Armin Heinrich, etc, etc, tog out for their big intercountry matches!! Lá dá saol a bhí ann! (Colm Ó Mongáin)

UNDER 14: The Lee Strand Football one-day Tournament for boys U14 (born 2010, 2011) is fast approaching (September 14th). Trials (not to be missed!) will be taking place to select a Austin Stack Club team and, so, keep an eye out for group messages for details. (Ger Hobbert)

PEIL FAOI 15: Everybody is happy that U15 competitive games have returned again! (i) On Sunday 7th we hosted Na Gaeil in Division 1 of the Central League. We started slowly and had a disappointing first half but in the 2nd half, once we pulled up our socks and got motoring, we played some really good football. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get fully on top of buachaillí an Chillín and were unlucky to lose the game by a single solitary post.

(ii) Following a quick turnaround, our Division 1 team was back in action on Wednesday 10th (July) and played at home (i bPáirc Uí Chonghaile) v Laune Rangers. Nursing a few injuries and with a few players on holidays, we fielded a slightly restructured team. Laune Rangers had the better start and took the wind out of our sails with an early goal. Our braves, however, stuck to their task and chipped away at the Rangers’ early lead and, bit by bit agus céim ar chéim, brought the game level quite quickly. From then on, our lads really took control of this fixture.

Massive work rate from every player resulted in us being in the lead at the break…4-5 to 1-2. Thankfully, the introduction of substitutes at half-time didn’t weaken us. The players from Puck, however, lifted their game but our lads upped a gear or two, increased their work rate with a more polished Pogacar-like performance and were first past the winning post…a satisfactory Rock win, gan aon agó! Score…7-7 to 3-7.

(iii) Our Division 1 team had a lovely trip back west, passing by Sliabh Mis and Cnoc Bréanainn, to play v An Ghaeltacht in our 3rd Central League outing. A strong first half, in which we showed great skill and determination, had us in the lead at half-time….2-2 to 0-4.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t push on in the 2nd half and An Ghaeltacht caught up to us and levelled the game….bhíomar ar comhscór. We tried with might and mane to forge ahead but were unsuccessful in our efforts to pop over a winner before séideadh deireanach fheadóg an réiteora. Roinneadh na pointí and both teams came away with a point on the league table. Final score….AdeS: 2-4; An Ghaeltacht: 1-7. We now have two remaining games…v Baile an Mhuilinn on Wednesday and v Na Seán Mistéalaigh on Sunday. We’re through to the Central League semi-finals with a win in just one of these games! Come on The Rock!

(iv) On Friday 12th July our Division 6 team travelled to Killorglin for an away game v Laune Rangers. A disappointing start had us chasing the game for most of the hour. But Rock footballers don’t yield easily! Our boys, showing great heart and determination, brought the game back to a close contest.

Our lads even led by a 0-1 as the clock ticked down but, ochón agus mo bhrón, were denied outright victory by a late Rangers’ goal. Great effort, boys! Final score in Killorglin…Laune Rangers: 3-9; AdeS: 2-10.

(v) Our Bs were ar an mbóthar on Wednesday the 17th when they travelled to Killeen and took on Na Gaeil in Division 6 of the Central League. Scór deireanach….Na Gaeil: 4-10; AdeS: 4-9. ‘Well done’ to all who lined out. Numbers were tight and, so, a number of the U13 players had to step up a level to help out our U15s. These younger boys of The Rock contributed to an exciting encounter in which The Rock stalwarts came back from an 0-9 half-time deficit and lead by 0-1 with only a minute to go in the game. Victory would have capped a wonderfully courageous Rock resurrection but, unfortunately, the boys in green earned the laurels with their last kick of the game…a late late free that was popped over our trasnán. Briseadh croí! All our players can be very proud of their true Rock effort! A special word of thanks must go to Shane Carey from the U13 group who played in goals and gave a great goalkeeping performance. The team: Shane Carey, Conor Hanafin, Oisín Cotter, Tadhg Lucey, Tadhg Somers, Shea Horan, Nathan O’Connor, Alex O’Flaherty, Liam Swords, Killian Coffey, Billy Kirby, Dean Courtney, Michael Carmody, Ewan Canty, Tom Dawson, Eliot Calleja, Joe O’Halloran, Mark Foley. A big ‘thank you’ to our Austin Stack Club coaches, Martin Courtney and Dave Scanlon, for their help with this fixture. (vi) Please note that Central League

FIXTURES have been planned for this Wednesday (24th) and, so, please keep an eye out for group WhatsApp messages for details. (vii) ‘Well done’ once again to our three North Kerry Development players, Eoin Mangan, Harry Murphy and Conor O’Regan who lined out in the Green‘n’Gold on Saturday last when The Kingdom (Kerry) defeated The Rebels (Cork). Maith sibh, a pheileadóirí na Carraige! Ciarraí Abú! (Ger Hobbert, Tim McMahon)

MINORS: (i) ‘Well done’ to our minors who did well v Seamróga Neidín ar an Luan seo caite in the semi-final of the Keanes Supervalu Club Championship. Imríodh an cluiche sa Neidín. Up The Rock! (ii) Minor training takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays (in the gym) and Fridays except when we have a championship game.

CLUB GEAR: Club merchandise from O’Neills. Log into www.austinstacks.ie

CLUB LOTTO: Thanks to all club lotto supporters and promoters and especially to (i) Paudie Commane Books, Sráid na Carraige, (ii) O’Flynn Interiors, Sráid na Carraige, (iii) Hussey’s Deli and Newsagency, Cé an Phrionsa, (iv) The Burger Shack, Móin an Bhealaigh, (v) The Brogue, Sráid na Carraige, (vi) Siopa Chaoimhín de Barra, Ollmhargadh Grósaera na Carraige.

PEIL SHINSEARACH: (i) We wish ‘Star’ well in his endeavours with The Orchard County v Galway! (ii) ‘Well done’ to Aoife Ní Dhuilleáin (d’imir sí go nótála ar fad!), Dara Ó Lúing agus Mná na Ríochta v Ard Mhacha. A great victory! Go n-éirí go geal leo sa chraobhchluiche v An Ghaillimh! (iii) Good luck to our senior club team in the Intermediate Club Championship v The John Mitchel Club on Saturday next (27th) at 4pm in Strand Road.

MAR EOLAS: (i) Chaill fir Chiarraí 25 craobhchluiche (football All-Ireland finals) ó 1884! We never lost a hurling All-Ireland!! (ii) Kerry Ladies’ 11 All-Ireland victories: 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993. Can we expect to add 2024 to our list to give us ‘the dozen’?

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