Austin Stacks GAA Club News

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SENIOR FOOTBALL: It’s all systems go now for this season’s Co. Championship which gets underway on this week-end .

Two of the eight round 1games go ahead on Saturday evening (21st Sept) with the remaining six games taking place on Sunday afternoon.  Our game, away to Dingle, is one of the Saturday games with the throw-in at 5pm and with extra time and a result on the day in operation. One downer of course will be the absence of Greg Horan who picked that  injury in a Challenge game last Saturday week.

We all wish Greg a full and speedy recovery. On the positive side it’s great to see Ronan Shanahan back with the squad again after his summer sojourn.

A BIT OF HISTORY: There was a little bit of history made down in Connolly Park on last Friday evening (13th Sept) when our new floodlights were formally turned on for the first time to facilitate a training session for our Senior team in preparation for their aforementioned Co. Championship opener.

Congrats and thank you to everyone involved in bringing this about, including our former Club Chairman, Liam Lynch who spearheaded the project during his term in office.

B FOOTBALL: Dr. Crokes 2-10; Austin Stacks 1-8.
We got off to the best of starts in this Co. Championship Final (Molyneaux Cup) at the Currans Centre of Excellence on last Thursday night (12th Sept) with Ciarán O’Connell and Cathal O’Reilly winning the throw-in which ended with Donagh McKivergan putting over after 43 seconds.

Both sides then had opportunities before Brandon Patterson intercepted a dangerous Crokes move, passed to Pa McCarthy who put over our second point inside the 7th minute.

Crokes then dominated the rest of the half, adding seven points without reply before Gearóid Sheehan put over the last score of the half after good work by Andrew Morrissey and Donagh McKivergan. This left us four points in arrears at the break (0-7 to 0-3).

The second half started like the first with Ciarán O’Connell winning the throw-in and putting Donagh McKivergan through for the opening point after 25 seconds. But in the next two minutes Crokes looked like they had wrapped up this game when they added a goal and a point to put them seven clear at that stage.

But we rallied again, and points by Donagh McKivergan and Pa McCarthy and a brilliant 43rd minute goal by Gearóid Fitzgerald cut the Crokes lead to just two points. Crokes responded then with points in the 50th and 53rd minutes and then a minute later they put this game out of our reach with their second goal.

The last two scores of the game came from Gearóid Sheehan but it was too little too late from our point of view and our black and amber colleagues were deserving winners on the night.

Team: Shane Bastible, Shane Kelliher, Shane Walsh, John Murphy, Brandon Patterson, Paul Galvin, Andrew Morrissey (Capt), Ciarán O’Connell, Cathal O’Reilly, Gearóid Sheehan (0-3 – one free), Pa McCarthy (0-2), Dale Counihan, Donagh McKivergan (0-3), Gearóid Fitzgerald (1-0), David Couchman.

Subs used: Donagh McMahon (38m), Dara Barry Walsh (38m), Daniel O’Rourke (45m), Rory Forbes (55m), Conor Myers (58m).

THE C TEAM: Austin Stacks 5-9 (24); An Ghaeltacht 3-13 (22).
This Barrett Cup semi final, played in ideal conditions on a superb Lispole pitch on last Friday evening (13th Sept), was simply a thriller.

If there was such a person as a casual Rock supporter (and there isn’t) then they would be making their way to the nearest pub twenty minutes into this game as An Ghaeltacht had an eleven points lead at that stage (2-6 to 0-1 – our point coming from a Darragh Long free in the 14th minute) and looked certain winners.

But in the closing ten minutes of the half we scored three goals and a point (the point coming from a second Darragh Long free). The first goal came in the 23rd minute when Danny Roche’s cross found Tommy Costello and Tommy shot low to the net.

Three minutes later it was Danny himself who netted after being put through by Barry Walsh. And the third came when Darragh Long found David Courtney and David’s shot was unstoppable. Gaeltacht got the closing point to leave them two ahead at half time (2-7 to 3-2).

We began the second half as we finished the first, scoring five unanswered points, all from play, in the first nine minutes, which now left us three ahead. Darragh Long and Conor Lowe scored two each with the fifth coming from Danny Roche.

But then it was the turn of the West Kerry boys to dominate again in the next ten minutes  scoring 1-4 without reply which left them ahead again at that stage by four points (3-11 to 3-7). But between the 50th and 55th minutes we rallied again and it was that ‘deadly duo’ – Danny and David (the Keegan and Toshack of their day) who were in command again.

First David Courtney scored two goals to complete his hat-trick with Danny Roche the provider of both. They both added a point each which left us ahead by four again (5-9 to 3-11). In the closing minutes An Ghaeltacht kept pressing and put over two more points. But our boys held on for what turned out to be a superb victory and qualify us for our first Barrett Cup final since 2011. But this was by no means a two man show as all 18 who lined out played their hearts out to get us over the line and defeat an excellent An Ghaeltacht side.

Team (13 a side): Philip Healy, Craig Teahan, TJ Hogan, Conor Lowe (0-2), No Right Wing Back, Barry Walsh, Brian Phelan, Jason Mitchel, William Kirby, Danny Roche (1-2), Darragh Long (0-4 – two frees), Michael Collins, David Courtney (3-1), David Leonard, No Left Full.
Subs used: Tommy Costello (15m) (1-0), Paddy Fitzgibbon (26m), Seán Dukes (40m), Joe Looby (52m), Seamus Smith (54m).

We will now meet Annascaul in this Friday’s final which will be a repeat of the Co. League final which we won in early August (2-15 to 1-9). Annascaul had a big win against Knocknagoshel (4-12 to 2-7) in their semi final clash. Venue and throw-in time has not been confirmed as we write.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: to former Club Footballer and one the great Club and Kerry Supporters, Liam Shanahan, as he celebrates his 90th birthday on this coming Saturday (21st Sept)

CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties and Functions. Enquiries about Club Bookings should be made by contacting Harry Hynes at 087 2467286.

CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse on every Monday and Thursday nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.

LOTTO: Last Night’s (16th September) Jackpot, worth €12,100, was not won. The numbers drawn were 4, 8, 14, 21.
The €20 winners were: Paddy Barry, Denis Costello and Adam Kowalczyk, all c/o The Club; and Denis O’Sullivan and Moira McCarthy, both c/o Rock Street Post Office.
Lotto Tickets are on regular sale at the Rock Street Post Office and at the Stacks Clubhouse, as well as from our other regular outlets.

SYMPATHY:  Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently – Michael Francis Herlihy, Stacks Villas; Louise O’Leary (nee McGrath), Clogherbrien; Dick Mason, Caherleheen; David Fitzgerald, Clahane, Ballyard; Gretta Murphy (nee McCarthy), Meadowlands; Geraldine Naughton (nee Lane), Gallowsfield Estate sister-in-law of Club Member, Joe; and Eileen Mulcahy, Cahermoneen and Mallow.

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