CLUB CONVENTION: A reminder that our Club AGM will now go ahead at the earlier time of 10.30am on next Sunday morning (15th Dec) to facilitate members who wish to travel to Rathmore for the Co. League Final which throws-in at 2pm.

SENIOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-6; Dingle 1-5.
After some poor displays in recent games our boys showed their real character in this Co. League play-off in Connolly Park on last Sunday afternoon (8th Dec) with a narrow one point win over a very determined Dingle side.

With many games called off due to the atrocious weather conditions it was a credit to both sides to have lined-out and to have played so well in such circumstances.

The game was so evenly contested that both sides had four points each and four wides each in the first half and two wides each during the second half, with our lads just shading the scoring during this second period (1-2 to 1-1).

But it didn’t look like that in the early stages of the game when the visitors raced into an early three points lead. Our first score came in the 10th minute when Joseph O’Connor won the ball in his own half and made a fantastic run up field to place Gearóid Fitzgerald for our opening score.

Our second point came two minutes later after some brilliant work by Jack O’Shea and Shane Walsh, ending up with a Seán Quilter point.

Then in the 14th minute Dingle got their 4th point but with our defence playing brilliantly on the day we held them scoreless for the rest of the half while adding  two more points ourselves late in the half, both coming from superb efforts by Michael O’Donnell – the second from a free after he himself was fouled.

Straight from the resumption we were on the attack and after a perfect build-up it was Gearóid Fitzgerald who got the final touch for the first goal of the game.

Six minutes later we were unlucky not to have scored a second goal but from the kick-out it was Dingle who went on the attack and they leveled matters again with a goal of their own.

With the weather getting considerably worse the remainder of the half produced only three more points. A Sean Quilter pointed free after a foul on Darragh O’Brien came in the 47th minute and ten minutes later a typical Jack O’Shea run ended with a point to put us two clear.

Then two minutes into added time Dingle, with their only point of the half, reduced the deficit to the bare minimum. But with our defence again playing superbly we held out for a well-deserved one point win with referee, Donal Casey, blowing the final whistle after four minutes of added time.

Team: Darragh O’Brien, Colin Griffin, Dylan Casey, Jack O’Shea (0-1), Shane Walsh, Ronan Shanahan (Capt), Jack Morgan, Joseph O’Connor, David Fitzmaurice, Ciarán O’Reilly, Fiachna Mangan, Michael O’Donnell (0-2 – one free), Seán Quilter (0-2 – one free), Gearoid Fitzgerald (1-1), Michael O’Gara. Subs used: Shane O’Callaghan (40m), Darragh O’Brien (40m), Ciarán O’Connell (59m), John Dennis (60m).

The Co. Final, away to Rathmore, will go ahead on Sunday next (15th Dec) with a 2pm start. While both sides have never met in a final we have met one another in the League on 20 occasions since our very first meeting back in 1975.

And to date Rathmore have had the upper hand, winning 11 of those meetings while we have won nine. A win on Saturday will put us back on top of the Roll of Honours – at present Crokes and ourselves have ten titles each.

CONGRATULATIONS: to Na Gaeil on their big win in Mallow last Sunday in the  Munster JF Championship Final. Congrats also to Club Players, Pádraig Looney and James Quigley who were part of the ITT All Ireland winning Freshers team against Dundalk last week (Wed. Dec 4th).

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.
Bar opening hours are as follows: 7pm to 12.30am on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and 12 noon to 11pm on Sundays.

CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse on every Monday and Thursday nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.
All at the Cards extend sympathy to John Breen on the death of his mother-in-law, Nora O’Sullivan (see ‘Sympathy’).

LOTTO: Last Night’s (9th December) Jackpot, worth €12,700, was not won. The numbers drawn were 3 9, 17, 23.
The €20 winners were: Jackie Mahony, c/o Carmel O’Neill; Geraldine McLoughlin and Veronica Lawlor, both c/o Rock Street Post Office; David Doyle, c/o The Club and Cathal Coras, c/o Malachy Nagle.
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 – Pauline Lynch (nee O’Callaghan), Derrymore East and formerly Cahermoneen and Casement’s Avenue (see tribute in Ladies Notes); Nora O’Sullivan (nee Whelan), Garryruth and formerly Belclare (Galway) (Mother-in-law of Card Player, John Breen); Denis Costello, Riverside Drive, Oakview; Gary Keohane, The Bronx, New York and formerly Racecourse Lawn (brother of former Mitchels footballers, Pat and Karl); and Maura Mulcahy (nee Casey), Stack’s Villas.