DEATH OF JOE O’SULLIVAN.
There was great sadness in the Club on last Thursday morning, and especially among his hurling colleagues, when news broke of the death of Joe O’Sullivan.
Coming in from Dingle Joe was one of the great Club Hurlers of the late sixties and right through the seventies playing alongside some stalwarts like John and Eddie Barry, the McCarthy brothers Mike, Seamus and Paudie, Jim Gannon, Tommy Bracker O’Regan, Monny Breen, Eddie McMahon, Eamon Condon, David Lucid, Niall Sheehy, Christy Flaherty, Seamus Roche, and the Reidy brothers, Johnny, Joe, Brendan, Aidan and Ger and a host of others too numerous to mention.
His playing colleagues of the day also included some outstanding players who have gone to their eternal reward including Garry Scollard, Christy McQuinn and Mick Barry.
Joe played in those three Co. Finals of 1968, 1969 and 1974 and was unlucky, like all his other colleagues, not to have won at least two of those encounters.
He played for fifteen consecutive seasons with the Hurlers (1966-1980) and all during this period he played football with Dingle and West Kerry as well. After hanging up his boots was always involved in any Club celebrations whenever those teams were being honoured down the years.
Visit our Centenary Book at page 129 where you will see photographs of the 1968 team and the 25th anniversary celebrations of that same team taken in 1993. Also on page 130 is a photograph of the 1974 team – with Joe included in all three.
We extend sincere sympathy to Joe’s family, including his wife Winnie, his daughters Neasa, Ciara, Gráinne, Sláine and Fiadhnait, his brother Micheál, his sister Maura, his six grandchildren and to all his extended family and friends.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is also offered to the families of the following who died recently – Niall Kelly, Gort na Sídhe, Mounthawk; George McNeice, St. Brendan’s Park and formerly Chapel Street; Bridget (Bridie) O’Connor (nee O’Connor), Blennerville and formerly Stack’s Villas; Nuala O’Connor (nee O’Mahony), Cloghers and formerly Castleisland;
ROCK & ROSE VICTORY SOCIAL: Tickets at €35 are still on sale for the Club Social which takes place at the Rose Hotel on Saturday, 22nd February.
BALLOONAGH FUNDRAISER: Scoil Eoin, Balloonagh Primary School is organising a Valentine’s Ball to raise funds to develop playgrounds and playing areas around the new school structure. The Ball will be held in Ballygarry House Hotel on this Friday, February 14th.
Proceedings will begin with a Garnish Island Gin reception accompanied by classical pianist Deirdre Millane.
This will be followed by a five course meal and then dancing to Arklight followed by a disco by DJ Manus Leane. Cocktail/black tie attire is optional.
The organising committee has invited the Austin Stack Club to take a table at the Ball, seating ten people. Chairman, Billy Ryle would like the Club to accept the invitation from our neighbours and friends if 10 club members are prepared to pay €100 each per ticket. Any Club member interested in buying a ticket to attend the Ball please contact Billy at 0879808979.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: Due to the inclement weather at the weekend our Town League game against Kerins O’Rahillys had to be postponed. This has now been refixed for the coming Sunday (16th Feb) in Strand Road at 12.30pm. The third and final round – away to John Mitchels – is penciled in for the following Friday (21st Feb) with the starting time yet to be confirmed. The League Final is still down for decision on Sunday, 1st March.
MINOR FOOTBALL: Round 2 of the Town League against Na Gaeil is due to go ahead in Connolly Park on this Tuesday evening (11th Feb) at 6.15 – weather permitting of course. The 3rd and final round, at home to Kerins O’Rahillys, has been fixed for Tuesday, 25th February. But before this we get our Co. League campaign underway with a home game against Rathmore on this Saturday afternoon (15th Feb) at 3.30pm.
CLOTHES RECYCLING COLLECTION: As part of our Club Clothes Recycling Fundraising Collection next Saturday Feb 15th at the club from 2-4pm we are asking the parents of Juvenile Club players in particular to bag separately any Boys or Girls Austin Stacks Club Merchandise or old football boots – the plan is to hold a ‘previously loved’ car boot sale for these items at the Juvenile Academy once we are back outdoors in Caherslee in a few weeks time.
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.
LOTTO: Last Night’s (10th February) Jackpot, worth €13,150, was not won. The numbers drawn were 6, 11, 20, 32.
The €20 winners were: Dan Roche, Maria Butler and Paul Fitzgerald, all c/o Rock Street Post Office; and Harry O’Callaghan and Amanda Hogan, both c/o The Club.
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. And from now on tickets will also be on sale at Kevin Barry’s Shop in Rock Street.
We continue to remind members that we are in competition with other clubs until April 2020 to retain our very important Lotto Franchise at our local post office on Rock St. Every time you are in the post office let Martin and staff know that you are a Rockie and to register your transaction in favour of Austin Stacks. The Club with the most points will win the franchise.
