Austin Stacks GAA Club News

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BRITISH OPEN GOLF CHALLENGE: Thanks to everyone who contributed generously to our Club Fundraiser, spearheaded brilliantly by Tim McMahon. John Fox was the eventual winner with Shane Herbert, Ben Quilter and David Courtney next in line. Check our Club Website for further details.

The new disability path enables George Dineen to enjoy a bird’s eye view of his beloved Rock team warming-up and to enjoy the game. Photo: Adrienne McLoughlin

DISABILITY PATH: Our new disability friendly path was officially opened in Connolly Park on Saturday evening by Geroge Dineen (son of former Club Chairman, George). Current Club Chairman, Billy Ryle welcomed everyone to the opening and he congratulated Eamonn Linnane Construction for a job well done. Fr. Amos from St, Brendan’s Church was present to officially bless the occasion.

SENIOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 0-14; John Mitchels 0-11.

With both sides going into this 4th round Co. League tie on two points each (we with two draws and one defeat; Mitchels with one win and two defeats) this was going to be a ‘do or die’ affair for both sides on a scorching hot Saturday evening (17th July) in Connolly Park and after an energy-sapping 62 minutes of play

we came out with a three points winning margin after a very strong Mitchels performance in the second half.

We led by nine points to four at half time with Fiachna Mangan having another fine game – scoring three from play. Darragh O’Brien added another three – one from a free and a forty five. Our other first half scorers were two from play by Michael O’Donnell and one from our ever attacking defender, Dylan Casey who was team captain on the night.

Mitchels, as usual when playing against Stacks, will never lie down and outscored us by seven points to five in the second half. But Mitchels will also bring out the best in us and we held on for our first win in this season’s restricted League. So now it’s all down to the last round where we have a home game against Kilcummin on the weekend after next (at the moment the game is fixed for Sunday, 1stAugust at 2pm).

Team: Wayne Guthrie, Ferdia O’Brien, Dylan Casey (Capt), Niall Fitzmaurive, Ciarán O’Reilly, Ronan Shanahan, Paul O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Sullivan, Conor Jordan, Michael O’Gara, Greg Horan, Fiachna Mangan, Shane O’Callaghan, Michael O’Donnell, Darragh O’Brien.

Subs used: Seán Quilter (40m), Shane Walsh (48m), Donagh McKivergan (54m), Eoghan Carroll (58m).

We all wish Colin Griffin a speedy recovery after he sustained a serious injury in the warm-up before the game. It was also good to see Seán Quilter back in action again after his absence with the Kerry U20 team as well as Conor Jordan who was away with the Clare Senior Footballers and also to see Eoghan Carroll making his debut with the Senior team.

Before the game there was a minutes silence in honour of our former Club Chairman, player and team manager, Jo Jo Barrett who passed away on Saturday morning (see Club website for tribute).

B FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-11; Ballyduff 0-9.

With both sides topping the Division 5A Co. League table on six points each after winning their opening three rounds this 4th round tie in Connolly Park on this scorching hot Sunday afternoon (18th July)  lived up to its billing and even though we had five points to spare at the end it was anybodies game almost right up to the final whistle.

With the thermometer in some cars almost hitting 30 it was understandable that this might be a low scoring game and that was the case when both sides went in at half time on level terms (0-4 each). Conor Myers with two points (one from a free) and one each form play by Donagh McKivergan and Paul Barrett were our scorers.

However the game changer came six minutes after the resumption when Conor Myers was again on target to score the only goal of the game. This was after he pointed a free after he himself was fouled just before that. However the two scores of the game came just before and after Conor’s goal – two superb points by Adam Curran who tore through the Ballyduff defence on both occasions to deservedly win him the ‘Man of the Match’ award at the end of the game. Our last four points of the game came from Donagh McKivergan (three – two from frees) with Conor Myers again on target for the last score of the game – a pointed free after a foul on Gearóid Sheehan.

Team: David Hennessy, Ruairí O’Connell, Shane Walsh, John Murphy (Capt), Paul Barrett (0-1), Paul Galvin, Adam Curran (0-2), Dara Barry Walsh, Eoghan Carroll, Andrew Morrissey, Gearóid Sheehan, Rory Forbes, Donagh McKivergan (0-4 – two frees), Conor Myers (1-4 – three frees), Cian Purcell.

Subs used: Luke Chester (ht), Seán Ryan (ht). (great to see Seán Ryan back in action again after an absence).

We now top the Div. 5A on eight points with Ballyduff and St. Michaels/Foilmore on six points each and the Foilmore boys are our opponents in the 5th and final round of the competition on the weekend after next. So an important trip to Foilmore or Ballinskelligs awaits us (at the moment the game has been fixed for Foilmore on Saturday evening – 31st July – at 7pm .

Before that we play Kerins O’Rahillys in the Tralee/St. Brendans League Final in Connolly Park on this Tuesday evening (20th July).

 

MINOR FOOTBALL: Ardfert 4-11; Austin Stacks 3-10.

The final game of the Central League was played on a sunny Monday evening in Ardfert. Up for decision was the semi-final pairings in the competition.

 

The scoring started with a point from Odhran Ferris for Ardfert. Enda Cahill back from a long injury responded for Stacks before another Ferris point and a point from play by Jack Kearney established a 2 point lead for Ardfert. Marc Carmody added a Stacks point before Fionan Egan pointed for Ardfert. Stacks added the next two points, The first a point from play by Togor Silong and the second by Josh Lynch following excellent work by Marc Carmody to keep a ball in play. The scores were level at the first water break at four points apiece.

Stacks started brightly after the restart and two Damian Hogan points put Stacks ahead for the first time in the match. Ardfert responded with an Odhran Ferris point from a free and then scored the first goal of the match following a poor turnover of a Stacks possession. The halftime score was Ardfert 1 – 5 to Stacks 0 – 6.

Stacks quickly re-established the lead with an excellent Marc Carmody goal. However there followed a period of Ardfert dominance on the scoreboard where successive poor turnovers by the Stacks allowed Ardfert to add 1 goal and four points to two Stacks points, one scored by Cillian Litchfield and a pointed free by Damian Hogan. Stacks continued with another passage of self destructive football after the water break with several more poor turnovers allowing Ardfert to add 2 goals and a point to a solitary Stacks point from a free by Damian. Entering the final stages of the game the score was Ardfert 4 – 10 to Stacks 1 – 9.

 

This minor team is nothing if not resilient and they took the battle to Ardfert in those closing stages. A goal by Sean Moynihan was followed by an Ardfert point. Caden O’Mahony added another Stacks goal following an excellent pass from Noah Townsend. Damian Hogan added another point from a free. Stacks probed for another score, narrowly missing another goal when a Josh Lynch shot hit the side netting. A resilient Ardfert side defended bravely to the end and prevented a further Stacks score leaving the final score as Ardfert 4 – 11 to Austin Stacks 3 – 10.

Ardfert will certainly thank their goalie who pulled off a string of fine saves to deny the Stacks forwards on at least 5 occasions. The turnover count was the determining factor in the game with multiple poor Stacks turnovers contributing to the defeat. On a positive note it was good to see long term injury players Enda Cahill and Darragh Moriarty return to the field of play.

As a consequence of the result in the match, Stacks now travel to Killorglin to meet Laune Rangers in the semi-final on Monday 26th. Those two teams served up a cracking drawn match in Killorglin in an earlier round of the competition.

Team: Michael Tansley, Cillian Litchfield, Cian Dillane (0-1), Jack Doyle, Kian Gorman, Colm Browne, Luke Casey, Josh Lynch (c)(0-1), Togor Silong (0-1), Jack Hannon, Enda Cahill (0-1), Sean Moynihan (1-0), Marc Carmody (1-1), Damian Hogan (0-5), Noah Townsend,

Subs:

Shane Cotter, Eamonn Barry,Adam O’Carroll, Cadan O’Mahony (1-0)(Jack Hannon), Dylan Cunningham, Simon Carey (Luke Casey), Aaron Nolan(Enda Cahill), Darragh Moriarty (Marc Carmody).

It was really tough luck on the Kerry Minors who were pipped at the post by a good Derry side in the 2020 All Ireland Final in Tullamore last Sunday. Seven of our Minors were on the 2020 panel – Joey Nagle and Armin Heinrich on the starting fifteen, along with Ben Quilter, Jordan Kissane, Conor Horan, Dean Rusk and Shane Bastible.

.U20 FOOTBALL: After our defeat to Kilcummin/Rathmore (5-10 to 3-10) in the opening round of the Co. League our U20s had to concede to Killarney Legion in the round 2 game. We now have three more rounds to play. Round 3, at home to Na Gaeil is fixed for next Saturday (24th July) at 4pm with round 4 against Laune Rangers, also at home (Sat. 7th Aug) and the 5th and final round away to Dr. Crokes on Saturday 14th August.

And hard luck on the Kerry U20 team last Thursday (15th July) in their Munster semi final game in Páirc Ui Chaoimh. Our own Seán Quilter, who was introduced early in the second half, was on hand in added time to score a critical equalizer from a difficult free to level matters and bring the game to additional time. But, from the kick-out, the Rebels raced up-field and, with the last kick of the game, put over the winning point.

JULY IN THE PAST (15th to 21st). It is still regarded as the highest winning score, at adult level at any rate, in the Club’s history and it happened in 1991 (17th July) when our Junior Hurlers notched up 15 goals and 16 points in a Co. League game against Rathmore. The reporter said he lost track of the point scorers but eight of the eighteen players who performed that Wednesday evening got on the goals score-sheet. Fergal O’Regan and Francie McLoughlin scored three each; Pat Dowling, Eugene McKenna and Maurice Lawlor scored two each. That’s 12 goals so far. And the remaining three came from Colm Kennedy, James Ryan and Brian Shanahan.

Team: Noel O’Connell, Maurice Lawlor, Pat Murphy, Mike Tangney, Donal Walsh, Jim O’Donovan, Mike Fahey, Brendan Reidy, James Ryan, Colm Kennedy, Eugene McKenna, Francie McLoughlin, Brian Shanahan, Pat Dowling, Fergal O’Regan. Subs: Joseph Costello, Ger Scollard,Mike O’Halloran.

Also on the field of play Denny Long, Paddy Whack Moriarty and the late Paul Lucey made their SF Co. Championship debuts with the Club in 1975 (20th July) in the opening game against Spa Killarney at Austin Stack Park (3-12; 1-10).

Off the field in 1990 (15th July) a portrait of Austin Stack was unveiled in the Clubhouse by his niece Nanette Barrett (mother of Eddie) and shortly after on the same day a little bit of history was made when we played our first ever SF Co. Championship game on our own pitch in Connolly Park when we defeated a Kenmare District team (3-15 to 0-11) lead by the one and only Pat Spillane.

Then on 19th July 2014 the Club mourned the passing of one of its former players, Fr. George Foley. Fr. George was a member of that historic MH team that won the 1955 Co. Championship – defeating Ballyheigue by 9-4 to 2-2 in that year’s final.

ONLINE CLUB SHOP OPEN – check out the newest ‘official’ Austin Stacks Club Merchandise – only available to order on this link (free delivery on any orders over €50) see www.oneills.com.

CLUB LOTTO: Monday Night’s (19th July) Jackpot, worth €2,400, was not won. The numbers drawn were 3, 4, 11, 16. The €20 winners were Sarah Barry, Noreen Power, Dave Hill and Dave Hill, all c/oThe Club; and Mandy Furey, c/o On Line.

Next Monday’s Jackpot will be worth €2,450.

Continued thanks to the following businesses for selling our Club Lotto tickets – Kevin Barry’s Shop, Commane’s Book Shop, O’Flynn Interiors, Hussey’s, Princess St., Terry’s Butcher’s, Oakpark The Burger Shack, Monavally as well as Maguire’s Butchers and Kirby’s Brogue Inn and continued thanks to everyone who purchase tickets week in, week out.

Austin Stacks lotto tickets are now also available to purchase on line on the following link: https://play.clubforce.com/play_newa.asp?ll_id=529#Anchor Kirby’s Brogue Inn Maguire’s Butchers Hussey’s P. Commane Books.

SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently: John Albert O’Brien, Doon North and Cahill’s Park; and Jo Jo Barrett, Sandy Lane, Barrow, Ardfert and formerly Ballinasare (see Club Website for special Club tribute) and another former Kerry footballer, Noel Lucey, Glenflesk and formerly Caragh Lake (a great Kerry footballer and brother of our late Club player, Paul).

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