HURLING: Austin Stacks 4-13; Duagh 0-10
Austin Stacks hurling team who won the junior championship.
At Lixnaw on this Sunday afternoon (18th Oct) we regained the Co. JH Championship title which we last held in 2012 with an emphatic win in a hard fought game where both sides exhibited skill, desire and a will to win. It was an ideal day for hurling, dry, overcast, no breeze and a pitch which was immaculate, a credit to the Lixnaw Hurling Club.
It took the game a little while to settle and then in the 4th minute we got the perfect start when a long free by Paul Daly landed in the square where Ronan Gilsenan got possession and the breaking ball was finished to the net by Colm Ó Giollagáin. Then, within a minute, a lovely cross-field ball from Séan Hartnett found Micahel O’Leary, who pointed.
A period of dominance then by Duagh yielded two points (one from a free). Then in the 18th and 20th minutes Colm Ó Giollagáin pointed two frees, the first after a foul on himself and then when team captain, Danny Maguire, was fouled.
Both sides then scored three points each in the remaining 10 minutes of the half – Duagh’s three all from frees and two of ours from play by Danny and Colm and the third another pointed free by Colm after a foul on Kieran Mc Caughley. This left us four clear at the break (1-6 to 0-5) without really playing to our full potential.
After some spirited team talks in the dressing room at half time by team manager Mike O’Halloran, aided and abetted by Danny Maguire, Peter O’Regan and Andrew Morrissey our lads came out for the second half firing on all cylinders.
Within 45 seconds of the restart Ciarán Breen set up fellow midfielder, Kieran Mc Caughley for a lovely point. Duagh responded with another pointed free after 2 minutes and then in the 4th minute Ciarán and Cox were again involved in another move which saw Colm putting away his 2nd goal of the game.
But Duagh were still full of fire and in the space of 3 minutes converted 3 points, this time two from play and one from a free.
However, after this we took complete control, defending superbly and now feeding our attack with some great balls, and this, in the space of 11 minutes (38th to the 49th) yielded 1-5 without reply to put this game beyond the reach of the opposition. All our six scores came from play points each from Danny, Ronan and Ciarán and two from Colm together with a third goal to cap a fine performance by him.
In the final ten minutes Duagh added one more point while for us it was the Ciarán Breen show when he also capped a fine performance with a goal and a point.
So a year which started back over 5 months ago finished on a high note with the team’s second silverware of the season to add to the the South Kerry JH League which we won at the end of May. great credit to everyone involved, especially the management team of Mike O’Halloran and Mike O’Leary and the whole squad of players for wholehearted endeavour, not alone today but every time they line out. Peter Doyle kept a clear sheet again as he has done on numerous occasions. He was well shielded by a brilliant full back line of Eddie Barry, Peter O’Regan and Paudie Bradley which was added to by Kevin O’Leary in the 2nd half. Eddie was giving a Man of the Match performance until he had to retire with a nasty hip injury in the 46th minute. Breandán Caball was a capable replacement. We wish Eddie a full and speedy recovery.
Our half back line of Michael O’Leary, Paul Daly and Andrew Morrissey are never found wanting. Both Michael and Paul have played all 10 games this season. Andrew could have played the 2nd half with a a broken finger, another example of the commitment of this squad.
What a contrast our two centre field men. Ciarán Breen was in his first season with the club and finished a great season or him after being part of the Kerry SH squad that won the All Ireland B Final (Christy Ring Cup) earlier in the year. On the other hand his centre field partner Kieran Mc Caughley was playing in his 13th season with the Hurlers having made his debut in June 2003.
Inspirational team captain Danny Maguire was flanked on the half forward line by Joe Brennan and Andrew Foley and all three played brilliantly and up front we had two new comers this year, Sean Hartnett and Colm Ó Giollagáin together with long serving Ronan Gilsenan. The contribution of both Sean and Ronan not alone today with throughout the season was immense but it was Colm who gave another man of the match performance scoring a whopping 3-6 to bring his total for the season to 12-35 out of an overall team score of 28-121 for the ten games. That’s a scoring average of 1-6 per game played during the season and when you compare that with the chief scorer in this year’s All Ireland SH campaign, Galway’s Joe Canning, whose scoring average was 1-7 per game, it puts Colm’s performance up there with the best. Great stuff Colm.
Our other 2 subs, John Mc Carthy and Tadhg Meehan, also made significant contributions to the victory. When we last won the title, three years ago, it was the goal scored by Trevor Barrett, late in the game, that set us on the road to victory that late October day in Abbeydorney. It was fitting that Danny, in his acceptance speech dedicated today’s victory to Trevor.
Team: Peter Doyle, Eddie Barry, Peter O’Regan, Paudie Bradley, Michael O’Leary (0-1), Paul Daly, Andrew Morrissey, Ciarán Breen (1-2), Kieran mc Caughley (0-1), Joe Brennan, Danny Maguire (Capt) (0-2), Andrew Foley, Colm Ó Giollagáin (3-6 (3 frees), Sean Hartnett, Ronan Gilsenan (0-1). Subs used: John Mc Carthy (25m), Kevin O’Leary (ht), Brenadáin Caball (46m), Tadhg Meehan (55m).
SENIOR FOOTBALL: The Town Championship final between ourselves and Kerins O’Rahillys, postponed last week, is now due to go ahead in Ballymacelligott on next Sunday (25th Oct) at 2pm.
U21 FOOTBALL: The Club Championship (Shield Section) semi final tie between ourselves and Ballydonoghue, due to go ahead last weekend has now been refixed for next Bank holiday Monday (26th Oct). The game will be in Connolly park with a 2pm start.
MINOR FOOTBALL: The pairings have been made for the semi finals of the Central League. We have an away game against An Ghaeltacht and when the two sides met in the group stage at the end of July the West Kerry boys had just a one point win over us (1-11 to 2-7). Dingle & Laune Rangers will contest the second semi final. No date has been fixed for our game as we write. Check club website for update.
CONGRATULATIONS: to Nicola & Seamus Smith on the birth last Saturday 17th Oct of a baby boy named Fionn James Smith.
BINGO: continues this and every Saturday night commencing at 8.30pm.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the clubhouse is available fro all types of parties. for Bookings phone Des at 066 7126942 after 8pm any evening.
CARDS: The 45 card sessions continue in the clubhouse every Monday and Thursday nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.
LOTTO: There was no winner of this week’s lotto Jackpot. Numbers drawn were 2, 6, 17 & 31. The €20 winners were Aidan Pollard & Michael Mac Namara Jnr both c/o Carmel O’Neill, Mary Walsh c/o Brendan O’Regan, Danny Walsh c/o John O’Riordan, and Betty Moriarty c/o Richard Healy.
MICHAEL QUIRKE: All in the club were sadded to learn of the death of Michael Quirke during the week. Michael was a dual player with the club, his career spanning three decades, from the mid fifties, through the sixties and to the mid seventies. He was only 16 when he won a Co. Championship medal with the Minor Hurlers in 1955. After that he played for over 20 years with the Senior Hurlers and footballers. With many others of his comtempories he was most unlucky not to have won at least two SH Co. Championship titles, losing to Crotta and Killarney in consecutive seasons (1968, 1969) by just one point on each occasion. In that 1968 final he lined out in full forward line along side Richie Mc Carthy and Jim Gannon.
Many of those colleagues formed a guard of honour on last Thursday evening and Friday morning, players like Joe Joe Barrett, Aidan O’Connor, Seamus Mc Carthy, Johnny Horgan, Tadhg Mc Mahon, John Barry, Billy Curtin and Jim Gannon.
We extend sincere sympathy to Michael’s family and friends including his son Michéal, former Kerry and current Kerins O’Rahillys player.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently, Walter Burghoff, Curraheen; Paddy O’Neill Connolly Park and late of Lixnaw & Kells (Co. Kilkenny); Anne Kelliher, Donnybrook and Sandymount Dublin and late of Tralee; Helen O’Reilly (nee Foley), Monavalley; Nora Cambell (nee Murphy) Templeogue Dublin and late of London, Tawlaght, Fenit and Woodlee, Monavalley; and Peg Lynch (nee Savage), St. Brendan’s Park and late of Kilquane.
