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FÉILE FUNDRAISER: The U14 Féile Football takes place in Kerry on the weekend after next and our major Fundraising Table Quiz takes place at the Clubhouse on this Friday night (17th June) commencing at 8pm. Tables of 4 will cost €40 and everyone is welcome to come along. Your support will be very much appreciated. Lots of great spot prizes on the night.
ROCKIE NIGHT AT THE DOGS: There was another great Night at the Dogs at Tralee Greyhound Stadium last Friday night (10th June) for our annual Fundraiser. Our thanks again to our Organising Committee who have done brilliant work during the past few weeks under the stewardship of Club Chairman, Liam Lynch and to everyone who have supported the event with their generous contributions.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: With our postponed round 5 Co. League game against Kerins O’Rahillys still to be re-fixed, we go ahead next Sunday (19th June) with our scheduled round 6 game away to Dingle. The game at Páirc an Aghásaigh is timed for 2pm.
Then on the following Sunday (26th June) the Town Board has fixed our round 2 Town League game at home to Na Gaeil for 5pm. In this four round League we already have wins against Mitchels (0-17 to 1-10 on the 4th March) and O’Rahillys (1-11 to 0-11 on the 13th March). The 4th and final round, away to Ballymac, has yet to be re-fixed only if it will have a bearing on the conclusion of the competition.
THE MICK O’DWYER PERPETUAL TROPHY TOURNAMENT: What a wonderful series of events took place in Waterville at the weekend to celebrate the 80th birthday of its most famous son, the one and only Mick O’Dwyer. A host of famous past players gathered down south to be part of the celebrations.
Alas, our Seniors were defeated by St. Marys on Saturday morning in Dromid in the opening round of the Tournament
Again, happy birthday Micko and a sincere thanks to all involved for the invitation to our Club to take part in the event.
B FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-9; Tuosist 0-8.
In this round 5 game of the Co. League (Div 5) played in ideal conditions in Connolly Park yesterday (12th June) at noon, we should have been well ahead at the break with the amount of possession we had. But with a tight Tuosist defence and some wayward shooting on our part we just led by 0-3 to 0-2 at half time. All our three points came from Darragh Long frees, while Tousist’s two scores came from play.
The score that turned this game in our favour came nine minutes into the second half, when centre forward, Alan Duggan was brought down in the square and Shane Guthrie coolly sent the keeper the wrong way for the only goal of the game.
Apart from that there was little to separate the sides during this half with both of us scoring six points each and having just three wides each. All our six points came from play in this half with Jack O’Shea and Cian Liston putting over two each and one each from Mikey Collins and Dale Counihan.
The result sees Tuosist drop one place in the League Table to 6th spot (with a game in hand, away to Ballyduff) while we move up two places to 8th.
Team: Barry Galvin, John Murphy, John Dennis, Dylan Harnett, Seamus Bastible (Capt), Jack O’Shea (0-2), Ronan Shanahan, Brían Mangan, Shane Guthrie (1-0 pen), Michael Collins (0-1), Alan Duggan, Alan Nestor, Sean Dukes, Darragh Long (0-3 frees), Dale Counihan (0-1).
Subs used: Cian Liston (20m) (0-2), David Courtney (47m), Seán Fitzmaurice (51m).
Next weekend we are away to Asdee (who are level with us on four points each on the League Table) in round 6 of the competition. The game is fixed for Saturday evening (18th June) at 7.30pm.
CLUB CHAIRMAN: Many Club members do trojan work for the Club on a regular basis, much of it unseen and unreported and among those is Club Chairman, Liam Lynch. Take the past week as an example. Liam and his Committee worked tirelessly leading up to last Friday’s ‘Night at the Dogs’. He spent Friday night at the Dog Track. Then early on Saturday morning he went to the Glanmire Club in Cork with a group of our U8s and spent the whole day there at a very successful Tournament.
Then on Sunday morning B team mentors, Richie Conway and William Kirby, roped him in to help out as a temporary selector due to the unavoidable absence of two of our regular mentors, resulting in a good Co. League win for our B team. And after that he headed for Killarney to support the Kerry teams – the Juniors with Michael O’Donnell involved, and the Seniors with Kieran Donaghy. And that’s only a very small part of I on a particular weekend. Well done Liam.
CONGRATULATIONS: to both Kerry teams – our Juniors, including Michael O’Donnell, and our Seniors with Kieran Donaghy involved – who qualified for their respective Munster Finals after yesterday’s semi final victories. Michael was the first Rock player on the Kerry Juniors since Pa Laide and Denis Sayers represented the Club on the 1996 JF team. And congratulations to former Club player, Liam Kearns, who is the Tipperary Senior team manager, on their historic win over Cork yesterday – their first win over The Rebels in the Munster SF Championship since 1944.
SENIOR HURLING: Austin Stacks 4-17; St. Pats (East Kerry) 0-4.
We had an easy win, over a under-strength St. Pats team, in round 1 (of 4) of the Co. League (Div. 3) which got underway in Connolly Park, in perfect conditions on last Wednesday evening (8th June). The game was really over at half time when we led by 4-10 to 0-1. In the second half we eased up a little – scoring 0-7 to 0-3.
As well as the win, the performance of the players, especially the new players, was most pleasing. Two more players were making their debuts on the evening – Robert Byrne and Eoghan McKivergan and both showed some beautiful touches. Eamon Browne, playing in his second Club game, took his two goals superbly, as did another newcomer this season, Killian O’Riordan. Killian also added four points.
Colm Ó Giollagáin, last season’s chief scorer, added 1-3, one point from a well-taken sixty five.
It was nice to see two Hurling veterans making their first appearances of the season, Ross Long and Kieran McCaughley. with both getting on the score sheet.
So a very good start to season for our lads with a whopping scoreline of 9-51 in our three games so far – an average of 3-17 per game. And conceding only 20 points in the three games and no goals conceded – take a bow John Connolly and Paul Daly.
Team: Paul Daly, Johnny Downey, Peter O’Regan, Ian Moynihan, Andrew Morrissey (0-1), Andrew Foley (0-2), Eoghan McKivergan, Robert Byrne (0-1), Ciarán Breen, Colm Ó Giollagáin (1-3 – one free, one 65), Ronan Gilsenan (0-1), Killian O’Riordan (1-4), Ross Long (0-1), Eamon Browne (2-0), Peter Doyle (0-1).
Subs used; John Connolly, Kevin O’Leary, Kieran McCaughley (0-1), Michael O’Leary (0-1), Terry Desmond, James Smullen (0-1) (all introduced at half time).
We have a free week this week, so in round 2 we travel to Duagh on next Wednesday (22nd June).
U17 FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 4-22; St. Kierans 3-15.
After a brilliant comeback in our opening game against West Kerry, a fortnight ago, our U17s gave another fantastic display in Connolly Park on last Friday evening (10th June) in the semi final of the ’Non Exam’ Co. League against a very useful St. Kierans outfit.
In one of the highest scoring games in memory we led by 2-11 to 0-7 at half time. We secured exactly the same score in the second half (2-11) but on this occasion the visitors matched us score for score (3-8).
Our two first half goals came in the space of a minute a little more than half-way through the half. The first came from Gearóid Fitzgerald, who turned and left footed to the net. The second came when Shane Kelliher launched an attack which Harry O’Callaghan continued and Gearóid Sheehan also left footed low to the net.
As in the first half our two second half goals came mid-way through the half also. A lovely move involving Joseph O’Connor and Donagh McKivergan saw our 3rd goal put away beautifully by wing back Conor Lowe in the 47th minute. Three minutes later Michael Linnane gave the assist for David Couchman (on the pitch for only three minutes at that stage) to finish to the net.
Eleven of our 18 who lined out got on the score sheet, even full back, Tomás Sheehy came up field to put over, and the aforementioned, David Couchman was only on the pitch for 13 minutes or so and he scored 1-2. And all our scores came from play, from all angles and distances. And when we thought this game had everything up steps Michael Linnane at one stage and headed the ball forward when he had no other option to secure possession. We know Michael the Soccor Euros are going on in France at the moment but that was a bit much.
Team: Robbie Murphy, Shane Kelliher, Tomás Sheehy (0-1), Evan Maher, Odhran Liston, Shane Walsh (Capt), Conor Lowe (1-0), Joseph O’Connor, David Fitzmaurice (0-2), Gearóid Sheehan (1-3), Michael Linnane (0-2), Joe Looby (0-1), Harry O’Callaghan (0-3), Gearóid Fitzgerald (1-3), Donagh McKivergan (0-4).
Subs: Alan Dore (40m) (0-1), David Couchman (47m) (1-2), Simon Draghici (48m).
The final, against the winners of Firies and West Kerry was originally fixed for next Friday (17th June) and we now await confirmation of this.
U21 FOOTBALL: The first round of the Co. Championship has been fixed for next Wednesday week (22nd June). We have a home game against a Rathmore/Kilcummin combination at 7pm.
MINOR FOOTBALL; Our Minors have drawn Kenmare District in the opening round of this season’s Co. Championship. The game is scheduled to take place in Connolly Park on Wednesday, 6th July at 7pm.
In the meantime the Town League Final between ourselves and Kerins O’Rahillys has been fixed for next Tuesday week (28th June) at 7pm. As we write the neutral venue has yet to be fixed.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties. For Bookings, phone Maurice McNamara at 086 3747 642.
CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions will continue in the Clubhouse on every Monday and Thursday nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.
LOTTO: Last week’s (6th June) Jackpot, worth €5,000, was not won. The numbers drawn were 5, 8, 22, 30.
The €20 Winners were: John Breen and Seán McMahon, both c/o Club Rockies; Kitty Healy, c/o Richard Healy; Brian Collins, c/o Martin Collins; and Siobhán Power, c/o The Ladies.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently – Ned O’Brien, St. Anne’s Bungalows and late of Pallaskenry; and Frank O’Brien, Ahane, Ballymacelligott and late of Doon, Listellick.
