THE RAILWAY CUP: What a joy to see the Interprovincial Competition on the go again and good to see that football rules will improve our game! Aililiú! We hope that the interprovincial games will be continued in 2025 and that we’ll see the blue of Munster, the green of Leinster, the white of Connacht and the yellow of Ulster on the field of play! P.S. Let’s hope that the names are printed correctly on the jerseys in their next outing….An Mhumhain (Mumhain/Mumha), Cúige Mumhan, Ulaidh, Cúige Uladh.
PEIL FAOI 7/8/9: Our last Under 7/8/9 football action of the 2024 season will take place at 11am next Sunday (27th) in Caherslee.
SYMBOLS OF VICTORY: Among the trophies on the table at next Sunday’s league finals will be the John Galvin Trophy, the de Barra Awards and the Garry Fernane Cup. Does anybody know of the whereabouts of the Cecil O’Connor Trophy? Everybody is urged to come along for a great Sunday morning of entertainment! Beidh peil den scoth le feiscint!
PEIL FAOI 11: (i) Football will take place in Connolly Park at 10.50am on Sunday next (27th) for the last time this season when the finals of our club tournaments will be played.….a day not to be missed! (ii) What a great day our boys and their dedicated mentors had at the Dee O’Leary Football Tournament at Club na bPiarsach, Gort Álainn, Corcaigh. Brilliant Rock football was played and what success! They brought home the Dee O’Leary Cup from Cork. The stars on the day were Jake O’Driscoll, Paudie Hayles, Sebastian Vicente, Rian Murphy, Noah Diggin, Ruane Lawlor, Éamonn Delaney, Corey Aslett, Ruadh Horan, Donagh Hogan, Muiris Collins, Michael Broughton, Brandon English, Ciarán Murphy and Darragh Counihan. (iii) No…no football on Thursdays from now on as our season winds down. (Tim McMahon, Adrienne McLoughlin)
BITS OF HISTORY: (i) This time 8 years ago there was great joy in The Rock when our U11 footballers returned from Cork with the Dee O’Leary Cup. They had a very successful outing at The Piarsaigh Club in Gort Álainn. The Black‘n’Ambers played outstandingly. Jamie O’Brien played a captain’s role and was ‘Man-of-the-Match’ in the final. An interesting name that was and is written in the roll of honour on the base of the cup is that of the captain of the 1998 St Vincents (Dublin) team that won the tournament…Diarmuid Connolly, the now famous Dublin and All-Ireland winning captain. Who remembers that great day…23rd October 2016?
(ii) The 2024 Rock stars and Dee O’Leary Cup victors: Jake O’Driscoll, Paudie Hayles, Sebastian Vicente, Rian Murphy, Noah Diggin, Ruane Lawlor, Éamonn Delaney, Corey Aslett, Ruadh Horan, Donagh Hogan, Muiris Collins, Michael Broughton, Brandon English, Ciarán Murphy and Darragh Counihan.
(iii) Another great day for U12 Rockites was October 11th 2011 when the Dee O’Leary Cup arrived in Connolly Park after an absence of 19 years…..‘It will surely go down,’ according to one report, ‘as one of this U12 team’s greatest days out …another milestone in The Rock’s long history!’ And the reporter continues: ‘our final opponents were the boys of Na Piarsaigh and what a game we had!
Our captain for the final was Pádraig Ó Luanaigh féinig féin….ceannaire agus captaen den scoth! He was a leader all day….he wisely elected to play with the wind in the first half and, thus, we led at half time by 0-5. More terrific scores were got in the 2nd half by Donagh Mac Iomhargáin, Joseph Ó Conchúir, who had moved to midfield, and Gearóid Ó Síocháin. In defence Robbie Murphy put in another mighty tournament with some terrific saves and excellent kick outs! Shane Kelliher had his best tournament this year and Hugh Healy who was sprung from the bench for the final was terrific in keeping the dangerous Cork forwards at bay.
Michael Linnane moved to the full-back position for the final and it proved to be a master stroke as he was excellent. Eoin Lynch and Dean Scanlon also played their parts as did Cian Holden, Dean O’Connell, John Holmes, Simon Draghici and Alan Dore. The move of the match was that of David Fitzmaurice going back to the half back line when Tomás Sheehy received an injury.
Bhí David ar fheabhas ar fad. Even though Donagh Mac Mathúna was carrying an injury he showed the true Rockie spirit and played his heart out….Uncle Joe would have been delighted! The move of the match was in the second half and it culminated in our stalwarts sealing a great victory with a stylish goal! The ball was worked all the way up the field from our rearguard, now marshalled by Dylan Ó Cathasaigh who had moved to centre back and who was playing like Séamus Moynihan of old, to Ciarán O’Reilly i lár na páirce, to Joseph O’Connor, to Donagh Mac Iomhargáin agus scaoil seisean raspar i dtreo chúl na bPiarsach and he stretched the back of the net. We held on to our 0-4 lead.
In the second half, against the wind and when it mattered most, the lads responded magnificently and with real heart, self-belief and determination….as would be expected from sons of The Rock!’ An fhoireann bhuacach: Robbie Murphy, Tomás Sheehy (Hugh Healy), Michael Linnane, Shane Kelliher, Dylan Ó Cathasaigh, Donagh McMahon, Joseph O’Connor, Ciarán O’Reilly, Eoin Lynch, Pádraig Ó Luanaigh, David Fitzmaurice, Gearóid Ó Síocháin, Donagh Mac Iomhargáin, Dean Ó Scannláin, Cian Holden, Dean Ó Conaill, Cian Talbot, John Holmes, Alan Dore, Simon Draghici.
(iv) Our U11s were also in action (an lá céanna), in the U11 tournament, and they played great football. They had three matches in their pool and were unlucky against Aghada and Na Piarsaigh but had a wonderful victory over Bishopstown….3-0 to 1-5! An fhoireann: Cian Talbot, Ronan Foley, Hugh Healy, Alan Dore, Joe Looby, Ian McCoy, Jack McGrath, Simon Draghici, Eoin Lynch, Jordan Ó Sé, Evan O’Connor, John Holmes, Gary Clifford, Pádraig Linnane.
PEIL FAOI 15: Our U15s have had a great end to a great year…winners of County League Division 2, Central League Division 1, Tralee Town Championship (Shield)! The U15 B boys: Oran O’Regan, Conor Murphy (comhchaptaen), Oisín Cotter, Diarmuid Hennessy (comhchaptaen), Liam Swords, Ryan O’Flaherty, Alex O’Flaherty, Kyle Yoxhall, Joe de Barra, Dean Courtney, Noah Reidy, Ewan Canty, Eliot Calleja, David Ahern, Joe O’Halloran, Seán McCannon, Nathan O’Connor, Mark Foley, Séamus Keenan, Ryan Moriarty, Ediart Topali, Jayden O’Dowd, Tom Dawson, Conor Hanafin, Tadhg Somers, Killian Coffey. Up The Rock! Aililiú! (Dan Ahern, Ger Hobbert)
COLÁISTÍ – CORN UÍ MHUIRÍ: (i) The Cnoc an tSeabhaic team was scheduled to challenge Abbey CBS on Wednesday (23rd) in the 1st round of the Corn Uí Mhuirí Competition (Munster Schools). (ii) Tralee CBS and Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne were scheduled to meet in their 1st round (Corn Uí Mhuirí) on Wednesday (23rd). Rock boys on the CBS panel: Mark O’Riordan, Danny Lane, Ryan O’Flaherty, Noah Reidy, David Ahern. (Tim McMahon, Adrienne Mhic Lochlainn)
COLÁISTÍ – CORN UÍ SHÚILLEABHÁIN: We eagerly look forward to the delayed final of the U19 Corn Uí Shúilleabháin competition between Tralee CBS and Mercy Mounthawk. Black‘n’Amber players on The Green panel: Seán Óg Brosnan, Fionnán Ryan, Ronan Carroll Ryan O’Driscoll, Donnacha Horgan, Olivier Lata. The U19 Rock boys on the Mounthawkpanel: James Fisher, Pádraig Ó hAllmharáin, Ben Murphy, Daniel Kirby, Alex Touhy, Gavin Ó Cathasaigh, Paddy Lane, Cormac Bastible. (Tim McMahon, Adrienne Mhic Lochlainn)
CLUB GEAR: Club merchandise: log into www.austinstacks.ie (under ‘shop’).
CLUB LOTTO: Thanks once again to all club lotto supporters and promoters and especially to (i) Commane’s Bookshop (PC Books), Sráid na Carraige, (ii) O’Flynn Interiors, Sráid na Carraige, (iii) Hussey’s Deli and Newsagency, Cé an Phrionsa, (iv) Carmel Cuiltéir, AdeS, (v) The Burger Shack, Móin an Bhealaigh, (vi) The Brogue, Sráid na Carraige, (vii) Siopa Chaoimhín de Barra, Sráid na Carraige Uachtarach.