Mike O’Halloran was in Kilmoyley on Sunday evening for the Garveys Supervalu Kerry Senior Hurling Championship game between Ballyduff and Causeway… 

Causeway 2-12

Ballyduff 0-10

Another great welcome awaited the followers of the ancient game when we travelled to one of the most scenic hurling fields in The Kingdom.

Again, the folks in Kilmoyley had the whole place spic and span and it came as no surprise to anybody who visits that facility that the pitch was in pristine condition as it always is.

I was lucky enough to get tea in a china cup accompanied by Mikado biscuits. These days in North Kerry it feels like the old days of “The Stations” when neighbours visited each others houses for Mass and some food.

For weeks prior people would comment “they are busy preparing for The Stations” the house and yards would be given the once-over with everything that could be painted given a lick and the best china would be laid on the best table cloth for the neighbours.

Now the hurling clubs of the area have been given the opportunity to visit each other while Austin Stacks Park is being redeveloped and like preparing for the stations, they have been busy preparing to host the Garveys Supervalu hurling Championship Hurling games.

Every blade of grass is cut, every post painted and more importantly there is an army of stewards to welcome everybody and make sure they are safe.

I was not in Causeway earlier for the double header but I am told that the welcome there and the facilities were also impressive.

Ballyduff came to Kilmoyley a depleted outfit, with little expectation of winning and so it turned out. Causeway made hard work of defeating them and perhaps if Padraigh Boyle had stayed on the field for the duration the score may have been closer.

Causeway opened the scoring within two minutes when Paul McGrath pointed a free, he had another before Padraigh Boyle replied for Ballyduff in the fourth minute.

Anthony Fealy struck over a beauty for Causeway and again Boyle replied for Ballyduff.

The decisive score of the first half came on eight minutes when Colum Harty struck the ball to the net to make the score causeway 1-3 Ballyduff 0-2 points.

A minute later Keith Carmody missed a sitter when he fumbled the ball wide from a couple of yards. Carmody was causing havoc each time he won possession, he was fouled on 15 minutes and Paul McGrath added the point Paul tapped over another on 17 minutes.

Padraigh Boyle had three points before halftime for Ballyduff and Muiris Delaney added one for Causeway, halftime score Causeway 1-7 Ballyduff 0-6.

Aiden Boyle pointed for Ballyduff at the resumption before Paul McGrath drove over a monster.

Then Padraigh Boyle rose to gather the ball and on landing he seemed to injure his leg and had to be replaced by Pat Joe Connolly.

Following that, Muiris Delaney cut a sideline over for Causeway 1-10 to 0-6.

Another McGrath free added a point and Eoin Ross tapped over three frees for Ballyduff. Causeway had lost Bryan Murphy prior to that and he was replaced by Jason Leahy.

Then came the killer blow; Colum Harty struck his second goal and added a point. The final score of the game came from Michael Boyle when he pointed for Ballyduff.

Final score Causeway 2-12 Ballyduff 0-10. One could hardly say this was a classic but Causeway won’t mind as they now face Lixnaw in the next round of winners versus winners.

Ballyduff await the losers of Crotta/Kilmoyley, given today’s performance from Ballyduff and injuries to Padraigh Boyle and Michael Boyle it’s hard to see them advancing beyond either Crotta or Kilmoyley.

The other matches in round two are winners of Crotta/Kilmoyley will play Abbeydorney and St Brendans will play Ballyheigue.