Lotto
There was no winner of last week’s jackpot of €10,400. The numbers drawn were 05, 17, 24 & 28. The five €30 consolation prizes went to Anne Kennedy, Camp; Katie Burke, Curraheen; Eugene Dullaghan c/o Maurice Hanafin; James Sayers, Derrymore West; Liam O’Sullivan, Derrymore East.
Next week’s jackpot will be €10,500 and the draw will take place next Sunday night May 11th at 10pm in Skelper Quane’s Bar. Tickets available from usual outlets or any committee member. If you’re not in, you cannot win!
Dingle Way Challenge 2014
Now that the May Bank Holiday is over it is time to start making plans for the June Bank Holiday. St Pat’s are running their second Dingle Way Challenge on Sunday June 1st and this year the walk will go from Cloghane to Blennerville with stops in Spillane’s Bar, Maharees and The Old Schoolhouse in Camp.
Participants are free to walk all the trek or any of the stages. Registration can be done online through our website and Facebook page but we are also taking registration at the Juvenile Academy next Sunday morning at 10:30am and forms are also available with Kieran in O’Shea’s Gala.
The fee is €35 and includes bus transport, breakfast, lunch, burger and a drink on completion along with a medal. All participants will also receive a bag for the trek with drinks, fruit and a map.
It promises to be a great day’s fun on the mountains and along the beaches. We are asking all friends of St Pat’s to support the walk either by taking part or by sponsoring one of the participants and all money raised is being used to improve our club facilities.
Coiste na nOg is arranging a family section from Curraheen Church, ascending to the mountain path and trekking to Tonevane and completing at Blennerville GAA pitch. Start time for this section is 3.30pm on June 1st. Children will wear a bib and walk with a steward-led group & parents and finish at our pitch where refreshments and music will generate a party atmosphere. All are welcome so why not join in the fun!
Juvenile Academy
We saw another great turnout last Sunday morning. In the u6’s Sharon Enright, Jack Costelloe and Maebh Breen showed us some great skill and determination while in the u8’s Rory Kelliher, Orlaith Murphy and Grainne Breen displayed some perfect ball skills. At the same time, St Pats hosted a u-10 blitz which was brilliantly organised by Eoin Sayers. There was 2 teams from Ardfert ,2 from St Pats ,2 from Churchill & 1 from Ballyheigue.Both our teams performed heroically despite the obvious difference in size. Best for St Pats on the day were Seanie Murphy, James dowling, Cillan Lynch, Kosta, Paddy Moran, Caoimhe Diro, Gearoid O’Shea, Diarmuid & Roisin Griffin, Liam O’Sullivan & Joseph Laucher. The academy continues this Sunday at 10:30am
Under 12’s
Our U12’s are scheduled to play round 5 in the county league on Sunday 11th May at home against Asdee/Ballylongford
Under 16’s
Our U16’s played away to Churchill last Monday at 6.30pm. Report to follow in next week’s notes.
Senior Team
Credit Union County Senior Football League Rd 4
Spa, Killarney 1-12 St Pat’s 1-8
Our seniors travelled to Killarney last Saturday night to take on Spa in perfect conditions. Spa had the upper hand in the opening exchanges with 2 points from play from former Kerry Senior panelist Mike “Stam” O’Donoghue.
However, St Pat’s quickly settled and playing with the aid of a slight wind, the long direct ball seemed to be paying dividends. Kieran Hurley converted a free in the 8th minute to reduce the deficit and then St Pat’s struck for a goal in the 12th minute. Liam O’Sullivan caught a great ball from a kickout and he delivered a long kick into the full forward line.
The ball floated over Kieran and his marker but Willie Hurley was on hand to get possession and he coolly finished to the net. Spa responded with two pointed frees from O’Donoghue to tie the game at the end of the first quarter.
St Pat’s added two further points in the 18th and 23rd minute; a free from Kieran and a nice point from play by Willie to restore St Pat’s two point lead. Both teams were guilty of turning over possession easily and some bad wides in this quarter. Another free from O’Donoghue was quickly cancelled out by a point from Willie in the last minute of the first half.
However, Spa attacked from the resultant kick-out and added a point before the short whistle. HT Score Spa 0-6 St Pat’s 1-4.
Spa, playing with the aid of the breeze in the second half quickly opened their account with two frees from O’Donghue. St Pat’s reply was a pointed free from Kieran Hurley.
St Pat’s seemed to be picking up plenty of possession around the middle but poor decision making was costing them. The long ball into the Hurley brothers was no longer working as Spa dropped a sweeper in front of them.
St Pat’s began to run at Spa and when they did, it reaped rewards. Paul McMahon, Liam O’Sullivan and Andy Byrne attacked Spa at will and drew frees. Hurley was successful with two in the 43rd and 45th minute to give St Pat’s a two point lead going in to the final quarter.
However, disaster struck from the resultant kickout as Spa attacked down the right and their centre forward cut in along the endline, beating two defenders and finishing to the net from an acute angle.
This put them into the lead for the first time in the second half and it was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. They added another point in the 54th minute to increase their lead to two points. Liam O’Sullivan replied with a monster point from a free and it seemed we could be in for a close finish.
However, St Pat’s could not break down the Spa defence in the closing minutes and Spa caught St Pats out the counter attack from turnovers in the closing minutes and they added 3 further points to leave the final score a bit flattering to the home side; 1-12 to 1-8.
This was an improved performance from St Pat’s, particularly in defence and around the middle where they had ample possession to win the game. However, they must improve in attack in order to pick up vital points in the upcoming league fixtures.
Round 5 sees us host Glenbeigh/Glencar on the weekend of May 17/18th. Best for St Pats last Saturday in Spa were Paul McMahon, Liam O’Sullivan & Willie Hurley. Team: A O’Callaghan, P O’Connor, K O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan, S Dowling, L Mulligan, P McMahon, L O’Sullivan, M O’Sullivan, A Byrne, B Poff, Jake Foley, G Savage, K Hurley & W Hurley. Subs: J Costello for G Savage (40 mins); Jeff Foley for S Dowling (40 mins); B Savage for K O’Sullivan (inj 54 mins).
St Brendan’s N.S. Blennerville
St. Brendan’s N.S. Blennerville are doing another ‘Bag 2 School’ collection on Tuesday 27th May between 1 and 2:30pm. We are looking for second hand clothes, shoes tied together, soft toys, belts and bags.
If you can help us, please drop your unwanted clothes to us in any large plastic bag on this day to help us raise funds for the school.
The school is hosting an ‘Active Week’ from 12-16th May. Children will take part in skipathons, a hike for 5th and 6th classes around Loch a’Dúin, have a health and safety talk (thanks to parent Maura O’Donnell for organising), drop everything and dance session, crazy golf, as well as a tour to UL for the older classes for rafting, canoeing, and much more.
We are making a huge effort that week to raise the number of steps taken by all, so we are going to walk to school every day that week from the windmill. We welcome parents to join us.
We would like to thank the Curran family for their kind permission in allowing us to start from the Windmill car park. A meeting for our new enrolments will take place on 7th May at 7pm to meet their new teacher and get to see the classroom.
Parents will meet with principal Terry O’Sullivan and get a chance for their children to meet each other. It may very well be the last year our infants will meet in a prefab, as the new building clearly is on the horizon now. For more information, enrolment form, and news, please see our web-site: www.blennervillens.ie
Blennerville/Ballyard Community Games
SWIMMING: Sunday, May 4th was a great day for Blennerville/Ballyard swimmers. We had our first gold medal early in the morning, thanks to Rachel O’Mahoney, who came first in the U8 freestyle.
Suin Fitzgibbon, Alison Lynch, Aoife Bourke and Cormac Gallagher also had great swims in the morning but unfortunately were up against some tough competitors in their swims. The afternoon session saw Blennerville add to their medal total. Grace O’Mahoney swam a magnificent final to get bronze in the U12 breaststroke. Ciara Drinan was in a very fast U16 freestyle final and swam an unbelievable race to finish 2nd. Mebh Maloney swam a nail biting U14 backstoke and it was the touch of the wall saw her win and get a gold medal.
Our next two medals were in the boys U14 breastroke with Cathal McLoughlin adding to his county medals total this year by getting a silver and well done to Darragh O’Sullivan who got a bronze in the same event. Sarah Gavaghan was outstanding in her U16 Butterfly and was well ahead of the pack and finished in first place.
The last event of the evening were the relays. We had an u13 girls relay, Ava O’Mahoney, Grace O’Mahoney, Jenny Slattery and Ellen Wallace, it was a very close finish in the semi, with two teams to qualify and after the judges deliberated I’m afraid it didnt go the way of Blennerville, finishing 3rd, just out of the finals.
The U16 girls medley relay was the last event of the day. We finished on a high with the girls, Sarah Gavaghan, Erin Fitzgibbon, Mebh Maloney and Ciara Drinan swimming fantastic and won gold.
Other mentions have to go Ava O’Mahoney in the U14 freestyle. She swam brilliantly and was just pipped in her semifinal coming third, with two to qualify and Ellen Wallace who made it all the way to the final of the girls U14 breaststoke finishing 5th overall.
Well done to Sorcha O’Donoghue, Ciara Fitzgibbon, Emma Lynch and Kate Mulgrew, Jenny Slattery and Darragh O’Connor who all had tremendous swims and Sean Fitzgibbon who represented us in the U14 Butterfly final. So over all we came away with 3 golds, 2 silvers, 2 bronze and gold in the U16 medley relay. A fantastic achievement by all.
GYMNASTICS: Kerry County Community Games gymnastics take place next Sunday, May 11th. We would like to wish Rachel Mulgrew and Grace O’Mahoney the best of luck as they represent Blennerville/Ballyard in this event.
ATHLETICS: A date for your calendar, Blennerville/Ballyard community games Athletics competition will take place in St Pat’s GAA pitch, Blennerville, on Thursday evening May 15th at 6.30. There will be a special race for tiny tots and all other community games events will be for the u8’s to u16 age groups. The first four qualifiers in each event go on to represent Blennerville/Ballyard in the County Finals which will be held on 21/22nd June, in An Riocht, Castleisland. Check out our Facebook page for further updates and information on www.facebook.com/Blennervilleballyardcg.
Sympathy
The club would also like to extend its sympathy to the families and relatives of Liam Heffernan, Keel, Castlemaine; Bill O’Brien, Oakpark and Mary Quinn, Reidy’s Terrace. May They Rest In Peace.
