St Catherines
- Dec 01,2021
St Catherines GAANotes.
By John O'Mahony PRO St Catherines GAA Club.
Tournament games must be played for
So just where are we now? Well in a condensed season taking in mid June until now accommodating pre competitive competitions league and championship over four age group and two codes great credit must go to all clubs in completing their underage programme of games. Now of course various cups for tournament games are put up. There is a reason going with this and every effort should be made that they could and should be honoured. Indeed the under fourteen hurling tournament final for the Albert Griffin cup in Ballynoe on Saturday evening last probably brought the curtain down on the juvenile season. Further up the ranks and a couple of games in group face of the East Cork junior football league cup are still outstanding. Maybe its a little out of sync but latest roll over in the rebels bounty sequence of draws will take place on Friday nigh coming November 19th. So we give you all the details of the latest weekly lotto draw from Monday night last, November 15th. Then we move on.
Numbers drawn were 6, 17, 24 and 25 and the jackpot of €16,400 wasn’t won. Consolation winners were John Morrison c/o H.O.C., Conna, G Warren, Ballybride, Gonna, Pat Hurley c/o Fisherman’s Rest, Conna; Ann Buckley, Rathdrum, Ballynoe and Kieran Morrison, Conna.
With a jackpot now standing at €16,600 there will be a draw on Monday night, November 22nd.
2021 Albert Griffen Cup final
Wouldn’t have competed in a competitive nature for this particular age group all season relying on what the under thirteen and fifteen had to offer. But in their second decider inside a week lost out in the under fourteen hurling tournament final for the Albert Griffen cup played in dull, overcast albeit dry conditions at Ballynoe on Saturday evening last. Having taken charge of an earlier under fifteen football trial in which rebel óg east Cork defeated Waterford (6-11 to 2-11) Jim Hennessy was double jobbing. Also the referee for what followed.
Catherines made a lively start with Kyle O’Donoghue and Gearoid Sheehan goals forthcoming to ten minutes. Sterling defensive play from Liam Moore, Sam Aherne, Fionn McCready and Conor Murray to which Alan Cotter added a magnificent reflex stop all equally as important in building up a lead of 2-07 to 0-01 and again at 2-11 to 2-04 to the end of the second of what were three twenty minute halves.
But Carrigtwohill were getting stronger as the contest advanced and with Paddy Bennett, Cathal Seymour, Daniel McCarthy and Tom Walsh prominent ground out the win on an end scoreline of 5-09 to 2-12. Brian Sheehan, chairman St Catherines Juvenile gas Club said the few words before Phil O’Brien made the presentation to John Crowley, captain of the winning Carrigtwohill team. It was ironic in a sense as the previous Saturday Catherines were winners of the under fourteen hurling tournament played in Carriogtwohill collecting the Tim O’Shea Cup in the process. Swings and roundabouts!
He was a shoe and boot maker and a hurley and a sliotar repair man. Still remembered if you’re of a certain vintage of being a postman in Ballynoe. he was a lover of and passionate St Catherines follower and a loyal and volatile Cork supporter. One of fourteen vice presidents of the club when passing to his eternal reward on the morning of Sunday, March 13th 2005. We were in Watergrasshill for a junior hurling challenge when the news filtered through. A minutes silence was organised in his memory. Was that year moved on the family put up a perpetual cup, Ensuring his name will live on forever. St Catherines defeated Kilworth in that first under fourteen hurling tournament final played in Ballynoe on Sunday morning October 23rd. At games conclusion then juvenile chairman Richard Hegarty singled out Albert’s contribution over the years with the Griffin family continuing their gaelic duties with St Catherines and other clubs. Keeping the tradition alive. Richard also touching on the friendly alliance between the St Catherines and Kilworth club’s built up over the years,
Then juvenile club treasurer Phil O’Briej, daughter of the deceased presented the magnificent cup to her own son Stephen, captain for the day. Also present were Albert’s wife Rita and her sister Nan (O’Connor), mother of the legendary musician Mo and grandmother of Rory who had played at left half forward. Included on the Kilworth team that morning were Kieran Lane, Noel McNamara and Will Condon. Team captain was Liam Whelan.
Catherines team from 2005 Albert Griffen cup final
Ed Aherne, Conor Lane, Denis Lane, Richard O’Dea, Patrick Roche, Stephen O’Brien, Paul England, Conor Hegarty, Brian Mulcahy, John Hurley, Kevin Walsh (RIP), Rory O’Connor, Stephen Mills, Seamus Wade and Colm Ahern. Also Paddy Lee and William Walsh.
Match referee: Mike Walsh (St Catherines Club).
Scorers in last Saturday’s final
G Sheehan (0-03 frees)(1-03), K O’Donoghue (1-02), J Temple (0-03 frees)(0-05), B McKee and T Clancy (0-01 each).
St Catherines team: Alan Cotter, Shane O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Liam Moore, Jake Pratt, Fionn McCready, Sam Aherne, Tristan Clancy, Julian Pietrpaolo, Kyle O’Donoghue, John Temple, Cillian Hickey, Billy McKee, Gearoid Sheehan and Shay Wallace.
Also: Callum O’Driscoll, Sean Walsh and Jaydn O’Connor. Referee: James Hennessy (Kiltha Óg).
Fixture
Don’t have anything concrete. But St Catherines must play Ballinacurra in group five of the East Cork junior football league cup competition. Glenville await the winners in the eventual final.
Harty Cup
It’s back and St Colman’s started with the right result. Recording a hugely impressive victory over Blackwater Community School when beginning their Harty Cup campaign in Lismore early on Friday afternoon last. Full back and captain is Kyle Wallace on a team including a fair sprinkling of Catherines players. Fionn O’Connell, Gearoid O’Brien and Harry Draper also making the starting fifteen. Included on the panel would be under sixteen players Kian O’Donoghue, Oísin Fitzgerald and Seán O’Donoghue who sampled the action through the fourth quarter on a team that also has all Ireland minor winners Ben Nyhan and Adam Walsh in their starting line up. Next up shortly will be St Joseph’s of Tulla. While it won’t get any easier for Blackwater who now face Midleton CBS who in Padraig O’Sullivan, Diarmuid Healy, Timothy Will and Jack Leahy among others have some of the most talented underage players around. Anyone following St Catherines juvenile teams over the years would be well aware of that.
Tragedy in Kilkenny
Look you couldn’t deny but that great, traditional rivalries simply enhance this great sport. Sometimes, thankfully not often something inexplicable happens which just defies explanation. Last week their was the freakish accident taking the young life of thirteen year old Harry Byrne from the scenic village of Gowran in St Kieran’s College in Kilkenny. Ar dheis Dé go rabid a h-ainm dhílis.
How going to and from a game outs thinking cap on
You are aware of the current medical climate that previous as you go to and from a match, alone with ones thoughts. There has been numerous occasions post lockdown when maybe a certain meeting can trigger off memory of a previous encounter against your immediate opposition, Let’s elaborate on the point we’re trying to make.
Only three days would pass between a semi-final victory over Carrigtwohillm which to this day one believes to have been better and a tougher game than the subsequent final. That’s just a deep-rooted view. But as that late Conna publican Paddy Roche one declared “I likes a man with an opinion: now one would have the strictest confidence in Garry Hartnett, Ed Galvin, Pat Cleary, Kieran O’Brien, Rory Galvin and Pat Fitzgerald was close to them all year. Both hurling and football though thick and thin. But heading to Ballinacurra on the afternoon of Saturday, September 3rd for the division one rebel óg east minor (under eighteen) hurling championship final and everyone involved with the team would only be too well aware of what can be a savage motivating factor. That is the power of revenge, even the date was the same. St Cartherines had won the corresponding under sixteen final when captained by Mark Geary at Copper Alley Grounds in Youghal on September 3rd 2019. How ironic is that!!! He clearly had blossomed in the interim. Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford and Galway couldn’t curtail him. Now Kiltha Óg would feature Munster minor hurler of the year Jack Leahy in their forward line. Thankfully it all worked out well on the day. As we go back to that sixteen decider as Harry Draper from placed balls pointed all the saints first half scores in establishing a half time lead on a 0-08 to 0-04 scoreline against who were again the pre-match favourites. Tom Hartnett added ti the tally quickly on the change of ends. As the opposition through points from Ciaran Sice and Niall granny duly upped the ante. But were stopped in their tracks with the games only goal right at the end of the third quarter finished off by Sean O’Donoghue to which Cathal Dineen added the score of the match pointing from out near the sideline. Catherines winners on a scoreline of 1-12 to 0-12.
2019 under sixteen winning hurling team
Evan Philpott, Eoghan O’Riordan Gearoid O’Brienm Nathan Sheehan, Mark Geary (team captain), Darragh Galvin, Fionn O’Connell, Conor England, Kyle Wallace, Harry Draper, William Leamy, Cathal Dineen, Denis Temple, Tom Hartnett, Sean O’Donoghue. Subs used were Stephen Cotter and Ben O’Connor, referee was Youghal man Eoin Coleman.
Next week why would an under thirteen hurling semi-final in Cobh in 2018 linger for a long time in the memory afterwards?
St Catherines GAA Club sponsors
T&A Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Ballynoe are sponsors of St Catherines GAA Club. Mulch Steel are sponsors of St Catherines Juvenile GAA Club.
