By John O'Mahony, PRO St Catherines GAA Club.

Some success has come the club’s way in previous times. Mark Lester winning 22^nd prize of €250 from last year’s February draw just before Lisa Moore collected the major prize of €20,000 for the month of March 2021. Both draws were made on the same night of Thursday, March 25^th. This time around James and Catherine Spillane, Kilavorilla on the St Catherine’s tickets were the recipients of 6^th prize of €1000 when the most recent Rebels’ Bounty Draw went ahead on Wednesday evening, August 31^st. Real big cash amount of €25,000 going to John O’Sullivan of Youghal GAA Club. Second prize of €3000 going to Brian O’Sullivan of Fermoy. Hang on in there! If you’re not in you can’t win!

Latest lotto results

Numbers drawn from the most recent weekly lotto dray held on Monday night last, September 5^th were 4, 17, 28 and 29. There was no jackpot winner. Regular consolation winners were Kevin Galvin-Lacken, Susan McCarthy online, Spillane Family Kilavorilla, Josephine Hurley c/o HOC and Maurice Hartnett, Ballynoe. There were 3 bonus prizes of €50 each added to the draw in view of there being no jackpot winner. These went to Adam and Jessica O’Brien, Carrigmore, Conna, Noel Tobin, Monty’s Meadow, Conna and Vivienne Carr, online, With a jackpot of 20000, the next draw will be on Monday night, September 12^th.

Junior football challenge

Two back-to-back trips up Magniers Hill in Youghal just a week apart, starting from Monday, July 11^th resulted in positive starts and good results for the Saints from their opening sequence of matches in this season’s divisional junior B football championship. Wins recorded in turn over Russell Rovers and Fr O’Neills. Various hopes for the round 3 group 2 fixture v Dungourney so far have proved unfounded and has now moved from last Monday night with new date being mentioned now that of Sunday, September 18^th.

In the meantime, fair play to manager James Casey with the assistance of Padraig O’Connor, there might be one or two more later on who succeeded in getting nineteen players on the pitch for a second team junior football challenge against Grange. Sensibly subdivided into three 20 minutes periods, eventually requiring the use of lights when starting just after 8pm Ballynoe on Monday evening, August 29^th. Referee was Stephen Pratt of Tallow. With the opposition ahead all the way at 1-04 to 0-01 and again at 3-08 to 1-04 before eventually winning on an end scoreline of 4-10 to 1-04.

William O’Driscoll, Graham O’Neill, Darragh Galvin, John Hurley, Stephen Cotter and Stephen McCarthy were prominent for the home-based team. Noel McCarthy, Dave Keating and Trevor Hynes were in top scoring form for Grange. Along with Aghada and Carrig na bhFear and St Catherines will be based in group 2 of the East Cork Junior C Football Championship. Teams in group 2 of the equivalent hurling championship along with St Catherines will be Bride Rovers, Carrig na bhFear and Russell Rovers.

Look back at the Premier Junior Hurling Championship

We’ve moved on almost two weeks from that fateful night. All is quiet now and looking back to that recent big match becomes that bit more analytical rather than the euphoria prevalent in Lisgoold around 8.15pm on Friday evening, August 26^th. Especially with all other results fast emerging from an evening confined to the round 3 fixtures of the Premier Junior Hurling Championship.

Picture the scene. St Catherines one point adrift. Staring into the abyss. Four injury time minutes elapsed as an outside remote possibility of potential survival presents itself. Implications of the point procuring from Daniel Mangan’s sideline cut can’t be stressed enough. As it turned out both the Saints and the Glen survived the dreaded drop, ironically without a win between the two of them, through a three-match campaign spread over a four-week period. Put quite simply, without Mangan’s priceless, invaluable score the Cats would now be in the mire facing Dripsey for the second time in 9 years in a relegation final. Their place to a party nobody wants to be asked to, is now take by St Finbarrs’ second choice hurling team. For the moment at least everything is right with the world again!

So how will the business end of the competition pan out? Kilbrittain and Ballygiblin are automatic semi-finalists. Russell Rovers will play teak tough Argideen Rangers in one quarter final. It’s Milford and Tracton on the other side. All to play for!

All week long we kept previous Glen clashes running around in one’s head by way of mental preparation, We go back on a few Saints lineouts this week. We know you appreciate these little reflective visits. We all admire the wonderful year 1994 was. An unprecedented Intermediate Championship League double recorded. Beating the Glen (1-12 to 1-09) in the League decider. Reasonably well documented by now. So we’re going back to the group match between the two teams. Ironically the only competitive loss incurred that season when played in the Glen field on Friday evening, July 22^nd.Then St Catherines and Glen Rovers met in a Senior Hurling Championship preliminary round tie when played in Killeagh on Sunday, April 29^th 2001. Fast forwarding with our age groups to a divisional U16 A Hurling Championship semi-final played at Caherlag on Sunday, November 2^nd 2014. Here we go!

Intermediate Hurling League 1994 Glen Rovers 1-14 St Catherines 1-11

St Catherine’s team: Michael Dorgan, Maurice Hartnett, Barrie O’Regan, Pat Fitzgerald, Declan O’Neill, Martin O’Keeffe, Patsy O’Donoghue, James Sheehan, Johnny Sheehan, Donal O’Leary, James Spillane, Sean Buckley, Mike Walsh, Ed Sheehan, David O’Connell. Subs used were Eppy Hartnett and Seamus Neville.

TSB Senior Hurling Championship preliminary round 2001 Glen Rovers 3-14 St Catherines 0-13

St Catherine’s team: Ian O’Connell, Shane Fitzgerald, Shane O’Connell, Alan Keane, Martin O’Keeffe, Mike Fitzgerald, Shane Kearney, James Sheehan, Aidan Hogan, Gordan Bryan, Denis Walsh, Paul O’Connell, Michael Hegarty, Dave O’Connell, Brian Cotter.

Semi-final Rebel Óg East U16 A Hurling Championship 2014 St Catherines (0-10) 0-17 Glen Rovers (0-10) 1-12 (after extra time)

St Catherine’s team: Rory Galvin, Philip Keane, Niall O’Callaghan, Kevin Geary, Shane O’Regan, Eoin Wallace, Kieran Neville, Jack O’Brien, Darren Leamy, Ben O’Brien, Richard Galvin, Thomas O’Donnell, Luke Beecher, Niall O’Regan, Robert English. Also Kieran English, Conor Hickey, Cormac Galvin, Owen O’Neill and Eoin Davis.

This week’s juvenile report starts with quarter final Premier 2 U17 (minor) Hurling Plate

St Catherines 2-17 Bishopstown 3-09

Sean O’Donoghue making his way through from outside before polishing off the Saints’ and the game’s opening goal from close range on 25 minutes allied to a quartet of sweetly struck Ciaran Pietropaolo points guided the Saints to a well-earned 7 point lead on a half-time scoreline of 1-11 to 1-04 in the quarter final of the Premier 2 U17 Hurling Plate when played at a Ballynoe pitch requiring the use of lights on Friday evening last.

Strong defensive play from Kian O’Donoghue and Evan O’Driscoll in turn, together with the point taking skills of Diarmuid O’Connell and team captain Darragh Morrison would keep the momentum going at 1-16 to 1-07 to the end of the 3^rd quarter when in a carbon copy of the first goal, this time Sean O’Donoghue the creator in chief, before John Temple with an unstoppable effort extended the margin to 2-16 to 1-07 to 47 minutes. But Bishopstown weren’t coming down this far to throw in the towel and goals from their two best players Darragh O’Donovan and Harrison Grant kept it interesting to the finish. St Catherines will play Inniscarra or St Finbarrs in the hurling plate semi-final.

Scorers: S O’Donoghue (0-04 frees) (1-05), J Temple (1-03), C Pietropaolo (0-04), D Morrison and D O’Connell (0-02 each) and C Leamy (0-01). St Catherine’s team: J Bryan, D O’Donovan, E O’Driscoll, C Hayes, K O’Donoghue, O Fitzgerald, C McAuliffe, D Morrison (capt), D O’Connell, N Sheehan, C Pietropaolo, T Barry, C Leamy, S O’Donoghue, J Temple. Subs: D Murphy for T Barry (48), C Dunning for C Hayes (52), C Hayes for D O’Donovan (55). Also G O’Callaghan McCarthy, J Hickey, S Wallace, G Sheehan, A Bryan, C Murray and C Hickey. Referee: Arthur Murphy (Killeagh).

Semi-final Division 1 Rebel Óg East U13 Hurling League

St Catherines 1-06 Castlelyons 3-06

Maybe geography played its part such is the proximity between two evenly and well-matched teams, as Castlelyons eventually wore down a tenacious Saints’ challenge in a contest which never ignited when this low scoring league final went ahead at an overcast Ballynoe early on Saturday morning last. Both teams feeding off scraps, largely reliant on placed balls for scores with Khaled Hickey finishing off the first opposition goal on 21 minutes. They weren’t in front that long before Alan Cotter beautifully judged an equalising goal five minutes later with Castlelyons reasserting themselves, marginally ahead on a half-time scoreline standing at 2-02 to 1-02.

After withstanding periods of intense pressure, the third Castlelyons goal finished off by the influential Sam McCarthy on 53 minutes proved the game’s defining score. They now play Lisgoold or Kiltha Óg in the league final which is scheduled for this weekend. There are still some football league matches outstanding for the Saints as we thank mentors, team manager Paul Higgins, Tom Morrison, Mike Walsh and Alan O’Mahony, succeeding in having 22 players togged off and ready for duty last weekend. For the Saints, some of these players are very young. Hang on in there. Keep at it. Your day will come.

Scorers: St Catherines – Alan Cotter (0-06 frees) (1-06). Castlelyons - Sam McCarthy (0-01 free) (2-03), Khaled Hickey (1-02), Malik Abdel Razik Hickey (0-01). St Catherine’s team: Sean O’Keeffe, Cillian McCarthy, Shane O’Riordan, Billy O’Connor, Shay McCarthy, Ronan Hickey, Ronan O’Donoghue, Alan Cotter, Sean Walsh, Eoin Dillon, Tadgh Walsh, Cathal Higgins, Jack Cunneen, Eoghan O’Mahony, Tomas Morrison. Subs: Kenneth O’Connell and Aodhan Burke for Billy O’Connor and Jack Cunneen (both second half), Billy O’Connor for Ronan O’Donoghue (43). Also Jamie Mulkerrins, Nathan Curtin, David Temple, Noah Keane and Sean Moore. Referee: Gavin O’Brien (Lisgoold).

Camogie

St Catherines lost out (1-14 to 0-08) to a good St Finbarrs team in their most recent match in the SE Systems County Senior Camogie Championship when played at 2pm on Sunday afternoon last. Back to Castle Road in Mahon for the round 3 fixture against Eire Óg on this forthcoming Saturday afternoon, September 10^th at 2pm. See camogie club notes for more.

What we have in fixtures

Friday, September 9^th at Ballynoe, round 3 group 3 Junior B Hurling Championship v Castlelyons at 7.30pm. Wednesday, September 14^th at Ballynoe, semi-final division 2 Rebel Óg East U15 Hurling Plate v Fr O’Neills at 6.30pm.

Scór

Once again a reminder that the Imokilly final of Scór Sinsir will be on Sunday evening, September 18^th at 6pm in Lisgoold Community Hall. County final is on September 24^th. Anyone over 17 years of age interested in quiz, solo singing, recitation instrumental group, ballad group or sketch please let Marie Clancy, Cultural / Irish Officer of St Catherine’s club know. Thank you.

Exams

Hopefully all students were satisfied with their exam results issued last week.

Take note

We finish up a detailed report with the important news that the club defibrillator will now be located on the outside of the gym wall.

St Catherine’s GAA Club sponsors

• T&A Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Ballynoe are sponsors of St Catherines GAA Club. 
• Mulcahy Steel are sponsors of St Catherines Juvenile GAA Club.