St Catherine's Notes (9th Feb)
- Feb 09,2024
AIB sponsored All-Ireland junior hurling championship final
Tullogher/Rosbercon 2-21 St Catherines 1-13
There are numerous ways of reflecting on this, we're going down the route of Conahy Shamrocks, up there around Ballyragget and home of Nicky Brennan, dismissing Russell Rovers. Later that same evening Tullaroan edged out for Fr O'Neill's in as memorable an intermediate final as we have seen. Now the Cats pounce again, collecting the cream. Initiating another double with Tullogher/Rosbercon overcoming the Saints, followed two hours later and on a remarkably similar scoreline with the Thomastown win over Castlelyons in the All-Ireland club junior and intermediate finals at Croke Park last Saturday evening.
It habitually comes up time and time again. Just look at it. Thomastown beating Kildorrery, likewise Glenmore seeing off Dungourney, Dunnamaggin getting past Cloughduv, even Mooncoin overcame Ballygiblin. It took Mayfield with a narrow win over Mooncoin in the junior final of 2007 to bring a Cork club to the table. Ok, go back further, back to 2008 and Dripsey did beat Thomastown. Kilkenny clubs are the doyens of these competitions - put simply, they’re hard to beat. Call it what you will, tradition whatever, but the stats don't lie.
They made a mesmeric start here too. Danny Glennon picking out Marty Murphy on the overlap to slap in the opening goal inside two minutes of the opening All-Ireland junior final on Saturday evening last. With Cian O'Donoghue unerring, be it from sideline cuts, free or general play, the margin gradually ominously widened. A Colman O'Sullivan point sandwiched between two tasty Saints scores from Brian Mulcahy and Rory Galvin in turn, before the powerful ever-threatening Walter Walsh sluiced his way through the middle, clearly only one thing on his mind, before finishing with aplomb. It was the defining score of the hour with Tullogher/Rosbercon very near Inistioge, Mullinavat and the Wexford border, beautiful country, but enough of the scenic talk for now, as they were finding themselves to the good on a 2-06 to 0-03 scoreline, just to the end of the opening quarter.
Brave Eoin Davis goalkeeping denied Walter the prospect of a realistic second goal shortly afterwards as the Saints, largely reliant on their keeper and wing forward, Sean O'Donoghue from placed balls for scores, albeit Kyle Wallace pointing from play on twenty seven minutes. But it was a daunting half-time scoreline served up with the Kilkenny representatives in a strip reminiscent of the county team, as Donal Óg Cusack pointed out repeatedly being the boys with the stripey jerseys, the word Kilkenny couldn't be uttered, now ahead on a half-time scoreline standing at 2-14 to 0-09. Dig your way out of that!
Intensity wavered on the turnover, Catherines resorting to the bench but the margin of difference remained the same now standing at 2-17 to 0-12. Eighteen minutes gone on the second half clock. Kian O'Donoghue and Oisin Fitzgerald with eye-catching scores.
Tullogher finished strongly. Conor Hegarty and Rory Galvin again with what must be termed consolation scores, but fair is fair. The cup is going where it should be going. No complaints, they were clear and comprehensive victors. Castlelyons representative Ciaran McGann, representing the sponsors, presented the man of the match accolade to Pat Hartley. Winning captain was midfielder Colman O'Sullivan.
So the dream is over. But no complaints. Beaten by a much better team, it’ll be hard now for a few weeks as not alone was this the All-Ireland final, it was also the last game in effect of the 2023 season. So we will have to live with it, everywhere you turn, but the wheel will gradually turn slowly, it always does.
In the coming weeks, we turn our attention to the shape and structure of the division four county hurling league scheduled to start in Kildorrery on weekending March 9th/10th. Split season still enforced, county leagues and championships run from January to July. Club championships then take over.
We take a look at the shape of group three in the Co-Op Superstores County junior hurling championship. We see what teams are playing county championships in our neck of the woods. That’s all to come. Also expect minor football league and U21 football championships to commence around February’s end - all to come.
For now, lie low for a while. Chill out and bounce back hungrier than ever. Try and win that county.
Scorers: R Galvin (1-01), E David (0-04 frees), S O'Donoghue (0-03 frees), B Mulcahy, K Wallace, K O'Donoghue, O Fitzgerald and C Hegarty (0-01 each).
Tullogher scorers: C O'Donoghue (0-06 frees) (0-01 sideline cut) (0-10), W Walsh (1-03), C Hennessy (0-04), M Murphy (1-0), C O'Sullivan, J Shiely and D Glennon (0-01 each).
St Catherine's team - Eoin Davis, Fionn O'Connell, Eoghan O'Riordan (vice captain), Liam O'Connor, Kian O'Donoghue, Oisin Fitzgerald, Kieran Neville, Kyle Wallace, Shane Cotter, Will Leamy, Rory Galvin, Sean O'Donoghue, Brian Mulcahy, Eoin Condon, Matthew Mulcahy. Subs: Eoin Wallace, Conor Hegarty (vice captain) and Gearoid O'Brien for Liam O'Connor, Kieran Neville and Will Leamy (all second half). Kevin Barry for Matthew Mulcahy ('45), Matthew Sheehan for Brian Mulcahy ('53).
Referee, Colm McDonald (Antrim).
Return of the Fit-Ups
You just never know who you might come across at Strictly. One such person encountered being Liz Hannigan Higgins, secretary of the Ballynoe Point-to-Point race committee. But of more relevance to this piece would be what are the upcoming drama productions for the area. You see Liz knows. Anything you want to know about impending drama productions one would do worse than talk to the knowledgeable Liz, as the Blackwater Valley Fit-Up Theatre Festival returns with another series of what you can be assured will be high quality productions.
Coming our way again is the vastly talented Seamus O'Rourke from up there in Carrigallen, Co Leitrim, now really how would you describe Seamus? Is he a poet? A writer? An actor? Maybe a combination of all three. Even more, that nasal rural twang is frequently heard particularly in agriculturally orientated programmes, be it radio or TV. Though starting off in Bartlemy on Wednesday, January 24th, along with Joan Sheehy, Seamus with ‘The empty nest’ will perform at Ballynoe Community Hall on Friday, January 26th at 8pm. He will be back in our midst again the week after as he is the writer, performer and director of ‘The ballad of Mossy Flood’. Another old reliable making a welcome return is Cobh born Pat Kinevane. Putting on King on Friday, February 9th. Winding up on Tuesday night, February 13th with ‘Sean Moylan Irish Revolutionary’. Written and performed by Michael Patric which may have been on in our parish previously. Guarantee you all these will win you over.
Juvenile meeting
St Catherine's Juvenile GAA have they first meeting of the new year in the clubrooms Ballynoe on tonight (Thursday) January 18th at 8.15pm.
Lotto results
Reverting to its regular slot for the weekly lotto draw of Monday, January 8th. Numbers drawn being 3, 8, 11 and 28 and there was no jackpot winner. Consolation winners being: Susan Hinnell, Tallow; Elsie Dineen, Ballynoe; Ciara O'Connell, Kilphilibeen, Ballynoe; Paul O'Brien, Rathdrum, Ballynoe and Regina Hartigan, Castleview, Conna.
Most recent draw on Monday night last January 15th with jackpot of €20,000 was down for the clubrooms, Ballynoe roundabout the 9pm mark. Anyone who wants can call in. Results forthcoming.
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.
