St Catherine's Notes (14th May)
- Jun 22,2026
Mixed week overall for the Rebels on the intercounty front
They started out as intended, registering between them the opening three scores in round three of the provincial senior hurling championship in Azzurri Walsh Park on Saturday evening last.
That prolific inside line of Alan Connolly (0-06 frees) (0-09), Brian Hayes (0-07) subsequently picking up the man of the match gong and three points from the busy William Buckley. In all, an intimidating nineteen point haul contributed from an overall 1-26 tally. Phenomenal. Connolly also pulled down for the second penalty. One of which he himself missed. Struck poorly? Well stopped? Draw your own conclusions. Waterford go in at half time one point up (0-14 to 0-13) having played with the stiffish breeze at their backs. Stephen Bennett not reappearing, injured. Cork without Barry Walsh from the outset. Hugh O'Connor starts. Another player gaining valuable game time as the Rebels finish strongly. Excellent wingback Mark Coleman converts the second penalty. Finishing out with back to back Seamus Harnedy and Darragh Fitzgibbon points. A previous Patrick Collins stop between the posts also vital to the cause. It all helps. On reflection one day you feel that Cork full forward line will demolish some defensive rearguard. Next up are the Banner. Ben looks happy.
Cork kicked a couple of classy two pointers in the opening exchanges of the Munster football final in Killarney the following afternoon. But a three point advantage on a 0-13 to 0-10 half time scoreline having played with the benefit of that breeze was hardly ever going to be enough. Problem being how quickly the Kingdom proved that theory. They were only in third gear for huge chunks of that frequently one sided second half. Momentarily rocked with a quite stunning Brian O'Driscoll fifty-ninth minute goal. David Buckley follows up with a point, margin trimmed to two. Dominance widened out to eight points at game’s end, proving that by some distance they remain easily the top force in the game down south, inaugural winners of the Paidi Ó Sé Cup. They wouldn't be surrendering that easily, especially to a Cork man. Stiffer tests than Cork lie ahead. Like Donegal in the All-Ireland Football Championship the weekend after this. Cork at home to Meath. Both matches repeats of the league finals. How will they pan out this time around?
Overall a week of mixed fortunes for the Rebels. A sound tasty hammering dished out to the Kingdom in Minor football the probable highlight. There are so many midweek championship games in both codes at underage level sure some of them could be overlooked even forgotten about. It’s a week Ronan Geaney won’t forget in a hurry, there was that Féile victory in MTU on bank holiday Monday, lining out with the county in the Munster GAA primary game on the Saturday. Congratulations to him.
Club action on the field of play
Round 5 division 2 East Cork Junior football league
St Catherines 1-08 Glenbower Rovers 4-12
A brace of Diarmuid O'Connell points, both from play, inside the opening five minutes had the home team off to a solid start in this round 5 Junior football league tie played in overcast conditions at Ballynoe on Friday evening last. Three goals in a glorious twelve minute second quarter spell turning this league tie very much in the visitors favour. Evan Lane, Cathal Brennan and Paudie Mackey were the scorers with Glenbower Rovers building up a sizeable lead and ahead on a half time scoreline standing at 3-05 to 0-04.
Continuing their dominance on the change of ends though Eoin Condon did get through before finishing off a cracking goal on fifty eight minutes. A first league defeat for the Saints. By the time you read these few words a lapsed fixture with Aghada will have been picked up.
Scorers: E Condon (1-01), D O'Connell (0-02 frees) (0-04), E Davis (0-01 free) (0-02) and T Barry (0-01).
Glenbower scorers: P Mackey (0-02 frees) (2-04), R Long and C Brennan (1-01 each), S Walsh (0-03), E Lane, E Brennan and A Galvin (0-01 each).
St Catherine's team; T Dee, C McCarthy, J Neville, C McAuliffe, T Barry, F O'Connell, C Hayes, G England, E O'Driscoll, E Davis, D O'Connell, E Condon, S Cotter, C Pietropaolo, O O'Neill. Replacements; G O'Callaghan-McCarthy for S Cotter (2nd half), . O'Connor for C McCarthy (54'). Referee Pa Beausang (Midleton).
Juvenile news
Round 1 division 2 Rebel Óg Minor hurling league (rearranged)
Ballygiblin 3-18 St Catherines 1-17
It was the home team picking up the points on offer from this lapsed Minor hurling league tie when played in Ballygiblin last Friday evening.
Scorers: S Walsh (0-09), C Barry (1-00), K O'Donoghue and T Clancy (0-03 each) and S Riordan (0-02).
St Catherine's team; C Higgins, S McCarthy, J Kenneally, C O'Driscoll, B O'Connor, A Cotter, E Dillon, L Moore, S Walsh, S Riordan R Hickey, T Clancy, K O'Donoghue, S O'Donoghue, E O'Mahony. Replacements; C Barry for E O'Mahony (second half), K O'Connell for E Dillon (40'), also R O'Donoghue, C McCarthy, S O'Keeffe and S Moore. Referee: Dave Twomey (Shanballymore).
Round 5 division 2 Rebel Óg Mid U16 football league
Donoughmore 2-15 St Catherines 3-12
Frequently being the time of the year that it is and particularly at juvenile level two or three teams over the age groups could be in simultaneous action, not at the same venue either. A late Tadgh Walsh pointed free helped rescue a share of the spoils for the Saints from this round 5 U16 football league tie when played in Donoughmore on Wednesday evening, May 6th last. Special mention for a phenomenal Billy "Boppers" O'Connor contribution. Tally is five points from as many matches played.
Scorers: B O'Connor (2-10), N Keane (1-00), C Higgins and T Walsh (free) (0-01 each).
St Catherine's team: T Morrison, B Coakley, C McCarthy, C Fitzgerald, S Moore, S Riordan, A Burke (match captain), B O'Connor, C Higgins, N Keane, T Walsh, S O'Keeffe, J Bryan, R O'Donoghue, D Temple. Sub used: Z Pyne for D Temple (second half). Referee: Tadgh Sheehan.
Round 2 division 1 Rebel Óg East U14 football championship
Killeagh 2-13 St Catherines 0-04
If you go by the master plan it wasn't supposed to be, weather conditions being the principal factor. So the pairing of these two teams was in actual fact the opening fixture of the new juvenile season. Unfolding as one of the saddest days in recent club history when played on the afternoon of Saturday, February 28th. It was the home team confirming their superiority in this round 2 division 1 U14 football championship tie when played in Killeagh on Friday evening last. Catherines now are all but out of this competition. One remaining fixture remains to be played at home vs Kiltha Óg. In actual fact the equivalent hurling championship was due to start last evening in Midleton on Wednesday, May 13th. Also in that group are Sarsfields and Castlelyons.
St Catherine's team vs Killeagh: O O’Farrell, J Beecher, C Kearney, A Coakley, C Twomey, A Fitzgerald, O Feeney (team captain), O Sheehan, D Kenneally, R Pietropaolo, S O'Keeffe, C Fitzgerald, C Hurley, S Cummins, C O'Connor Also: D Fitzgerald and R Molloy. Referee Ben Daly (Russell Rovers).
Round 3 Rebel Óg East grading U12 football league
St Catherines 3-11 Kiltha Óg 0-03
St Catherines won out this U12 football league tie played at a dry, albeit cold Ballynoe on Wednesday evening, May 6th last. Throw in 6.30pm. All twenty players present sampled action, roll on roll off policy. Some come back on often in different positions. It's all about learning as much as you can about your players. All in good hands with Eric Flynn, Pa O'Neill, Ken Donovan, Aidan Noonan, Liam Barry, David Coffey and Martin O'Keeffe looking after them and they all seem to be happy and enjoying themselves. That's key. Best on this evening were Oisin Ryan in a couple of positions, Gabriel Swirski, Tommy O'Keeffe, Rhys Coffey, Sean Flynn, Donncha Lenihan, Luke Kearney and Cian O'Neill. This was the final game in the grading league. There are still two hurling league matches to be played. They're against Killeagh and Kiltha Óg.
Scorers vs Kiltha Óg: D Lenehan (1-02), C O'Neill (1-01), D Gallagher (1-00), C Noonan, S Flynn (0-01 free) and L Kearney (0-01 free) (0-02 each), R Coffey and O Ryan (0-01 each).
St Catherine's panel of players; T Kenneally, JS O'Gorman, O Ryan, D Collins, G Swirski, T O'Keeffe, C O’Donovan, R Coffey, S Flynn, D Lenehan, L Kearney, C O'Neill, C Noonan, L Fleming, P Barry, D Gallagher, T Power, O O'Mahony, J Lester and D Mulcahy. Referee: David Fleming (Aghada).
Féile na nGael
After solid, impressive and well-earned victories over Lisgoold, St Colmans and St Vincents in the group eliminator in Ballynoe the previous Saturday morning it was a case of off to the magnificent MTU grounds for the concluding stages of division 2 section 4 of this year's Feile na nGael competition early on the morning of bank holiday Monday, May 4th last.
Overcoming Kilshannig 3-05 to 0-07 in the semi-final on outside pitch two it was a return to the main arena for the final about a quarter of an hour later. Not much in this. Two even and well matched teams in deceptively breezy, albeit near perfect conditions. Back to back Alex Keane points central to a 0-04 to 0-02 half time advantage. But what excitement unfolded in the second twelve minute period. Where Ballinora conquerors of Lyre Banteer running concurrent with the Kilshannig match saw parity restored following a John Lynch penalty goal at 1-02 to 0-05 five minutes into the second half. They would go narrowly ahead through a Jack Riordan goal a further five minutes later. Let’s get serious. Level for the second time with yet another wonderfully struck Sean O'Keeffe point off a placed ball. Some of these were not easy frees. Many of them struck from a good way out in all the games over the weekend, putting fair pressure on a fifteen year old. Equal to it though. As the clock ticks. Sliotar in the hand of the tricky, pacy Robbie Pietropaolo. Picks out the isolated Adam Fitzgerald who splits the posts very near the death. Never was the sound of David Butler’s fulltime whistle so welcome. You can guess the rest. Peter Watson, Rebel Óg, made the post-match presentation to ecstatic and delighted St Catherine's captain, Sean Moore.
Scorers vs Kilshannig; S. O'Keeffe (0-03) (2-04), A. Keane (1-00) and N. Keane (0-01). Scorers vs Ballinora: S. O'Keeffe (0-04 frees) (0-01 "65") (0-05), A. Keane (0-02), K. O'Connell and A. Fitzgerald (0-01 each).
Féile panel of players: Sean Moore (captain), David Temple, Oisin Feeney, Cian Fitzgerald, Jack Mulkerrins, Adam Coakley, Alex Keane, Kenneth O'Connell, Olan Sheehan, Sean O'Keeffe, Oisin O'Farrell, Noah Keane, Darragh Kenneally, James Bryan, Brian Coakley, Zach Pyne, Robbie Pietropaolo, Cathal Kearney, Adam Fitzgerald, Ronan Geaney and Cillian Fitzgerald. Referee: David Butler (Carrigtwohill).
U10 Fun Festival Of Hurling
Running all but concurrent with Féile were the concluding stages of the annual U10 fun festival of hurling. Finals held in Ballyduff on Saturday morning, May 2nd last. St Catherines won all their matches in the group stages of the competition a week previous. Based in division 2 group B victories ensued over Holy Cross/Ballycahill, Passage East and Douglas. Returning seven days later when overcoming Roanmore in the semi-final. Holy Cross/Ballycahill reversing group form when they lost out (0-04 to 0-01) by winning the final on a 2-02 to 0-02 scoreline. Some great performances by these young players who have much to look forward to over the summer months including an upcoming trip to the Thomastown blitz. Their mentors are; Eamon Buggy (manager), Paddy Ryan, Barry Crowley, Mary Flanagan, Shane Cogan and Liam O'Connell. Panel of players: Cian Cogan, Daniel O'Connell, George Kenneally, Philip Sheehan, Jack Crowley, Ruairi Pyne, Tommy Power, Conor Buggy, Eoin Fitzgerald, Daithi Ryan, James Hegarty, Darra Fitzgerald, James Flanagan and Oscar Sheehan.
Next on a busy fixture list
Friday, May 15th at Ballynoe round 6 division 4 county hurling league vs Cloughduv at 7.45pm. Monday, May 18th round 2 division 2 Rebel Óg East U16 hurling league in Watergrasshill at 6.30pm (rearranged). Wednesday, May 20th at Ballynoe round 5 division 2 Rebel Óg East Minor football league vs Lisgoold at 6.30pm (rearranged). Wednesday, May 20th at Ballynoe round 5 division 2 East Cork Junior hurling league vs Watergrasshill at 8pm. Wednesday, May 20th at Ballynoe round 2 grading Rebel Óg East U12 hurling league vs Killeagh at 6.30pm.
Weekly lotto details
Being a bank holiday last week’s lotto draw was held over until Tuesday night, May 5th in the clubrooms, Ballynoe at 10pm. Numbers drawn were 3, 21, 23 and 24. No jackpot winner. The consolation winners on the night were; C. Warren c/o P. H. Conna, Mark Lane online, Cian O'Neill, Garrycaheragh Ballynoe, K. Mangan c/o P. H. Conna and H. and J. Leahy Dingivan, Curraheen, Conna. Heading back to our more normal routine with a jackpot of €4,800, most recent draw was scheduled for Monday night last, May 11th. Results next week.
St Catherine's GAA Club sponsors
T & A Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Ballynoe, are sponsors of St Catherine's GAA Club. Mulcahy Steel are sponsors of St Catherine's Juvenile GAA Club.
