Action on all Fronts...

At last the summer seems to have come in some kind of a way. As April ended and May comes it's a frenetic time on the playing fields. Between adult, under-age, camogie and ladies football I think we had eleven games in the last week or so. Our Main pitch as well as Pyne's and Scannell's are getting plenty action between training and games. With many of our under age teams competing in Premier competitions this year we are playing at a very high level and doing well up there. Highlight of last week was our return visit to Pairc Ui Rinn for the Premier 2 Hurling Championship against St Finbarrs. We had a great win by a margin of ten points. Our u 15 hurlers put up a brave show against Blackrock in the County semi final but were beaten. It was case of so near and yet so far for our under 14 hurlers in the Feile Final. Our gallant team was bidding to represent Cork in the National Finals in Connacht in June but lost out by a single point.

Cork Feile Final 2018.

The Feile na nGael Festival of under 14 hurling commenced in 1971. Since then the under 14 champions of each County stay in the hosting county for a great weekend of hurling. While we have competed several times in the Cork Feile we never had much success. With a strong team this year we had great wins over Killeagh Itas, Youghal and Midleton in the East Cork section. Last Friday evening then we travelled to Togher for the Semi finals and Final. We met a fancied Na Piarsaigh team in our semi final and won by 1 7 to 1 3. It was on then to the Final against St Finbarrs. This was a thriller of a game with some great hurling from both teams. Sadly the game ended in controversy. We trailed by a single point 1 6 to 1 5 near the end. It looked as if we had secured a draw with a point from a free but the referee overruled the umpires and declared it wide and so we lost by a point. To say this was a heartbreaking defeat would be putting it mildly. Last year in Togher against the Barrs we lost the under 13 League semi final after a terrible refereeing decision and it was the same on Friday night last. It was disgraceful that for the Premier Under 14 Hurling Feile Final in Cork that there were no neutral officials on duty.  Our lads over the last two weekends played fantastic hurling and deserved a replay at the very least.Panel for semi-final and Final. Frank O Flynn Eldon O Connor Liam Collins Cormac O Sullivan David Barry Conor Hazelwood Nicky Kelleher Ronan O Connell Killian Tobin Adam Hayes Adam Walsh Denis Cashman Ryan O Callaghan Louis Roche Josh Ahern Adam Hynes Cillian Barry Luke Harrington Ben Knox Jack Keating

U13 Premier 2 Hurling League

Bride Rovers U13 hurlers  travelled to St Michaels ground in Mahon last Monday night to take on Blackrock in the third round of the Premier 2 League. Played in bright and breezy conditions, but understandably soft underfoot, the opening exchanges were tit for tat, but as the clock ticked towards half time the Rovers put a little daylight between the teams with some fine score taking. At the break the scoreboard reported Blackrock 1-04 : Bride Rovers 2-06. The second half saw Bride Rovers extend their lead, with a combination of hard work, stout defending and good score taking All the Bride Rovers players  turned to shake hands with the Blackrock lads at the final whistle with the scoreboard reading Blackrock 3-05 : Bride Rovers 6-11 Match Squad : Frank O'Flynn, Oran Kielty, Louie Roche, Darragh Kielty, Luke Harrington, Adam Hynes, Ben Knox, Cillian Barry, Cormac O'Sullivan, Ronan O'Riordan, Denis Cashman, Jack Keating, Eldon O'Connor, Ryan O'Callaghan, Cillian O'Sullivan, Gearoid Gubbins, Kieran Ryan, Ciaran O'Dowd, Jack Collins, Tomas O'Riordan .Round 4 of this competition is on next Monday night May 7th when we are at home to Ballinhassig at 7pm. 

Premier 2 Minor Hurling Championship.

Bride Rovers 2 21 St Finbarrs 2 12.

Just four days after our defeat in the first round of the Senior Championship it was back to Pairc Ui Rinn on Thursday of last week for our first round game in the Rebel Og P2 MHC against St Finbarrs. It was the Blues who got a tonic start with an early goal.  This setback didn't upset our lads however and they settled well into the game. Our defence got well on top with Jordan Mannix and Paddy O Flynn commanding figures. Eoin Roche and Griffin O Keeney dominated midfield and our forwards soon got into the scoring groove. Conor Barry from frees was unerring and added good points from play also. Gradually we went ahead on the scoreboard and a goal from Brian Roche helped us into a nice lead. We were ahead by four points after the break and then kicked on. Super scores from Conleith, Seamus, Griffin , Conor, Kieran and Eoin saw us lead by eight points after forty minutes. The Barrs never gave up and fought back superbly but our defence was brilliant. Tom Murray epitomised the tigerish defensive qualities of this team when twice he prevented a Barrs player getting in a clear shot. His relentless pressure saw the player in Blue shoot wide. The Bars did get back into the contest and reduced our lead to just two points but our lads came right back. We extended the lead again and a late goal from Conleith Ryan was the icing on the cake for us and we won by 2 21 to 2 12. This was a great performance with some great hurling from all our players displaying great skill, courage and determination.  Scorers; Brian Roche 1 4, Conleith Ryan 1 , Conor Barry 0 6 (0 3 frees), Griffin O Keeney 0 3, Kieran Kearney 0 2, Seamus Ahern 0 1.  We've won the first rounds now in both Minor hurling and football with the win over Granard Gaels so now with Exams looming next month we'll have a break for this team. Well done lads and enjoy the studying.Team v St. Finbarrs;Ben Hogan, Rory O Sullivan, Jordan Mannix, Tom Murray, Matthew Quinn, Paddy O Flynn, John Buckley, Eoin Roche, Griffin O Keeney, Conor Barry, Conleith Ryan, Kieran Kearney, Shaun Knox, Brian Roche, Seamus Ahern, John O Sullivan, Edmond Cashman, Michael Friel, Fergus Sheehan, Michael Quinlan, Oisin Roche, Tomas Macak.  

Club Lotto Jackpot at €20,000.

On last Tuesday April the 24th we had the Lotto Draw for a Jackpot of €20,000. The four numbers drawn were  4, 9, 17, 20 and there was no winner.The five prizes of €30 each went to Fr. Neilus O'Donnell, Rathcormac, Elaine Collins, Ballyhooly, Shirley Johnson Rathcormac, Joe Collins, Ballinhassig and Neilus and  Wacker c/o The Rathcormac  Inn. Tickets for the Lotto are just €2 each and can be bought from Club members, in local business outlets and online at locallotto.ie Your ongoing support of the Lotto is really appreciated. The Income from the weekly Lotto is vital in helping with the day-to-day running of the Club.

Junior Football Championship.

On next Wednesday night we play Glanmire in the 'Round Robin' series of the East Cork JBFC, no venue had been fixed at the time of writing.

Senior Hurling.

Well it's going to be Round 2 meeting in the Co SHC with Na Piarsaigh. Last Sunday the Fairhill side were favourites to defeat Bandon in Round 1 of the SHC but the West Cork men who won the PIHC in 2016 proved too strong for Na Piarsaigh. So we will have to prepare for a meeting with the team that put us out of the SHC in 2016. This game will certainly not be played before early July.

Sympathy.

The Club extends deepest sympathy to Gemma Johnson on the death of her mother Bernadette Fenton (nee Barron) of Fermoy and also to Kathleen Johnson on the death of her uncle John Reidy of Araglen. We also extend sympathy to Joan Cotter of Ballybrowney, Rathcormac on the death of her brother Liam- the famous Dungourney and Cork hurler Jamesy Kelleher was an uncle of the Cotters of Ballybrowney.

Cork GAA Members Draw Winner.

Well done to Sadie Hosford, Clykeel on winning a Voucher for Keane's Jewellers in the April Draw.

Fixtures

Monday May 7th under 13 HL v Ballinhassig in Rathcormac at 7pm

Wed May 9th East Cork Junior B grade Football Championship v Glanmire, venue to be confirmed.

Sunday May 13th Glanmire v Glenville JBFC in Pairc na Bride at 12 noon.

Sunday May 13th RED FM Senior Hurling League v Ballyhea at 7.15 in Rathcormac.

50 Years Ago.

Having been defeated 5 5 to 7 3 by Castlemartyr in the first round of the 1967 East Cork Junior A Grade Hurling Championship we were drawn against the same team in the 1968 competition. Tournaments were huge in the 1960's and Bride Rovers were invited to many tournaments in those years. On one Sunday early in May the Rovers A Grade hurling team played two games. In the afternoon the Rovers played a 5 5 to 5 5 drawn game against Shanagarry in the final of the Dungourney 1967 Tournament while at 7.30 that evening we lost to St Catherines in the semi final of the Bartlemy Carnival Tournament. The 1st round championship game was played in Midleton and the Rovers gained revenge for the defeat of the previous year scoring 2 14 to Castlemartyr's 1 2. 

Welcome Ed Sheeran.

This weekend Cork's Pairc Ui Chaoimh hosts 150,000 music fans over three nights when one of the worlds biggest stars, Ed Sheeran will feature in the first ever series of Concerts in the new Stadium by the lee. It's a huge occasion for the GAA in Cork and we can be proud of the role played by Ger Lane who in his role as County Chairman was able to negotiate this coup for Cork. Ed Sheeran has Wexford roots and is popular with young and old. Amongst the many hundreds on duty over the weekend will be 70 Cork GAA Stewards. We wish all attending a happy time.

Neighbours Win.

Well done to Fermoy, Castlelyons and St. Catherines on their respective Hurling Championship wins last weekend.

BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS are;    Rathcormac Tyres

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