Cork v Tipp started in the Ice Age! ,,

It was in what they call the 'Little Ice Age' that the great rivalry between Cork and Tipperary in hurling first developed. Some people think that climate change and global warming are recent happenings and others like Trump and Healy Rea tend to dismiss such things as nonsense and simply figments of our imagination!. Apparently the Middle Ages were fairly warm and then roughly speaking from about 1550 to 1850 things got a lot colder altogether. Strictly in Met Office  terms it wasn't really an Ice Age but has been called the 'little Ice Age' by many including Trinity College Dublin professor of History David Dickson who wrote an amazing book about the period entitled 'Artic Ireland' . It is claimed than more than 400,000 people died in Ireland in the three year period 1739 to 1741. Ireland at this time had a population of less than two and a half million people so proportionally the Great Frost of 1740 had a more devastating effect on the country than the Great Famine of a century later. The drop in temperatures began before Christmas in 1739 with severe and widespread frost which lasted right into the summer of 1740. Even then during the so-called 'summer'  weather conditions were still severe with northerly winds and drought-like conditions. Growth was negligible and with low soil temperatures grain crops as well as potatoes failed. The population of the country in the mid 1700's was not overly dependent on the humble potato but when the oats crop yielded practically nothing famine stalked the land. 1740 was referred to in Gaelic poems of the time as Bliain an Áir - the Year of the Slaughter and so that terrible year remained in the folk memory of generations of Irish people. As well as the human decimation thousands of sheep and cattle died from the twin scourges of hunger and exposure. It wasn't until the Spring of 1741 that things began to improve. The temperatures rose to near normal values around March or April and crops were sown and thankfully grew so that by harvest time of that year the pangs of hunger had abated. In the autumn of that year 1741 what could be termed the first ever 'inter-county' game of hurling between teams from Cork and Tipperary was played. 'Twasn't in the famed old town of Thurles or by the Banks of our Own Lovely Lee that the hurlers came face to face but in the townland of Glenagoul, Kildinan in Rathcormac parish. Local historian and scholar the late Tom Barry BE maintained this game may well have been played as a kind of celebration or thanksgiving to mark the end of the bad times and bad weather. It may well also have been seen as a contest between teams drawn from the tenantry of local landlord, Colonel MacAdam Barry of Lisnagar and a challenger from Tipperary. It was also quite usual at the time to have substantial wagers on the outcomes of such contests. Landlords were seen as 'Patrons' of hurling teams. This was 140 years before the GAA was founded. There were no hurling 'Clubs' in the country, just hurling teams 

In any case the Cork side which included several sons of William Fitzgerald Barry from Ballinaglough, Carrignavar and a few Kildinan Barrys also, faced a team from Tipperary led by one Denis McGrath from Kilbeheny -on the Limerick/Tipperary border. There were no sweepers, massed defences, helmets or gum-shields and probably very few playing rules either. The game was played in Glenagoul -the field is still pointed out to this day but what was the result? Well the Tipperary contingent went back home and got a poet to write a flowery account of their 'victory'! The Corkmen were having none of this 'fake news', faith they asked Sean O Murchù, a Gaelic poet from Carrignavar to right the wrong. No better buachaill than the bould Sean, he wrote a long poem with several verses and reprimanded the Tipp lads on their falsifying the result of the game!  Hereunder we quote just two verses which give a flavour of the verbal and written exchanges. 

It is not fitting for the group that came from the north 

to boast about their exploits, as is sung by poets everlastingly, 

and although your effort is responding to the opposition was accurate, 

the Barrys snatched the victory and the game from you. 

From you was snatched by faultless ability 

the victory in every game that our heroes played against you 

and although you were distraught at that outcome, 

understand that we are most often victorious in exploits. 

(Translated from Irish by Aoibheann Nic Dhonnchadha) 

People often speak of the great hurling tradition we have in this parish of Bartlemy, Rathcormac and Kildinan and the great spirit of parish teams. I know when the Green, White and Gold jersey is pulled on few will recall 1741 but it's there in our sporting DNA. There's a line in our club song 'How 'oft the traditions of sires we inherit' and it's true- that indefinable something that is a mixture of determination, pride, skill and will to win. Nowadays we have boys and men, girls and women playing with Bride Rovers whose parents and ancestors have come to our parish from all over Ireland and indeed further afield.  They too are immersed in that pride of place, pride of Parish and Club- that's what the GAA is all about. 

LOTTO RESULTS FOR LAST WEEK

The Jackpot for last Tuesday week, November the 3rd, was €20,000 and the four numbers drawn on the night were 8, 10, 23 and 29.  There was no Jackpot winner. The prizes of €30 went to Aideen de Lacy c/o Online Lotto, Caoimhe Kielty,  Colette Hogan, Fr Michael Leamy,  and Cliona Quinlan.. Thanks to each and everyone who has supported the Weekly Draw over the years. Please keep supporting the Lotto by buying a ticket from Club Members, in local business outlets or online at http;//briderovers.ie . For the foreseeable future the weekly Lotto Draw will be held each Tuesday night at Arus de Barra in Pairc na Bríde.

NEW CORK GAA MEMBERS DRAW. 

'Rebels Bounty' is the new name for the Cork GAA Annual Members Monthly Draw and was to have had a gala re-launch recently but unfortunately along with so many other events this function had to go. 

Rebels' Bounty will instead be launched in late 2020 / early 2021 and a meeting of Cork County Board, which will be devoted solely to this item, will be held when circumstances allow. The Draw is still a monthly draw costing €10 a month to enter or a once-off payment of €100. This year there will be 30 prizes each month. The minimum First Prize each month will be €20,000 with prizes of €25,000 in December and April and in August 2021 the first prize is €100,000. Bride Rovers Club is encouraging members, players and supporters to join the Draw. Tickets can be had from Club Officers or contact our Runai Daniel Lane at 087 2070100. 

UNDER AGE TRAINING.

Our under age teams are training away and the trainers will text any changes in dates, times or venues. At present the schedule is as follows.

Under 7's Saturday at 10am in Small Astro

Under 10's Football on Wednesdays at 6.30 in Big Astro and Hurling on Saturdays at 10 in the Pitch.

Under 11's on Saturday -time to be confirmed.

Under 12's  on Monday and Thursday on small Astro 

Under 15's Thursdays at half 7 in Astro.

Minors on Wednesday nights 7.30pm in the Big Astro

All these training sessions are in accordance with GAA and HSE regulations.

CORK FOR THE DOUBLE!

It's thirty years since Cork did the double and along with Tipperary and Galway the Rebels are in with a chance of bringing Liam and Sam home. Well done to the hurlers who defeated Dublin on Saturday - the five changes certainly made a difference. Then on a wet and windy evening in Pairc Ui Chaoimh memories of Seamus Darby and Tadhgie Murphy were revived when Mark Keane scored a fantastic late, late goal to defeat Kerry. Cork hurlers will travel to Limerick in high spirits on Saturday to take on Tipperary in the latest instalment of the GAA's greatest sporting rivalry.

The Split GAA Season.

Well these are changing times for the GAA and now the idea of an Inter County Season followed by a Club Season is being discussed. The idea of a Split Season scheduling model was considered initially in 2019. While it was considered to have much merit, it was felt on balance that it was unlikely to gain sufficient support to be adopted. Among the challenges identified in this context were: One the main reasons against the Split Season was that it would require playing the All Ireland Senior Hurling and Football finals earlier in the year than previously and leave over half of the calendar year without any inter-county GAA action.However the positive experience for clubs of the ‘split season’ foisted on the GAA during 2020 because of Covid  has meant that this needed to be re-evaluated.The advantages identified in the original 2019 Report were experienced at first hand by Clubs in July, August and September this year, and the reaction has been significantly more favourable among players, clubs, and the membership generally than would have been expected. These included:

· no crossover between the inter-county and club seasons,

· no interruptions due to the County game,

· no ambiguity over player availability, and

· more regularity and certainty in the planning of club fixture programmes 

For those reasons, it is now recommended that the idea of a Split Season model be put to Counties as part of the proposed consultation process. Scheduling and other implications of this approach would be clearly set out and feedback sought as widely as possible.The strong view of the Task Force was that the Inter County Championships should be played first, with All Ireland Finals in July.If the Club Championships were played in the first part of the season, county finals would likely have to be played as early as May in order to accommodate the subsequent Provincial and All Ireland Club Championships. Furthermore, non-championship club competitions are unlikely to thrive once Club teams have exited the championship. By playing the inter county season first, there is significant opportunity for league or non-championship club games to be played in late Spring and early summer Therefore and presuming there is acceptance of the concept of a Split Season in the consultation process, it is recommended that a motion be brought to Annual Congress in February 2021, to take effect in 2022, that the All Ireland Senior Finals shall be completed no later than week 29 of the calendar year. A lot to think about there so there will be a lot of discussion over the next few months. 

Bride Rovers Club Gear.  

Well it's getting close to the time for thinking of Christmas gifts.  For those who love to wear the Green, White and Gold of the Bride Rovers Club a present of an item of Club gear would be most welcome.. We have arranged to have a full range of our Club Gear available to purchase from O Neills Sportswear. At present all sizes of jersies, t-shirts, shorts, jackets, polo shirts and tracksuits are in stock at reasonable prices.  Go to Oneills.ie and then search in the list of club names for 'Bride Rovers' and you'll see the full range. 

Want To Join Our Club? 

Are you a hurler, footballer, camogie or ladies football player, builder, painter, flag-maker, gardener, ticket seller, IT specialist, singer, poet, dancer, Quiz fanatic, carpenter, bookbinder, plasterer, floor sweeper, writer, lawn-cutter or just a willing and enthusiastic community worker? Well if the answer is yes then The Bride Rovers GAA Club Needs You.. We are always anxious to get new members to help out with the running of the Club. Maybe you could give an hour a week to help with some aspect of the Club's varied and enjoyable activities. Many hands make light work so if you want to help out with any aspect of our Club you will be very welcome indeed. If you are interested please contact our Club Runai Daniel Lane at 087 2070100 

SYMPATHY. 

The Bride Rovers Club extends sympathy to our Parish Priest Fr Joe O Keeffe on the death, in Wexford, of his brother Michael. To the Bermingham and Kearney families we extend our condolences on the death of Sheila Bermingham- mother of former Club Chairman, James. One of Fermoy's most famous sportsmen Dave 'Rookie' Roche passed away in his 98th year. A tremendous goalkeeper Rookie was on the Fermoy County winning Senior Football team in 1945 and played for the Cork team in the 40's and 50's. Dave was a fantastic singer and entertainer, we extend sympathy to his wife and family. Garry McCarthy, a native of Milford died at the weekend in Co Kilkenny. Garry lived here in the parish in the 1970's and his son Eddie played with Bride Rovers- we extend sympathy to Garry's family and to his brother Ted in Fermoy. We also think this week of Dan Quill. It's two years since Dan passed away -he gave years of brilliant service to our Club and we still miss him.  

BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS are; Rathcormac Tyres  Fermoy Print & Design, Veolia