Planning for 2021 well underway..

The Bride Rovers Club Development Committee has met twice over the last few weekends. Their remit when appointed at the start of the season was to look at ways and means of undertaking further Development in our Grounds. At these recent meetings the Agenda was to explore the next phase of development for the club with a particular emphasis on the club rooms/Gym/shower & toilet facilities being their main focus of attention  Following some good discussion on the way forward a small work group was formed to draw up plans, have them fully costed and report back to the full committee for discussion and approval before its brought to the Club Executive for final approval.It is intended to have this work as our main Development Project for 2021. With the Centenary of the Club now just seven years away everyone in the Club is committed to providing even more facilities for players, members and supporters alike.

CLUB 100.

Two years ago we launched the Club concept. The Club 100 initiative is aimed at the future as Centenary year approaches. In order to have sufficient funds available for ongoing development a new model of funding was launched. Basically friends and supporters of Bride Rovers are being asked to join the Club 100 scheme. There are three different Club 100 packages on offer Gold, Silver and Bronze.  

The Gold option costs €9.24 per week,  €40 per month or €480 per year. For this you get;

 Full Club Membership for you and your family

• Cork GAA Club Draw Ticket

• 2 Bride Rovers GAA Club Yearly Lotto Tickets

• Entry to Club 100 Bonus Draw

  The Silver option costs  €6.93 per week,  €30 per month or  €360 per year. For this you get;

Full Club Membership for 1 Individual

• Cork GAA Club Draw Ticket

• 1 Bride Rovers GAA Club Yearly Lotto Ticket

• Entry to Club 100 Bonus Draw

  The Bronze option costs  €4.62 per week, €20 per month or €240 per year.

For this you get

• Non-Playing Club Membership for 1 Individual

• 1 Bride Rovers GAA Club Yearly Lotto Ticket.  During the last two years we have had a great response in attracting members to join the Club 100 scheme and we are always looking for extra members to join. Contact any Club Officer or Club Executive Member for an Application Form.

MEDALS PRESENTED.

At the weekend a pleasant function was held by the Juvenile Club. Just over twelve months ago, in November 2019, our under 15 footballers took on St Nicks in the Rebel Og Challenge Cup. The game was played on the Astro Turf at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and our lads had a great win. A medal presentation was planned for March of this year but along with everything else, was postponed. We presented the Rebel Og medals to the winning team in a socially distanced manner. Interestingly we had qualified for the 2020 Final of this competition also and were due to play Clyda Rovers but this went off when the Level 3 Covid Restrictions came in. Well done to all the players concerned. Minor and under 16 training is now finished for this year. Well done and thanks to all the  Players, coaches and  parents for their commitment in a very challenging year.

UNDER 15 TRAINING.  

On this Thursday night December the 3rd the under 15's are training on the Astro Turf. With no official Rebel Og competitions for this age group in our Club this year it was a tough season for them. Great credit is due to all the players who have kept training away right into the month of December. The way the skill levels of these players has improved is truly amazing, indeed practise makes perfect. Thanks to their mentors for the huge effort they've put in during a very difficult and disjointed season. 

LOTTO RESULTS FOR LAST WEEK

The Jackpot for last Tuesday week, November the 24th, was €20,000 and the four numbers drawn on the night were 23, 24, 25 and 31 There was no Jackpot winner. The prizes of €30 went to Helen Carey, Kathleen Howard, Oisin & Gillian Kenny, James, Patrick & Emma O Regan, Liam & Mary Cahill.  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 

AGM & CONVENTION TIME.

Voting for the positions of County Vice chairman and Coaching Officer closes on this Friday December the 4th. The County Convention goes ahead on December 17th. The Annual Meeting of the East Cork Board is on next Tuesday night at .7.30pm and is an 'online' meeting. There will be major changes at the Top Table in  the Imokilly Board. Changes in the positions of Runai, Cisteoir and Oifigigh Caidreamh Poibli (PRO) are anticipated. At Club Level we are finalising a date for our own AGM in the next week. 

A UNIQUE ALL IRELAND FINAL. 

2020 in GAA terms will be a year never to be forgotten. The intercounty championships were in doubt all summer. Then since they started a few months back we've had a feast of wonderful games especially in hurling. Last weekend was just amazing. On Saturday night Waterford deservedly came from way behind and hurled superbly in the second half. Decies victories in All Ireland semi finals have been as scarce as hen's teeth down the decades but on Saturday night there was no denying Waterford. Then on Sunday we saw the unique talent of the brilliant Joe Canning cutting over four line balls over the bar with a classic display. Despite his super effort Joe took a heavy knock and had to be stretchered off with the game in the balance. The Galway side came back to level the scores but Limerick had the final say. So it's a Waterford v Limerick All Ireland Hurling Final for the first time ever. The Munster rivals have met of course in the Munster Championship but never before when the Liam McCarthy Cup is on offer. Sunday December the 13th 2020 in Croke Park -an empty Croke Park will be an amazing occasion. Limerick will be going for their 8th Title while Waterford are seeking a 3rd and a first win since 1959.  We in Bride Rovers we have so many connections with Clubs and players in both Counties and whichever team wins it will be a fantastic achievement.  The next two weeks will be surreal for hurling followers in Shannon-side and in the Decies. This week normally they'd be Open Nights for the public to see the team training, Press nights and a truly amazing build up with Pre Final events in nearly every Club but all's changed this year. The Counties are not 'bordering' but close enough, just a stretch of road from near Mitchelstown to Araglen separates them. 

EXERCISE DURING HONEYMOON. 

There's a great story told about a famous Tallow hurler of the late 1930's and early 40's, Pa Sheehan. When Pa got married himself and his wife went on honeymoon to Dungarvan. On the Sunday after the wedding they went to Mass and then had the breakfast where they were staying. Pa had his bicycle with him and about noon said he was going for 'a bit of a cycle for a few hours' Well, according to legend off he went on his bike, off up to Kilcronat near Ballynoe, about twenty five miles away. There was a Hurling game on between Tallow and, I think, Bride Rovers- maybe a Tournament game or a practise game. Pa togged out and played and played well by all accounts. When the final whistle went off he set out once more for Dungarvan.  "You were a long while away?" his new bride commented on his return. "Sure 'twas a grand day for a cycle" -and so it was! 

 NEW CORK GAA MEMBERS DRAW. 

 'Rebels Bounty' is the new name for the Cork GAA Annual Members Monthly Draw. It was to have had a gala re-launch in October 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. 

Sean Fitzgerald RIP 

All in Bride Rovers extend deepest sympathy to the family and relatives of Sean Fitzgerald formerly of Main St, Rathcormac who died last week. Sean played Football with the Club in the early 1970's. One of his team mates back then was Gussie O Driscoll and it was Fr Gussie who celebrated Sean's Requiem Mass in Rathcormac Church. May Sean rest in peace.  

DOWN MEMORY LANE.

2003 was an unforgettable year for our Club winning the County Intermediate Title for the first time ever. Our Junior Hurling team also won success that year winning the Junior Hurling  Final.. With Jack Russell having come on board to train our Intermediate side the summer of 2003 was roller coaster of a time. The Intermediate team were flying and the Junior B team had a great run in the League. By September we had reached the Intermediate Championship semi final for the first time since 1935. The quarter final game was played in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the day before the All Ireland Football Final between Armagh and Tyrone. We had a great win over Milford by 4 15 to 9 points. Next day Sunday was hectic. On Sunday morning our under 11 hurlers won the Jerard Kenny Memorial Trophy defeating St Catherines by 4 2 to 3 1 in the semi final and Russell Rovers by 4 1 to 2 2 in the Final. Tyrone won their first ever All Ireland Senior Football in Croke Park in the afternoon with a 12 points to 9 win over Ulster rivals Armagh in a dour, tough game. That evening at half 6 in Ballynoe we looked to be on the way to winning the JHL Div 3 title against FR O Neills but they got a late point to force a draw. The replay was on again in Ballynoe on Sunday October the 19th - week before we played Inniscarra in the County IHC Final. It was the Sunday that Mother Theresa of Albania was Canonised. We led by 1 6 to 0 2 at half-time. Our goal came from Intermediate selector Dermot 'Georgie' Johnson. Shane Murphy scored 3 points, Alan O Keeffe 2 and Alan's first cousin, goalie Colm, hit over a point. Amazingly Georgie Johnson had won his first trophy with Bride Rovers here in Ballynoe in a tournament win over Watergrasshill in 1985 -before Shane, Alan or Colm were born! We went on to win by 1 10 to 0 7. Board Chairman Gerard Lane had the pleasant task of presenting the Cup to our Captain Cormac Collins now domiciled in Australia. 

FOOTBALL SEMI FINALS. 

Many Gaelic Football fans are dreaming the dream this week- especially in Cavan, Mayo and Tipperary as their County teams prepare for All Ireland semi final action this weekend. It's Dublin v Cavan and mayo v Tipperary. It's hard to see anyone beating the Dubs but the sport is strange -who thought Cork would beat Kerry and who then gave Tipp any chance of defeating the Rebels?. I enquired during the week and was told if I wanted to put a Euro bet on it being a Cavan v Tipperary All Ireland Football Final the odds quoted were 1000/1.  

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