Christmas Lotto Next Tuesday.. 

On next Tuesday December the 15th we are holding our Christmas lotto Draw with 40 extra great prizes. The tickets are still just €2 each and can be had from Club Members and in local business outlets and online. With a Jackpot of €29,000 it promises to be a great night so make sure to get your ticket. On the night also a further €3000 in cash is on offer in the Bonus Draw for all those who are in the Bride Rovers Club 100 Fundraising imitative. The nights proceedings will be in the Rathcormac Inn at 8pm 'If you're not in You can't Win' Lotto results from last week The Jackpot for last Tuesday week Dec 1st was €20,000 and the four numbers drawn on the night were 8, 15, 17 & 21 There was no Jackpot winner. The prizes of €30 went to Daniel Mangan, Catherine McCarthy, John Joe Carey, Nathan Buckley and Caitriona Ryan 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 .  

Club Annual General Meeting. 

The Club AGM  will be held on Monday  January the  11th at 8pm on what is called an 'On Line Platform' .Due to Covid 19 it will not be possible to hold an indoor AGM in the manner we are used to . The Secretary's report will be published on the club website www.briderovers.ie  for viewing from Sat 9th. Due to the new format for the AGM any questions relating to relevant matters will have to be submitted to the Runai, secretary.briderovers.cork@gaa.ie in advance of the meeting.  We will have further information on this procedure and how it will work in the coming few weeks. Nomination forms for the different Officerships  will be sent to all members this week. Any member who wishes to submit a Motion can do so. 

Well done Katie 

Well done to Katie Quirke and the Cork Ladies football team on their great win over Galway last Sunday in the All Ireland semi final.  Cork now face Dublin in the Final on December 20th. 

County Board Elections. 

The closing date for voting for Vice Chairman and Coaching Officer of the County Board was at 5pm last Friday night. The votes were counted on the night and the results announced. Bill Flynn from Glanworth contested the position of Coaching Officer. He received a very creditable 240 votes but was defeated by Jerry Walsh, well done to Bill for standing - a voice for the future surely. In the contest for the Vice Chair Midleton's Pat Horgan defeated Des Cullinane of St Nicks and Ronan Dwane of Aghada. Tracey Kennedy has her three year term as Chairperson completed and will be succeeded by Mark Sheehan. The County Convention is on December 17th by Online means also.   

Under 17 and Under 20 Championships Return.

After the Level 5 Covid restrictions were relaxed last week the Munster GAA Council has announced the return of both the under 17 and under 20 championships. On next Saturday December 12th the under 17 Cork hurlers take in the Munster semi final in Semple Stadium at 1 0 clock. The Munster Final is fixed for December 20th. Also on Saturday next Cork under 20 hurlers  face Limerick in the Provincial semi final in LIT Gaelic Grounds at 4.30. The winners play Waterford or Tipperary on December the 23rd

All Ireland Hurling Final A unique All Ireland Hurling Final awaits us all next Sunday. It's the middle of December and a novel pairing for the first time ever as Munster rivals Limerick and Waterford try to win the Title. Ralph McTell wrote the song 'It's a long way from Clare to here' many years ago. It could be changed now to 'It's Long Long Time from 1959 'til Sunday' . Since that Sunday in October 61 years ago Tipperary, Kilkenny, Cork, Wexford, Galway, Offaly, Clare and Limerick have all captured the Liam McCarthy Cup yet Waterford have just looked on. It's not that the Decies have lacked good ad great hurlers but for different reasons that All Ireland hasn't come. When we think of Mossy Walsh,  Kieran  Delahunty, Tony Browne, Paul Flynn, Dan Shanahan and others there's no doubt that they were as good as any in Ireland but winning All Irelands isn't easy. Galway waited from 1923 til 1980. Clare from 1914 til 1995. Tipp had a Famine from 1971 until 1989 and when Limerick won in 1973 they didn't get the McCarthy Cup again until 2018. Of course Waterford deserve to win an All Ireland but deserving it doesn't score goals or points. One way or another next Sunday will be a day of days for the players. They'll be alone all alone in Croke Park yet every homestead in Limerick and Waterford will be waiting with bated breath. Strange times indeed and when the winning Captain will pick up the historic trophy and make an emotional speech- then the cup will be handed over, to remain in Croke park. No crowds, no homecomings and no massive after-match victory dinner. These surely are strange times we're living. 

Here in Cork we're rumbling and grumbling about our fifteen years absence from Hurling's Top Table. In comparison with the Waterford famine of six decades our hunger looks more like a twenty-four hour fast! The rivalry between Cork and Waterford especially has been very keen in the last 15 years -producing some classic games. With Limerick too we've had fierce struggles. 'Twas Anthony 'Dalo' Daly back in 1995 claimed Clare were no longer the 'whipping boys 'of Munster Hurling. In reality this is really a golden Age for Munster Hurling. Any one of five Counties -Waterford, Cork, Tipperary, Clare and Limerick are well capable of winning the League, Munster Championship and All Ireland -never before in the history of the greatest game on earth could that be said!  It was in 1997 that Clare beat Tipperary in the first ever 'All Munster' All Ireland Final and this year we have the same. Who will win - hard to know but it promises to be a great Final, even without the fans. Best of luck to all the mighty hurlers from Shannon-side and the Decies. 

John Murphy RIP. 

It was with a great sense of sadness that we learned last weekend of the death of John Murphy of Ballybrowney Upper, Rathcormac. John was stalwart man of our parish. He farmed the ancestral acres and was one of those who ploughed with both  horses and with tractor. A man of immense strength John was a good hurler and athlete in his youth but t was at the famed old sport of tug o war he excelled and he loved the sport travelling to compete all over the country. He had a great love too for Gaelic games and for decades followed Bride Rovers and Cork teams year in year out. A shrewd judge of hurlers and footballers John was always prepared to offer his opinion on teams and games but he was always positive even when we lost big games.  When we launched the Club 100 Scheme two years ago John was on of the first to join with the Gold option. He was great company at home or at games or in a hostelry on the way home. A fine singer and a great storyteller John had great knowledge of local history and genealogy. John and his sister Bridget were generous and welcoming hosts and no one ever left the Murphy home without bite or sup. John Murphy was one of the people who remembered games back in the 1940's and was so proud of the growth of the Bride Rovers Club in recent years.  We extend our deepest sympathy to John's  two sisters, brother in law and other relatives. 

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 

DOWN MEMORY LANE.

The Bride Rovers Club was formed in the autumn of 1928 after a meeting in the Bartlemy Bandroom. The Club had success very quickly winning two East Cork Junior Titles , a Minor East Cork Title and  the county Minor Hurling Final of 1932. The Club went up to Intermediate and reached the County Final in 1933. Winning the County Minor final in 1932 was a huge achievement, especially beating famed Glen Rovers in the County Final. The East Cork Minor hurling campaign for the Rovers began in Lisgoold in May when, after a scoreless 0 0 to  0 0,  first half the Rovers defeated Midleton by 2 1 to 1 2. At Riverstown n July the semi final; of the MHC was played with the Rovers defeating Leeside by 2 0 to 1 0 the Rovers backline were tight conceding just 2 2 in these games.. The East Cork Final v Sars -the 1931 East Cork and County Champions, was played in Rathcormac after a toss for venue. The game was played at Anne O Keeffe's field (now Cormac Howards) in Garrynacole and Bride Rovers won their first East Cork Minor H title by 5 1 to 3 4. In October Passage were defeated by 6 0 to 3 0 in Riverstown. This win saw the Rovers into the County semi final where they easily defeated Aghabullogue by  8 7 to 0 1. It was Sunday November 6th 1932 at Riverstown that Bride Rovers were crowned County Minor Champions. Leading by  2 1  to 1 0at half time Bride Rovers won a great game by 5 1 to 2 1 for the Glen. The wining team was Dick Ryan Captain, Tom Heskin, Bill Murphy, Johnny Dorgan, Jimmy O Brien, Tommy Collins, Patrick Collins, Jack Barry High Road,  Johnny Daly, Mick Thompson, Bill Hoskins, Jack Barry Bride St., Dinny Harrington, Michael O Brien, Mickey Byrnes. Dick Ryan was the captain but at that time there was no trophy. The first time Dick Ryan got his hands on a County Hurling Cup won by Bride Rovers was in Pairc Ui Chaoimh 66 years later when he was present at the Co Junior Hurling Final v Freemount. It was great day and Dick was so proud to hold the Cup with the team captain of 1998, Donal Ryan. 

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