A Year later who would have dreamt of it..

Who would have even imagined that just exactly a year ago, in March 2020, the country, the economy and the GAA would come to a standstill? In these notes twelve months ago we wrote  

"Together We Stand.
Indeed these are unprecedented times as our country struggles to come to terms with the Pandemic that is the Corona or Covid 19 Virus. All sport has been cancelled and new measures are being announced each day as gallant efforts are made to minimise the effects of the virus. It is at times like this that community spirit comes to the fore. There's an old Irish saying 'Ar scaith a chéile a mhaireann na daoine'  -'Everybody lives in each other's shadow' and at times like this we must all pull together to help each other and for the common good. If anyone in our community needs assistance with any aspect of day to day living during this crisis Bride Rovers are here to help. Please contact  087 2070100 or 086 7710766". That was March 2020 and now here we are in March 2021 and this covid pandemic and all it's mutant variations are still with us. Over 5000 people have died on the island of Ireland and no community or parish has gone untouched. The big difference this year is that the vaccine light is on the horizon . Of course we'd all wish everyone could be vaccinated tomorrow but let's stick with the Regulations until we are told otherwise. From a GAA and Bride Rovers Club perspective April 7th is a big date. Depending on how the number of cases goes we may see a return to at least some under-age training at Club level.  

Last Saturday morning I drove out the Pier Road beyond the pitch, gates locked, no busy, busy under age' games nursery' in session. Normally at this time of year on the brightening weekday evening as and especially on Saturdays and Sundays you'd see groups of boys and girls, hurleys in hand on the way to Pairc na Bride but now it's silent. It's very tough on our young people but lads hang in there, we'll have great days and evenings and mighty games this year too. 

News Items. 

This week we have a Player Profile interview with Shane Walsh, one of our current young stars, we look at the weekly Lotto results, look forward to March 25th and the Rebels Bounty Draws. In our 'Down Memory Lane' feature we look at the first two games in the 2003 Intermediate Hurling Championship. 

WEEKLY CLUB LOTTO.

The Lotto Jackpot for Tuesday March the 8th last was €20,000. The four numbers drawn were 5, 9,19 and 30.. There was no Jackpot Winner. The winners of €30 each were Ava, Cormac & Cathal Barry, Peter O Keeffe Cronovan, Bartlemy, Orla McCarthy, Ballyhooley, Orla Hallihan and Wiliam O Riordan. You can join the Bride Rovers weekly lotto online at http://briderovers.ie/  or purchase tickets from any of the retail outlets locally that are open. Tickets can also be got locally from Bride Rovers GAA Club Members throughout the parish. Your support of the weekly Lotto Draw is deeply appreciated. If you're not in you can't win and each €2 is a help for our Club.  

 Name; Shane Walsh  

Age; 24  Occupation; Accountant 

 On hurling and football teams with Bride Rovers you've played as a defender, midfielder and as a forward -which would you prefer? Definitely playing as a defender - less pressure and is always nice to give it large to you’re marked when you pop over a couple of points yourself. 

 You captained the County Under 21 winning hurling team, what were the outstanding games In that campaign? The game that stands out the most would be the drawn East Cork final v Carrigtwohill in Lisgoold. On the day we didn’t play that well but we fought hard and even went down late on but managed the get back and get the draw. Another game would be the County final, not exactly the game itself but just for the fact we were the first Rovers team to win a County at the age something myself the team and management will have for the rest of our lives. 

You can't travel beyond 5 km at present, if covid was gone what would be your favourite Holiday destination? It would 100% be Hawaii, blue oceans and bright skies, heaven. 

Can you remember your first underage game? I think it was an under 10 game, I think I came on corner forward and just stayed there and didn’t move. 

Is there was to be GAA Split Season' would you prefer the Club Championships to be from May to September or from August til November? May-September, be grand playing hurling and getting a tan as well as seeing Tadgh in his muscle top. 

People say the GAA has gone 'too serious', even at Club level, do you still enjoy the craic with the lads at training and games? 

No matter how serious it gets the craic is always there, and I think having a broken season this year and last year would really emphasis the craic that you miss when you're playing the game  

Do you miss the fact that the GAA pitch is closed at present just as the evenings are getting longer? Nothing better than being over there in the evening just after the grass getting cut that day, you would miss the smell of that freshly cut grass. 

If Space Travel was available and reasonable what planet would you love to visit? I would travel to Pluto - just because it’s not considered a planet anymore. 

TV and Films etc -what are your favourites? A good friend of mine got me hooked on Benidorm over this lockdown. 

Who have been the greatest influences on your playing career to date? I would have to say my dad 100%. But also all the trainers that trained us right through from underage to seniors and including the senior trainers, without them there would be no club. 

What's your favourite food? I’m a bit of plain Jane when it comes to food but have to say steak with pepper sauce, nothing beats it. 

In Bride Rovers who are the toughest players to mark? The player I still get nightmares over is Stephen “The Bullet” Glasgow. His pace and skill was frightening. He reminded me of Zidane in his prime, gliding along the pitch like a butterfly with his hair thinning just like Zidane as well. 

Do you think the New Format in the Cork Championships -the 'Round Robin' system with at least 3 games guaranteed , is a good idea? Savage idea, least every team knows 100% that they will be playing at least three games 

Would you make any changes to the Rules of Hurling and Football? I would bring back the old style penalties in Hurling - it would add a bit more to the game, better  than this current way of taking them. 

If you could pick an Inter County 7 a side Hurling team at present what players would you select?  

Eoin Murphy, Sean Finn, Tadgh de Burca , Cian Lynch, Tony Kelly, Brendan Maher  

TJ Reid  

Do you like training or do you find it very hard? I enjoy training when it gets close to championship as you know there will be no running. 

Will the Dublin F team win ten in a row? Wouldn’t back against them doing it  

As a young player can you explain what the 'Spirit of the Rovers' really means?  

Three simple words - NEVER GIVE UP 

Have you had any serious injuries? A couple of broken fingers but nothing a bit of magic water couldn’t fix, thankfully nothing serious yet anyway. 

What advice would you give to young players? What I was told from a young age was to get the ball into your hand by anyway possible, because once that ball is in your hand you can decide the next move. 

At Club level in Cork are referees too fussy?  Small bit whistle happy, very clear when you play challenge games in different counties as they never blow the whistle. 

At present many of the Bride Rovers underage Teams play at Rebel Og Premier level, why do you think the standard within the Club has risen in modern times? 

More and more players coming from the city like myself. Na, loads of factors really, bigger numbers, more coaches better facilities. Thank God I will be nearly retired by the time a lot of them are on the age of Senior as I would have no hope of keeping my place. 

If you were stranded on a Desert Island for three months what three of your playing comrades would you take to do the following tasks  

A) Cooking ? Fergus Collins - don’t know if he is actually a good cook but he never stops talking about his dishes  

B) Shouting for 'Help'? Jerome O Driscoll- the man would talk for days, so a great man to keep shouting for “help” 

C) Entertaining the 4 of ye?  Would say Ryano aka the lover - for his (lovely) singing. 

Who are the toughest players you've marked? Toughest player would be Hoggy (Pat Horgan) you just wouldn’t know what he was going to do with the ball 

Something very few people know about Shane Walsh?  

I could have made it overseas. 

Strangest event you have witnessed on the pitch? Would be the 2013 All Ireland final Cork against Clare and seeing Brian Murphy actually score a point. Even though I do believe it was actually a pass into the full forward line. 

First memory from Senior training ? The one that stands on the most would be when we’re just about the play a full in-house game and just before the teams were named the mangers said to me “right lad, you’re marking Twiggy now so will you go easy on him, leave him score a couple of points, 'twould be good for his confidence” in the end I got so tired of leaving him trying to score that I got the ball and passed it to him so he could finally actually get a score! 

24 YEARS AGO  UNDER 12's Win. 

1987 saw little success for the Club at adult level but both the Under 12 and under 16 hurlers captured Championship titles. The Under 12 final was a low scoring thriller against Castlelyons. Pat McHugh got the opening score of the game, a goal, on the quarter hour. By half time it was 1 all with no point scored! Michael Walsh pointed a free to put us ahead but with ten minutes left Castlelyons levelled the contest once more. The winning score came from James Murphy in the last few minutes when he hit over a great point and we held on to win by 1 2 to 1 1. The winning side was Pat Barry, David Barry, Diarmiud O Donovan, Alan Broderick, Mark O Connell, Michael Walsh, Barry Murphy, Johnny O Callaghan, Kieran Fitzgerald, M. Drinan, James Murphy, Pat Cotter, Edmond Hoskins, Pat McHugh, Donal Ryan. The team competed a 'local derby' double when winning the league Final also. The under 12 team played a total of sixteen games that year.  

DOWN MEMORY LANE.

We didn't have to travel very far for our first two games in the 2003 Cork Intermediate HC. Watergrasshill was the venue in April for our first game against Blarney. Then on the Longest Day of the year, June 21st, we headed the other direction, over beyond Cappagh Cross to Ballyhooley for the Mallow game. On Sunday April 27th we faced Blarney in the first round of the Championship. Pat Walsh was out injured so the line out was Dinny Fitz in goal, Aidan Collins, Niall Fitz and Pat Barry were the full back line. Barry Murphy and his brother James were wing backs with Brendan Walsh at centre back. Brian Murphy was with Mike Hogan at centre field with Donal Ryan, Terry and  Padraig Murphy on the half forward line. Our full forward line read Jerome, Barry Hazlewood and team captain Sean Ryan. Level, Rovers 0 7 to Blarney's 1 4 at half time we went four points ahead with white flags from Terry, Barry H 0 2 (frees) and Padraig Murphy by the 54th minute. Blarney had yet to score in the second half but then a point followed by a goal saw the sides level again. Two frees from the stick of Barry Hazlewood saw us 0 13 to 2 5 ahead with time up. Blarney attacked seeking a winning goal. Our backs surrounded the Blarney man in possession and we were certain we had won a relieving free out for over holding. To the amazement of the large crowd Dave Copps awarded a free in to Blarney. Keeper Ronan Byrne came up to take the free -a gaol and we were gone but our backs defended it well and cleared the sliotar. The final whistle went and were through to Round 3. Mallow had lost the 2002 County IHC Final to Killeagh and thirteen of that side were on duty when they met us on Mid Summers Day in Ballyhooley. The fixing of that game was  nightmare. Jerome O Driscoll was working on London that summer and had to fly home for each game. July 16th was the date for the match which suited us Barry Hazlewood was going abroad on the 20th but then Mallow wouldn't play on the agreed date and it was switched to the 21st so Barry had to cancel his flight and Jerome book his! WE were four pints down towards the nd of the first half but a free from nearly 90 yards out struck by Dinny Fitz hopped in the square and went over the bar. Then deep in injury time Sean Ryan  scored a great goal after Pat Walsh batted the sliotar in to his path. That second half on that Saturday night in Ballyhooley was only magnificent. Goals from Donal Ryan and Brian Murphy, after a mazy run saw us win a thriller by 3 9 to 2 9. After winning the Co JHC in 1998 this was our twelfth Intermediate Championship game and probably our best display. That great win in Ballyhooley put us into the Quarter Final against either Milford or Glen Rovers. 

GAA MONTHLY DRAW TIME NEARLY HERE.

Well March 25th is only around the corner and the first three Monthly Draws in the new Rebels Bounty series. For years the Cork GAA members monthly Draw has been running. For this year of 2021 it is being rebranded as Rebels Bounty and all the prizes are cash. On March 25th the Draws for the months of January, February and March will take place. There are 30 cash prizes each month with a 1st prize of €20,000 for the first three draws. The cost of joining is €10 per month or a one off payment of €100 which gives you two months free. There is still time to join.. Tickets can be had from Club Officers or contact our Runai Daniel Lane at 087 2070100. A Brochure outlining all the details of the Draw can be had from any Club Officer 

NEW CLUB GEAR AVAILABLE. 

As we gear up and hope for a return to the playing fields in the near future we must all look our best! Be smart and proudly wear the Green, White and Gold, the Club colours. Several new Product Lines in our Colours with the Club Crest are now available from O Neills at very reasonable prices. To look at the items go to the O Neills website www.oneills.com 

EXECUTIVE MEETING POSTPONED. 

Due to the lack of playing activity the Club Executive meeting scheduled for Monday will not now go ahead, virtually online, until Monday April 12th when things may be clearer re start up dates etc. 

Sympathy.  

The Bride Rovers Club extends it's sympathy to the relations of Nell Carlisle, Nora Tarrant and Tommy Baker. Nell died recently in Sydney, Australia. A native of Upper Ballybrowney Nell was sister of the recently deceased John Murphy - a great GAA stalwart. We extend our sympathy to Nell's husband and her sister Bridget. Nora Tarrant died recently at her home in Millstreet, she was mother of John Tarrant the well known GAA photographer who often recorded our successes at Scor at County and Provincial level. Nora was buried in Drishane cemetery in Millstreet.  Tommy Baker died unexpectedly last week in his home in Fermoy. A real gentleman Tommy was a skilled barber in town for decades. His late wife Vergie was of the Rathcormac shop and bakery family, the Riordans. Tommy was very popular figure in Fermoy, always ready to have a chat on his daily walks. May they all rest in peace.  

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