Club Notes for this week.. - 2021-10-24 08:00:00
Champion Footballers..
On the June Bank Holiday Monday June the 7th we played our first game of the 2021 season. On that day we travelled to Carrignavar to play the home side in a Division 1 Junior football League game. We had 22 players togged out but Carrig beat us by 3 13 to 0 7. Very few of us present that day could have envisaged that just four months later that same Junior Football team would again travel to Carrig but this time leave that pitch as East Cork Champions. Dreams can come true and last Sunday we won the Junior A football championship of East Cork for just the third time in our history. It was a ding dong battle with Cobh and only in the final quarter did we pull away, outscoring the Cobh men by 1 4 to 2 points. It’s all of 14 years since our last win in the Competition and it’s been a long and winding road for football in the Club since that victory when Jerome O Driscoll captained the side. Having won the B Grade in 2019 we were up to A grade last year but due to the strange year we had due to covid and the proximity of the hurling campaign we played no championship football in 2020. Great credit is due to the lads and the Management for what they’ve achieved this season. Conditions were perfect last Sunday in Carrignavar with a grand firm pitch. Cobh had an ever so slight wind in the first half but in reality it had little influence on the game. We had kicked a wide before Conor Barry lofted over our opening score from a free. Both sets of defenders were on top and it wasn’t until the seventh minute that Cobh levelled from a free. Ryan Prendergast put us ahead with a nice point in the 11th minute but Cobh were quickly raising their second white flag. Brian Roche got our third score before Cobh crept into a point lead 4 to 3 at the first water break. Two minutes into the second quarter came a vital score. A free by Cian Hogan was floated in and Liam Forde, our only ‘survivor’ from 2014 finished it to the net and we were two points up 13 to 0 4 but the Seasiders got one back before the short whistle when we were ahead by the narrowest of margins 1 3 to 0 5. By now a mist had come down and threatened to make the game difficult but thankfully it soon cleared. The thord quarter was hectic as both teams really went at it in an admirable fashion. Cobh were level after 4 minutes but after great work from Eoin Roche and Tadhg O Sullivan Brian got a beauty of a point 1 4 to 0 6 ahead. A pointed free saw Cobh restore parity. DJ Cahill and Shane O Connor combined a nice movement which yielded a free which Cian pointed, up one again. Cobh levelled ( 0 8 to 1 5) and then for over eight minutes there was no score as Jordan, Shane and Eoin were strong in front of Stephen Glasgow. Shane Walsh and Daniel Dooley did a show of running all through. Then a sweeping move up field saw Cian Hogan raise the green flag and we were ahead by 2 5 to 0 8 at the second water break. The last quarter was frantic. Players tired and we introduced five players Tom Murray, Paddy O Flynn, Seamus Ahern, Paul Larkin and Jack Connor as the game went on. With victory in sight our lads really took the game to Cobh. Three of the best points you’d see came in quick succession from William Finnegan, Brian Roche and Conor Barry to push us six ahead. Cobh got a point back before Cian kicked a beauty. Time was almost up and we were 2 9 to 10 points ahead, a five point lead. Our backs had to perform heroics as Cobh went forward and then in a great move up the pitch Cian Hogan struck for his second goal. Game over and we were East Cork champions for 2021 on a final shoreline of 3 9 to 0 10. A great game and a brilliant victory for a superb bunch of lads. Well done to the twenty players who played and everyone on the panel. When the Rovers crowd including the great Mick Barry were on the pitch. The Chairman of the East Cork Board Donal O Keeffe spoke and thanked the Carrignavar Club, both teams, the referee and the Board Officers for making this Football Final a great occasion. Earlier this year the great Watergrasshill and Glenville Gael Eamonn Ryan passed away. The East Cork Cup commemorated Eamonn’s late father Jim. The Ryan family decided to get a special commemorative Eamonn Ryan Medal cast for the man of the Match .This will be presented annually for the next decade. Eamonn’s brother Jimmy and sister Kathleen were present last Sunday. There was a mighty cheer when Donal O Keeffe announced that Cian Hogan had been selected as man of the Match and Jimmy Ryan presented Cian with his special award. The Donal called on Bride Rovers Club secretary and East Cork Board secretary Daniel Lane to present the Jim Ryan Cup to the team Captain Jason Mannix which he duly did to a huge roar that could be heard in Kildinan.. Jason thanked all the lads and Vincent, Batt, Anthony, Maurice, jammy and Devon Rochefor the brilliant work done this year. He finished by asking for the customary ‘three cheers’ for Cobh. Then we had a quickly composed football version of ‘Bride Rovers Abu’. And so having lost to Midleton we have defeated Erins Own, Fr O Neills , Carrigtwohill, Lisgoold and now Cobh to win our third East Cork A Grade .Of course we’ve to play Urhan in the first round of the County ach sin sceal eile.
The team panel that brought the Jim Ryan Cup to the parish for the third team was Stephen Glasgow, Jordan Mannix, Shane Walsh, Eoin Roche, Jason Mannix Captain, Liam Forde 1 0, Tadhg O Sullivan, Shane O Connor Cian Hogan 2 2, Daniel Dooley, DJ Cahill, Conor Barry 0 2, Brian Roche 0 3, William Finnegan 0 1, Ryan Prendergast 0 1. Paddy O Flynn, Tom Murray, Seamus Ahern, Paul larkin, jack Connor, John O Sullivan, Kieran Kearney, Jamie Barry, Matthew Quinn, Cian Howard, Damien Buckley, Edmond Cashman.
A special word of praise for the East Cork Board in regards to the arrangements last Sunday -the parade, the piper,national Anthem, the presentation to the Glenville 1995 Co winning side at half time and especially the brilliant programme. The 32 page programme produced by Board PRO Kieran McGann would do credit to any Inter County game. Printed by Liam Barry’s Fermoy Print it was just brilliant. Yes it was a great occasion and a great win for our Club. Looking at our panel isn’t it great to see a former Na Piarsaigh stalwart playing so well with us and then we have plenty influences on our team from far-flung laces like Kerry, Down, Roscommon, Galway, Waterford, Limerick and Kilkenny, ‘tis mighty. Thanks also to Liam Mannix of Barry’s bar for presenting the team panel with a beautiful set of tops for this occasion.
Photos courtesy of Shelia Greehy can be viewed on the website http://briderovers.ie/gallery/295397/All_Recent_Photos
FAMILY AFFAIR.
When we won the JAFC in 2004 and n 2007 it was East Cork Board Chairman Gerard Lane that presented to Cup to the Rovers Captains and last Sunday his son Daniel as Board Runai had the pleasant task.
MANAGER SUPREME.
Vincent Cronin has some record in our Club with Football teams. He’s been the manager of our three A grade winning teams in 2004, 2007 and now in 2021 and also guided us to B grade titles in 2014 and 2019 and an under 21 title in 2019. Sorry Vince the Cork job is gone!
Football down the years
Back in July 1932 Youghal beat us in the East Cork A Grade Football championship 3 3 to 1 2. The result was classed as ‘a relief’ by several Club members who classed football as ‘a bit of a nuisance’!
At the Club AGM in January1990 it was stated that we were playing ‘too much football’ - the comment was not made to downgrade football but as a comment on the poor state of hurling in the Club at the time. It was the first year sine 1966 that more football games than hurling were played by Club players.
The last time we met Cobh in a Football final at Junior level was on December 21st 1985. Just four days before Christmas the sides met in the Junior B Football League Final. Played in Lisgoold Connie Barry scored a late point to draw the game at 5 points apiece. Our team was A Cahill, G O Flynn, T. Kearney, M Kearney, N Murphy P Collins J Ahern V O Connor T Mulcahy C Johnson JA Murphy S O Sullivan C Barry D Ahern D Mulcahy. We must have over-indulged at the Christmas period because Cobh won the replay on February 22nd by 3 14 to 0 1 and both clubs were fined £10 for being late on the pitch!
Back in July 1932 Youghal beat us in the East Cork A Grade Football championship 3 3 to 1 2. The result was classed as ‘a relief’ by several Club members who classed football as ‘a bit of a nuisance’!
At the Club AGM in January1990 it was stated that we were playing ‘too much football’ - the comment was not made to downgrade football but as a comment on the poor state of hurling in the Club at the time. It was the first year sine 1966 that more football games than hurling were played by Club players.
The last time we met Cobh in a Football final at Junior level was on December 21st 1985. Just four days before Christmas the sides met in the Junior B Football League Final. Played in Lisgoold Connie Barry scored a late point to draw the game at 5 points apiece. Our team was A Cahill, G O Flynn, T. Kearney, M Kearney, N Murphy P Collins J Ahern V O Connor T Mulcahy C Johnson JA Murphy S O Sullivan C Barry D Ahern D Mulcahy. We must have over-indulged at the Christmas period because Cobh won the replay on February 22nd by 3 14 to 0 1 and both clubs were fined £10 for being late on the pitch!
BACK TO HURLING.
It’s back to hurling next weekend. At the time of writing our Senior Hurlers are billed to play Blarney at 7pm in Pairc ui Rinn on Saturday night and our Junior B team is fixed to play Aghada in the semi final on Sunday. These are huge challenges against very strong teams but our lads will give of their all. Go for it boys
UNDER 11 HURLERS EARLY START. Our under11’s were away in Inniscarra on Saturday for a hurling Blitz. With a 9.30 start it was an early road trip for all. We were with teams from Inniscarra and Blarney. We divided into two teams and both teams played games against each other. Once again the lads played some excellent hurling with great scores and very strong defence when needed. We have finished training on Wednesdays due to the dark evenings. From now on training will be on Saturdays at
10.
UNDER 16 HC. Rebel Og have decided to run a championship for under 16 players .
We can use all the younger lads in this competition so we will have a panel of over 20 lads which is a great help. We are graded Premier 2 in a group that contains St Finbarrs. Erins Own. Aghada. Shandrum. Inniscarra.Watergrasshill. St Catherines.
It is straight knockout championship and we are fixed to play Watergrasshill on Sunday 31 away at 3 o clock.
LOTTO.
On Tuesday October the 12th the Bride Rovers Club Lotto Jackpot was worth €20,000. The four numbers drawn on the night were 18,18,23 and 24 and there was no Jackpot winner. The €30 winners were Liam Barry, John Pratt, James O Donovan, , Martina Carey and Orla Arnold. Please support our weekly Lotto by buying a ticket from Club Members, in local business outlets or online at http;//briderovers.ie
UNDER 1’s IN FERMOY. Our Under 10s are busy, busy all the time. On last Saturday they took part in the Three Club blitz in Fermoy. We played Fermoy and Ballygiblin in some fantastic hurling contests. . A great morning was had by all. The boys really enjoy these games, winning or losing and scores make little difference but it’s a learning process all the time We continue to train every Wednesday evening from 6 to 7pm in the Juvenile pitch and on Saturday mornings. New players are always very welcome to come along.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUNAI.
Belated happy Birthday to our Club Runai Daniel Lane who changed decades last weekend
UNDER 13’ in SHIELD FINAL on SUNDAY. The U13s concentrated on football last week with an upcoming shield final the focus of their attention. A challenge match was played against Lisgoold which was a worthwhile runout and allowed a test against similar strength opposition. The match was end to end with Lisgoold pipping the Rovers’ boys. This week sees the boys play a North Board shield final and allows them to reacquaint themselves with Kildorrery who they played earlier in the season. The match takes place on Sunday in Glanworth at 12noon.
CONGRESS
This weekend sees the Special GAA Congress take place dealing with the future shape and format of the All Ireland Senior Football championship. There are three proposals and proposal B would see the Championship being played on an All Ireland League basis with four groups of 8, each county getting 7 summer games and incorporates the Tailteann Cup. Under this proposal The Provincial championship would be played off earlier in the season and would be ‘stand alone’ competitions, in other words winning the Munster or Connacht or Ulster or Leinster championship would mean just that and nothing more. Proposal A would mean ‘moving’ some counties into different Provinces to make up four groups of eight. It will take a 60% vote in favour for either proposal to succeed and if the 60% is not attained the status quo -qualifier but with no Super 8’s, will remain in force for 2022.
UNDER 9’s The Under 9s wrapped up their hurling season with some Go Games against Erin's Own and Castlelyons last Saturday. 29 players took to the field over three teams and the fruits of all the hard work done by the boys were seen in every game. Every player had their own target of what success looks like and for some it was a good puckout or a block while for others it was getting a long range score or simply working hard for the team. Their progress this year has been immense and it is great to see each one develop into a player that gives their all for the jersey. Squad: Jack Barry, Eoghan Croke, Jack Fitzgerald, Ryan Field, Jack Roddis, Adam Hackett, Jack O'Donovan, Scott Lynch, Kyle Murnane, Sean O'Dowd, Aidee Carr, Conor Healy, James O'Leary, Shane Brophy, Alex McCarthy, James McDonnell, Noah Collins, Ryan Hogan, Patrick O'Connell, Conor Dorgan, Oisín Dorgan, Matthew Finn, Tommy Conway, Theo Byrd, Liam Harrington, Harry Fitzgerald, Patrick O'Regan, Jack Gubbins and Daniel Maher.
Training: Football on Wednesday night from 6 to 7pm.
GO Games : Football match next Saturday We finish our season on Sat October 30th with an hour of fun games
Under 15 Hurlers in Final. A few weeks back our under 15 hurlers had a great win over Ballygiblin in a vital league game in Rathcormac When the final whistle went there was jubilation as we felt we were qualified for the League semi final at least. But lo and behold and what with scoring averages and score difference it turned out we were out of the League. Rebel Og then organised a Plate Competition and on this Thursday night we face Ballyhea at 7.30 in Mallow in the Plate Final. The game will be under lights at Carrigoon..
BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS are; Rathcormac Tyres
Veolia
