Club Notes... - 2025-02-03 19:01:00
Happy Birthday Fr Seanie..
It’s a long, long way from Main St. Rathcormac to Nairobi in Kenya -6943 miles to be exact, and that’s the distance our ‘Happy Birthday’ wishes go this week to Fr. Seanie Barry as he celebrates his 80th Birthday. The word ‘legend’ is often attributed to people and there’s no doubt it certainly applies to Fr. Seanie. Star of our East Cork hurling wins in 1966,1968,1969 and 1975 and Cork Hurler from 1962 until 1971 Seanie Barry lit up the hurling fields of Ireland for years and his dedication and passion for his beloved Bride Rovers Club has been and continues to be inspirational. His father Tom Barry ‘the Master’ gave a lifetime of service to Bride Rovers and East Cork GAA so Seanie was reared in a hurling home. His displays with UCC, Bride Rovers, Imokilly and Cork have been well chronicled by many scribes and rightly so. The year 1966 was a real breakthrough season for Seanie. Having won an Intermediate All Ireland with Cork in 1965 -a Rebel side captained by Castletownroche’s Dave Murphy, Seanie made the Cork Senior team in 1966. Without a Liam McCarthy Cup win since 1954 Cork blazed through Munster with Seanie scoring in every game. On a famous September Sunday Cork took on a fancied Kilkenny side. Seanie scored 4 points as Cork, led by Gerald McCarthy, scored a great win. In total for the Cork Senior team that season Seanie scored 4 23. He then went on to star with the Cork under 21 hurlers who won their All Ireland title after three great games against Wexford in the Final which went to a replay and then a second replay. In that campaign Seanie scored 6 27. Then in November of 1966 came a famous win for our Club when we defeated Youghal by 6 12 to 6 3 to win our first ever Junior B grade title -Seanie was our star player also in this campaign. After his ordination as Kiltegan Father Seanie was posted to Africa but still played when ever he was home on holiday. He played with the Club until 1985. His interest in Bride Rover never, ever waned and he was such an integral part of our success in 1998. With selectors Denis Ahern and Pat Hoskins and Tom Mulcahy selector/trainer, Fr Seanie took on the role of team coach. We bridged a 29 year gap with an East Cork Junior A grade championship Final win over Dungourney. After a thrilling County semi final win over Ballinascarthy we were in the County Final v Freemount. By November 15th, County Final day, Fr Seanie was back in Africa but the team he coached did him, the Club and the parish proud, with a 2 10 to 0 13 win. That’s 26 years ago, how time flies, but every year since then Fr Seanie has been with us all the way. What he has done for our Club cannot be measured. We know he is so proud of Bride Rovers and in turn we are so proud of him. Across all the many miles we say Happy Birthday Fr. Seanie.
WEEKLY CLUB LOTTO.
WEEKLY CLUB LOTTO.
The Lotto Results for Tuesday 21st of January were as follows. The four Numbers drawn were 5, 8, 23 & 27 and there was No Winner of the €9,400 jackpot. Congrats to our lucky dip €30 cash winners: Linda Ahern, Bartlemy, Mary Quinn, Castlelyons, Niamh Molan, Mondani on Tuesday January 28thel, Mary Meade, Bartlemy and Orla Dorgan, Glenagoul. This week's jackpot was an incredible €9,600. If your ticket has expired we would appreciate if you would enter again via https://bit.ly/BrideRoversweeklyfundraiser Thank you again for all your support. You can buy a ticket locally or from Club Members, online or purchase a yearly ticket for just €90.
AWARD FOR FRANK.
Congratulations to former Club player Frank Meade who was selected as the November 2024 Blarney & District Person of the month.His Nominator stated “Frank is a local landscape gardener, who people will know from cutting grass in the area. For the past 20 years, Frank has maintained the grass banks between Cloghroe & Tower. This work is entirely voluntary, and he does this in his own time. Frank also regularly carries out a litter pick in his own part of the area, from Killeen Cross in Vicarstown, to the St Senan's graveyard in Tower, for over ten years disposing the litter at his own cost, no helped asked or no plaudits ever sought!
A loyal supporter of the Inniscarra Camogie club, Frank has lived in the parish for nearly 40 years and, in the course of his work, Frank meets some of the more senior members of the community and enjoys keeping their spirits up, catching up on local news. Whilst Frank shuns any plaudits, it’s now time to recognise how much taking care of your patch can contribute so much to your community.” A passionate Bride Rovers supporter Frank received his award recently, well done Frank.
JUVENILE CLUB QUIZ. The Bride Rovers Juvenile Club Annual Quiz is coming soon. The hi-tech test of speed, alacrity, dexterity, IQ and basic know-how has been re-scheduled for Saturday February the 8th in the Rathcormac Inn at 8,30pm This event has proved to be a mighty night in the past and is a fundraiser for the Juvenile Committee and a social night for the whole club. The quiz will be led by Tipperary ex-pat Paddy Croke and it’s just €40 per team of 4. If you are on your own, please come along and we can slot you in to a table with others. No pencils or pens or paper needed! It promises to be a great night with lots of fun and Prizes. The sliotar will be thrown in a t 8.30pm.
LEAGUE TREBLE FOR CORK. The Rebel Hurlers, footballers and girls saw three national League wins for the Leesiders last weekend. Brian Roche started with the hurlers who had an easy away win over Wexford. John Cleary’s football team were impressive against Meath at home. Sarah, Katie who finished with 5 points and Leah all played for the girls against Westmeath, a game they won by 3 12 to 0 5. The Footballers are up in Down this coming weekend and the hurlers have a glamour tie at home against Limerick at 7.30 pm in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday night.
SCOR. The GAA#s talent competition Scor is up and running for 2025. The Scor na bPaisti (for National Schools) and the Scor Sinnsear (over 16’s) are scheduled for the next few weeks. All enquiries to the Club’s Cultural Officer or and of the other Club Officers.
UNDER 21 Football Draw. At the first East Cork Board meeting for 2025 the u21 Football draws were made. WE are in the under 21 B Competition and will have a ‘local derby’ first round game against Castlelyons. The full Draw is as follows;
A St Catherines v Midleton B
B Dungourney v Fr O Neills
C Bride Rovers v Castlelyons
D Lisgoold v Cobh, second round is A v B and C v D. First rounds are down for decision on weekend of Feb 8th/9th.
SCRAP. The arrival of Storm Eowyn last weekend caused our scrap Collection to be postponed. It will be rescheduled shortly and details circulated.
IT/PR MEETING. The Club IT/PR Committee had a meeting on Monday night last. On the Agenda was the Club Website, Social Media communications and all aspects of Club promotion. It was a great meeting with eight members present. Updating the Club Website was discussed and various options looked at. A further Zoom meeting was fixed for next week.
IT/PR MEETING. The Club IT/PR Committee had a meeting on Monday night last. On the Agenda was the Club Website, Social Media communications and all aspects of Club promotion. It was a great meeting with eight members present. Updating the Club Website was discussed and various options looked at. A further Zoom meeting was fixed for next week.
WAVING THE ORANGE FLAG. It will be a great Quiz Question in years to come –‘What Umpire at Inter -County level was the first to wave the Orange ‘two-point’ flag three times in a national league game? The answer of course is our own Raymond Hegarty. On duty in Salthill as umpire with Conor Lane for the Galway v Armagh National Football League game, Raymond waved the Orange flag, the newest addition to the GAA ‘wardrobe’ three times as Galway reversed last year’s All Ireland final defeat, winning by 1-3-6 to 9 points -we’ll soon get used to these new scorelines!
GHAPPY BIRTHDAY JANEY. Congrats to Janey O Driscoll, a Bride Rovers stalwart, on celebrating a significant birthday last weekend. The O Flynn and O Driscoll families are steeped in sporting tradition down the years. Well done Janey.
POIGNANT CLUB FINALS. The All Ireland Junior and Intermediate Club Finals were both played in Croke Park last weekend. The Junior Club final on Saturday was between two Gaeltacht Clubs, An Cheathru Rua from Galway and Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin, (Muff) from Donegal The Donegal side lost 23 year old team member Evan Craig last autumn, after a battle with cancer, and they were inspired by his memory on their epic journey to Croke Park. Muff looked likely winners but the Galway team equalised and then scored the winner from Fintan O Conghaile six minutes into added time to win by 9 points to 8. Sunday’s Intermediate Final between mayo’s Crossmolina and Ballinderry of Derry was postponed two weeks ago after the tragic death of Roisin Cryan the fiancée of Crossmolina and Mayo player Conor Loftus. Down a point with five minutes of added time gone Crossmlina Deel Rovers were awarded a penalty. A point would make it a draw, a goal would win it. Up stepped Conor Loftus and scored the goal to win the All Ireland. Truly the agony and the ecstasy. We remember both Roisin and Evan in our prayers.
CLUB MEETING. The next Club Executive Meeting is on Monday February the 10th.
CAR BOOT SALE. The next Parish Car Boot Sale is on next Sunday February the 2nd. The Car Boot Sale has been a great source of financial assistance for our club in recent years and we are very grateful for this. Help is always needed at the Car Boot Sale -collecting at the gate, car-parking and stewarding and preparing the site on the Saturday before. If you can give, even an hour or two, it would be greatly appreciated so just please contact Billy, Tom, Mossie or Richie or any Club Officer.
2025 FIT UPS in BARTLEMY ; Dates for the 2025 Blackwater Valley Fit Up Drama series have been firmed up. Nine plays will be staged in a number of venues in February. Wednesday February 12th. and the following Wed night the 19th are the dates pencilled in for Bartlemy Hall. On Feb 12th it's Irene Kelleher with 'Footnote' and the following Wednesday the 19th it's Seamus O Rourke with 'Padraig Potts'. Curtain Up each night 8pm, €15.
LIGHTING UP FOR IRELAND. The 2025 series of Monday night walks in the pitch continued on Monday night last January 27th. The series will continue for the next four Monday nights Feb 3rd, Eb 10th, Feb 17th and Feb 24th. We had over 80 participating on Monday night. The Lighting up for Ireland continues for the next number of Monday nights starting at 7.30pm. Walk as fast or slow and as much or as little as you want and are able to.
BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS are; Rathcormac Tyres Fermoy Print & Design Gerard Gubbins Construction and Veolia.
