On Friday night we play City side Na Piarsaigh in a 'last 16' game of the Cork County Senior Hurling championship in Pairc Ui Rinn. Since our elevation to Senior ranks eleven years ago we have played the Northside club on three occasions -in Fermoy, Watergrasshill and Pairc Ui Rinn, but we have never defeated them in the championship. Like us Na Piarsaigh have travelled the scenic route to get to this fixture. They lost to Blackrock and Youghal before defeating Killeagh the same day as we beat Courceys. Carrigtwohill and Sarsfields beat us before we gained some redemption that day in Pairc Ui Rinn, when after extra time we got the measure of Courceys. The massive contribution of Barry Johnson saved us that day when defeat and a possible Relegation battle seemed on the cards. Training has gone well in the last three weeks with all the awful pressure of the relegation threat removed. We've played well in a few practise games but such matches can never, ever be taken as an indication of how the team is going. In 1972 we were waiting months to play the East Cork Junior hurling Final . On October the 1st we played the Shamrocks (Knockanore) Intermediate team and beat them well -they later won the Waterford Co IHC title. The following Sunday in Midleton in the EC Final Dungourney beat us well. I remember in 1987 we qualified for the O Flynn Cup Final with our Junior A team. Twelve days before the final we played the B Grade team of St. Catherines in a practise game -they hammered us by 4 10 to 1  9 and then we went on to win the Cup Final!   Challenge games are just that but when it comes to the championship it's a different ball game. We beat Na Piarsaigh earlier this year in one of our rare League wins but that counts for nothing on Friday night. On the three occasions when we previously met Na Piarsaigh there was precious little between the sides but in the end we fell short each time.  The day in Pairc Ui Rinn against Killeagh the East Cork side looked likely winners but the city side finished very strongly with seven unanswered points from four different players. They are a skilful, crafty side with eight of the team having played in the Red jersey of Cork at one time or another. The best hurling we have played so far in this championship was probably the first twenty minutes against Carrigtwohill in Riverstown on the last day of May. Since then we've played only in fits and starts. We simply must aim for consistency from beginning to end if we are to have a chance of advancing to the last eight. It's a huge challenge bue that's what this team relishes -go for it lads. The game had been fixed for Saturday night but with the wedding of Gavin O Flynn and Elaine O Connor on that day efforts were made to rearrange the game. It now goes ahead in Pairc Ui Rinn on Friday night at 7.30pm. Best wishes from all in the Club to Gavin and Elaine.

Click here to listen to the radio coverage of the last ten minutes of normal time in the Courcey Rovers game, or see the History section above.

Our third adult hurling team were billed to play Killeagh in the quarter final of the East Cork Junior C Hurling championship on Monday last. The game was fixed for Dungourney at 7pm and we had a panel of twenty one players present. Unfortunately Killeagh couldn't muster a team so we got a walkover. The lads played a ten a side practise game among themselves which was as good as a training session.  The outcome of the fixture means we now face mighty Midleton in the semi final of the competition.

The panel of players we had on duty on Monday night was as follows;

Mce Dooley, Podge Noonan, Barry Collins, Brian Lahive, Jacob Makau, Pat Walsh, Sean Cotter, Pa O'Driscoll, Gavin O'Flynn, Damien Buckley, Mike Hogan, Gavin Quill, Dan Lane, Garry Clerkin, Colm Power, James Hogan, Kieran Wolfe, James Barry, Jamie Buckley, Darren Moore, Cian Howard, Dave Quinn and Steve Hackett.

 

 

Last  week’s draw took place in Barry's Bar on Tuesday August the 19th  for a jackpot of €3,200. The four numbers drawn were 12/20/24 and 25 and there was no jackpot winner. 

The winners of the five €30 'Lucky Dips’ were:
-David Troy, Monanig
-Aidan O'Mahony, Fermoy 
-Pat Pyne, Rathcormac 
-Sinéad O'Driscoll, Rathcormac 
-Betty Cahill, Rathcormac. 

This  week’s draw took  place in Benskin's Bar on Tuesday August the 19th for a jackpot of €3,400.

 

Tickets for the weekly Lotto Draw are priced at just  € 2 each and can be purchased from Club members. They are also available in local business outlets  and online at locallotto.ie Support for the weekly Lotto is vital and greatly appreciated as the costs involved in running a GAA Club are increasing all the time. As well as the day to day costs we are planning more major Development work in Pairc na Bride in 2014 so finance is always needed. We are always looking for new Lotto Ticket sellers so if you could sell even a few tickets each week it would be of great benefit to the Club.

 

Twitter and Tweet. And Website.
The Tweets and Twitters have been going well all year. So many people at home and abroad are now very hi-tech when it comes to keeping in touch with the activities of the Bride Rovers Club. The online editions of newspapers are growing in popularity. Meanwhile you can follow the Club on twitter at twitter@ Bride RoversGAA or on our own website at www.briderovers.ie  Any news items or general items of interest are very welcome for inclusion and should be sent to Gerard Lane. Please inform family members, relations and friends of Bride Rovers about the ways and means of keeping in contact with the Club.

 

Well after all the hype and the massive build up the Cork V Tipperary game on Sunday last turned out to be a real damp squib. Not since the dark days of the early 60's did Cork get such a hammering from the old enemy. Make no mistake about it this was a hammering. No one saw it coming. Opinion was divided as to the likely winners but a one sided contest was never envisaged.  Was it the five week break since the Munster Final? Are Tipperary a real super team? Are Cork really that bad? Were we over confident? - plenty questions but answers cannot be easily found. Since JBM took over at the helm in Cork hurling he has gradually built up the team to a point where we were so close to winning the All Ireland last year. Winning the Munster title this year seemed like more steady progress but now we are back to square one.  Hopefully Jimmy will stay on and guide this team to glory in the near future. The darkest hour is always just before the dawn. 

The Club is planning a major fundraiser in October. A Night at the Dogs in Curraheen Park in Cork is being held. Full details will be announced shortly.

Next Sunday August the 34th is Car Boot Sunday and all the help that can come forward the better. The last Car Boot Sale was one of the biggest ever and hopefully Sunday will be the same. Help is needed on Saturday morning and all day Sunday. If you can spare even an hour just contact any Club officer.

Well done to all our Leaving Cert Students who got results last week.

FIXTURE;  Friday August 22nd at Pairc Ui Rinn County Senior Hurling Championship Bride Rovers v Na Piarsaigh. Note time is now 7.30pm

BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS.
Thanks to our Main Club Sponsors Rathcormac Tyres, Veoila Environmental Services and O Coileains Bar for their ongoing support.