Modeligo March On

Some time back on Twitter I asked what it was that those in the Dunmore East/Ballygunner/Passage East areas were eating, and went on to say that must be good stuff.

My reason for doing so was simple enough. A new ladies football Club was formed in Gaultier and the Gailltir (same area, spelt different) Camogie Club were having a great time.

The newly formed Football Club were reaching semi finals and finals of different competitions, only weeks after the club was formed and the Gailltir Camogie Club which is around much longer were also having a great time, retaining the County Feile title won in 2013, retaining the National Féile title won in 2013, winning the county under 14 final, and its under 16 and minor teams were also doing well and the clubs senior team reached the semi final of the championship where they put it up to a fancied Saint Anne’s team at Walsh Park.

I am going to ask the same question again, but am going to change it a small bit. Instead of naming areas in what is often referred to as ‘the Barony’ I am going to ask ‘what is it that the men of Modeligo are eating of the past few month’s’?

As close as Modeligo is to me, I don’t know the answer to the question is, but whatever it is, it is working.

2014 is proving to be a great year for Modeligo. I think some were some that were thinking i was giving what is in the pot a good stir recently when I suggested that Modeligo should have not just been named in the final list of clubs that are in for the Club of the Year Award which is due to be presented shortly at a function in Dungarvan, I can honestly say that the club next door to my own club should be the overall winners.

Take a look at what they have achieved this year. They won the Western Intermediate Hurling league (remember they Modeligo club played junior in the Championship), they won the Western Junior Football League Final, reached the semi finals of the Junior Football Championship, and won the Western and County Junior Hurling Championships.

And last weekend the year got even better as they qualified for the Munster Club Final, repeating what the 2013 champions Ballysaggart did twelve months ago, and in just over a week’s time they will take on Cork champions Castlemartyr at Mallow.

Whether Modeligo win that game or not, 2014 is going to be a remembered for a long time in Modeligo.

Along the way they have played some good hurling, and last Sunday at Collyroe in Limerick they impressed again.

Heading to Limerick Modeligo would have known that they faced a tough battle as hurling in Limerick at this point is on a bit of a high.

Limerick’s minor side have won the last two Munster Finals, Ardscoil Ris, West Limerick Colleges, Doon CBS and Castletroy Colleges have all performed well in the Dr. Harty Cup over the past few years, the Counties Senior team had won a Munster Final and reached an All-Ireland semi final in the last two years, and Senior Club hurling Champions – Kilmallock and Intermediate Champions – Bruff had reached Munster Final’s this coming weekend, and Modeligo’s opponents in this game were hell-bent on adding to their recent impressive results.

The first half of the game against Limerick Champions Feohanagh Castlemahon was a very close game.

The Limerick side went into this game with a couple of tough games under there belts. They played Na Piarsaigh in the Limerick Junior County Final recently at the Gaelic Grounds, a game which no matter what the side from West Limerick knew they would be representing the county in the provincial competition as their opponents were a second string side and the Munster Council do not permit second string sides into its competitions.

That game had ended in controversy as the score on the scoreboard did not match with what was announced over the public address system. The county chairman deemed the game ended in a draw, and so a replay was ordered which Feohanagh Castlemahon won 0-20 to 0-9. In between they played and beat the Tipperary champions Skeheenarinky at Cahir.   

The first half of the game proved to be an even enough affair in which the sides were level on six occasions, but after 30 minutes, Modeligo found themselves trailing 1-11 to 0-10, the goal coming two minutes from the break Jamie Butler finishing to the net when a ball delivered in from the sideline was not dealt with properly by the Modeligo defence.

However whatever was said by Modeligo manager Pa Kearny at the break worked as their was only one side in it in the second half as Modeligo outscored the Limerick side 1-7 to 1-1, the Feohanagh Castlemahon scores only coming late in the game.

Modeligo signalled their intention from the restart as Jamie Troy their Man of the Match in the County Final pointed within seconds of the restart and when his younger brother Michael hit Modeligo’s first goal on 35 minutes it turned the game right around.

Modeligo copper fastened their win on 50 minutes when Tom Devine who had an impressive year in 2013 on the Colleges and Inter County Minor scene struck for a second goal.

As if the second half was not bad enough for the Limerick side, they finished the game with fourteen men after Mike Fitzgibbon was sent off seven minutes from time. They did however hit some late score’s (1-1) but it was not enough. The damage was done at that stage with Modeligo impressing in attack and at the back they were equally as impressive keeping their opponents scoreless for almost thirty minutes which is no mean achievement at this level of hurling.

Modeligo will go into the Munster final as the underdogs in the eyes of many. After all there is seldom a bad team come out of Cork in any grade, but Modeligo won’t mind this as they will know that many a team that represents Waterford often thrives when written off by many.

Last Sunday, Modeligo had big performances from former senior inter county player Pat Fitzgerald at Centre back, Jamie Troy, Tom Devine, Nicky O’Donovan, Pa Walsh who was back in the side after a spell out with injury, Michael Troy, Patrick O’Donovan and Thomas ‘Tyler’ Walsh amongst other and they will know that a repeat performance from them against the East Cork side on December 7 they have a great chance of bringing back the victors trophy to Waterford for only the second time in the competitions short history.