Gailltir Secure All-Ireland Final Spot

We might have had a change of calendar year in the past four weeks, but for clubs up and down the country that are still involved in the different club championships they are doing so in 2018 competitions. And for one club in particular 2018 could well prove to be a very memorable one.

Back in 1958 a new Camogie Club was formed in the Gailltir area of County Waterford.

The formation of a new club came about after the local Gaultier Football Club had won the Junior Football County Final and in the area the feeling was what the men could do on the Gaelic Field could also be done by the ladies if given a chance, but not with footballs, instead they would use hurley’s and sliotar’s.

People like Tony Cummins, Anne Dingley, Pat Power, Pat Doyle, Bernie Dingles and Mary Kennedy were instrumental in the formation of the new club.

Over the sixty years since its formation the club has had many great days in all grades of Camogie but it’s possible fair to say few if any rivalled what was achieved at Leahy Park in Cashel on Sunday 28 January 2019, when the sky blues for the first time advanced to an All-Ireland Club final, which takes place in Croke Park in early March.

Offaly club Saint Rynagh’s were Gailltir’s opponents on this historic day. The Offaly side had beaten opposition from Kilkenny in the Leinster Final before Christmas which would have given them plenty of confidence going into this game, after all any side that would knock any Kilkenny side out of a competition in hurling or Camogie would have to fancy their chances, such is the strength of both games in the Ormond County.

But three goals off Róisín Flood, Ann Corcoran and Clodagh Carroll proved vital for the Sky Blue in this game as under the control of Orla Murphy, Gail O’Sullivan, Paul Lyng and Catherine Whitty ran out winners on a 3-8 to 0-12 score line.

A huge crowd attendance witnessed this keenly fought battle played out in difficult conditions, but you have to wonder if the game could have been played 15 miles up the road at Semple Stadium as a possible curtain raiser to a National League game between Waterford and Offaly.

It was the Offaly side that opened the scoring in this game with a point from wing forward Grainne Dolan in the first minute of play. But Gailltir were quick to settle after this and their first score proved crucial.

Clodagh Carroll who is a key member of the Saint Angela’s team that has achieved so much in recent months had an attempt at goal blocked but when the rebound fell to Róisín Flood she made no mistake in firing past Eileen Gilligan for the first of Gailltir’s goals.

And when Shauna Fitzgerald scored on ten minutes to put her side 1-2 to 0-2 in front it was beginning to look as maybe it would be the sky blues day, making up for the disappointment of losing out to  Eglish from Tyrone at the same stage of the competition at Ashbourne two years ago.

It was known before the game that Siobhan Flannery was the player that Gailltir would have to keep a very close eye on in this game and she kept the side from the midlands in touch right throughout this game finishing with seven points behind her name on the score sheet, all from frees.

Two scores from the full forward kept the midlander’s within touching distance of Gailltir but they were followed up with a crucial score off the stick of Emer Walsh from a tight angle.

Kate Kenny and Áine Lyng swapped scores for their respective sides to keep Gailltir 1-4 to 0-5 in front with 20 minutes on the clock.  

The midlander’s piled on the pressure in the closing minutes of the opening half, but were not able to break down the Gailltir defence was proved to be water tight on the day, as they turned around with a 1-6 to 0-7 lead showing on the score board.

Gailltir brought in Aoife Fitzgerald for Róisín Flood at the start of the second half, and they began brightly as Clodagh Carroll saw an effort go just wide.

After an Áine Lyng free went just wide of the uprights just as in the first half the Offaly side hit the first score of the second half, not surprisingly from a Siobhan Flannery free.

After winning the resulting restart Kate Lynch played in Annie Fitzgerald who saw her effort for a second Gailltir goal deflected out for a ’45 from which Áine Lyng made no mistake.

Gailltir did not have to wait long for a second goal. With 40 minutes of the game played Annie Fitzgerald won her side a penalty. Áine Lyng saw her effort saved but Ann Corcoran was on hand to fire to the net to put her side 2-7 to 0-8 in front.

Siobhan Flaherty fired over once more for Saint Rynagh’s to keep them in sight of Gailltir but the game was effectively over when Clodagh Carroll finished to the net for a third goal for the Sky Blues.

Gailltir pointed on 45 minutes through Annie Fitzgerald which proved to be her side’s last score of the game.

At the other end of the field Saint Rynagh’s created chances and were able to pick off some late scores but the goal that they needed to bring them back into this game never came their way.

Gailltir sent on Trish Jackman for the last few minutes of this game, a nice touch from the clubs management team considering all that she has achieved within in the game over a long number of years.

In stoppage time Saint Rynagh’s won a penalty which if converted would have proved to be a consolation score, but Ciara Jackman, a younger sister of Trish and a brilliant young goalkeeper was equal to the effort fired at her and was able to keep the shot of getting past her.

A final score of 3-8 to 0-12 mean that Gailltir have now reached this year’s All-Ireland Intermediate Final at G.A.A. Headquarters on March 3.

The opposition that day will be provided by Clonduff from Down who had a 1-8 to 0-9 win over Galway side Craughwell at Kinnegad in the second semi final tomorrow.

Nobody from Gailltir will be underestimating the challenge of the Ulster Side in that game. Gailltir will after all not need telling that it was Ulster Opposition that stopped them reaching a first All-Ireland Final at this level two years ago.

But this even though is a young Gailltir panel with some experienced heads included, but it is at this stage an experienced side. The experience of two years ago will stand to them.

So too will the experience that many of the players involved will have gained in winning Féile Titles in recent years, in helping Saint Angela’s Secondary School win what they have achieved in recent years, helping Waterford win the Munster ‘A’ Title last year and we must not forget that a large number of players from this group has played senior inter county Camogie in the last few years.

For now, let’s not look too much into the future. We can do that in a few weeks time. For now it is all about the present. It is about rejoicing in this brilliant win for Gailltir, which will soon be forgotten about and the hard work in preparing for March 3 will begin, when hopefully Gailltir will become only the second Waterford team following on from Ardmore in the Junior Hurling final last year to win at G.A.A. Headquarters on All-Ireland Final day.

Gailltír: Ciara Jackman; Emily Mahony, Margo Heffernan, Claire Dunne; Leah Sheridan, Emma Roche, Hannah Flynn; Shauna Fitzgerald, Áine Lyng; Clodagh Carroll, Ann Corcoran, Kate Lynch; Roisin Flood, Annie Fitzgerald, Emer Walsh.

Subs: Aoife Fitzgerald for Roisin Flood (half time), Trish Jackman for Ann Corcoran (56).

Scorers: Roisin Flood 1-1, Annie Fitzgerald 0-3 (0-2f), Clodagh Carroll, Ann Corcoran 1-0 each, Áine Lyng 0-2 (1(45), Shauna Fitzgerald, Emer Walshe 0-1 each.

St. Rynagh’s: Ellen Gilligan; Roisin Daly, Linda Sullivan, Trish Nugent; Ann Daly, Roisin Egan, Elaine Sullivan; Helen Dolan, Louise Mannion; Kate Kenny, Mairead Daly, Grainne Dolan; Sarah Pearl, Siobhán Flannery, Louise Flannery.

Scorers: Siobhán Flannery 0-7 (7f), Grainne Dolan 0-3, Kate Kenny 0-2

Referee: John McDonagh (Galway).

 

A Must Win Game For Waterford Footballers

          A new year has begun and a new National Football League is about to commence.

This year under the guidance of Kilmacthomas man Benji Whelan who in recent years have experienced joy in coaching both The Nire and his native Kilmacthomas to honours is in charge of the Waterford Footballers, has a very new look panel from recent years to work with.

Gone are some of the experienced faces from recent years and into the set up in their places comes some of the best underage footballers within the county as well as the return of some players who opted out in recent years of the set up, while the Kilmacthomas Club man as scoured the county for the best committed players who come from clubs not just in the senior ranks, something that should be warmly welcomed.

Wicklow will be visitors to Fraher Field for this the opening game in this year’s Division Four league.

 The two sides have had some massive battles in the last few years and when they do battle in recent years the home side seem to get the better result on most occasions.

John McGrath and Ciaran Hyland who have soldiered for the county in the last number of years have retired from the inter county scene this year, and reports coming out of the Garden County suggests that others could soon follow.

The visitors will be slightly ahead of Waterford when it comes to competitive match practise this Saturday evening, having played two games in the O’Byrne Cup which is played was played as a round robin competition between nine counties in there groups, one of four and two of three, with the three group winners and Dublin qualifying for the semi finals, but Wicklow lost both games they played, first a 1-7 to 1-6 loss to Longford and then a 1-17 to 1-9 loss to Louth.

While they visitors will be a different outfit to what Waterford have played against in recent years, they will have some familiar names in their set up including Goalkeeper Robert Lambert, Jamie Snell, Dean Healy, Rory Finn, Anto McLoughlin and Mark Kenny.

It will be interesting to see what line up will be sent out by Benji Whelan for this game.

Looking at the panel he has seems to have put together a very strong panel.

Ballinacourty’s Aaron Beresford looks as if he will start between the posts. This would be an interesting selection as the Ballinacourty club man is not a regular between the posts for his club in the senior grade in recent years.

The Waterford full back line could well consist of James McGrath, Ray Ó Ceallaigh and Jack Mullaney who would well have three from Aidan Trihy, team captain Brian Looby, Tadhg Ó hUallacháin and Michael Kiely in front of them.

Tommy Prendergast is returning from an injury and it remains to be seen if the recently named Adult Footballer of the Year in the Déise County will be consider for selection. If the towering Kilrossanty Club man is deemed fit to start, then it will be a massive plus for Waterford.

If selected he could well start in the middle of the field and will be possibly partnered by Dylan Guiry or Michael Curry.

In attack Benji Whelan and his management team have plenty of options open to them.

Having Shane Ahearne involved this year is a big boost and no side will look forward to having to mark the big Stradbally man. He would be expected to start this game, but who will start alongside him.

Experienced players like Feargal Ó Cuirrín, Lorcan Ó Corraoin, Joe Allen, Conor Murray and Jason Curry will most certainly feature at some stage, while the likes of Sean Whelan-Barrett, Brian Lynch and Stephen Curry would also be expected to be involved.  

The two sides met at the same stage of the competition this time last year and on that occasion, Waterford did well to get a share of the spoils at Aughrim, a venue where the Garden County are hard to beat.

Like Wicklow playing in Aughrim, Waterford can be a very difficult side to play against at Fraher Field, especially at this time of the year.

The main aim for Waterford this year when it comes to football is to get out of Division Four of the league, and with Derry clear favourites to win one of two promotion places the fight for the one other place could well prove to be a titanic battle between the other seven sides.

The importance of Waterford getting this year’s league off to a great start cannot be emphasised enough if Waterford are to be promoted. Playing at Fraher Field under the lights, hopefully in front of a much bigger attendance than usual should be worth a point or two for Benji Whelan’s side.

Waterford are good enough to win this one, but it could be close.

 

New Era for Waterford Hurling to Begin With Win in Thurles

          Enough has been said of the Waterford Senior Hurlers last year without too much more being said here, but a person cannot begin a preview of Waterford’s National Hurling League opener without making some reference to 2018.

          When the National League fixtures were announced late last year playing in Division 1B most Waterford supporters were delighted to get Offaly in the first game, and even more delighted that the game was a home game for Waterford as sometimes when Waterford sides have gone to Tullamore in recent years we have a tendency of making things harder for ourselves than things should be.

          Shortly after the fixtures came out there was some loud whispers going around the county which did not appear in print for some time till it was confirmed that Waterford were going to lose home advantage for the league opener for breaking a training ban last April when it had been agreed that no Inter County training would take place during a month which was given over to club activities.

          Waterford were one of a small number of counties which lost their appeal against going training or whatever name other counties put on it and it public Knowledge shortly afterwards that Waterford would have to play Offaly at Semple Stadium, a ground that Waterford will or at least should know inside out and upside down.

          Offaly were once a side that were a match for anyone. In the 1980’s and indeed for much of the 1990’s they won their share of titles both in Leinster and on All-Ireland Final Day, but these days they do not hold the same fear for the stronger counties within the game in which we have to include Waterford.

In recent years they have flirted with relegation from Division 1B of the league more often than they were to joining the likes of Waterford, Galway and Clare who have won the league from Division 1B and in the championship they are doing just enough to remain in the Liam McCarthy grade of championship hurling.

This year under new management, we will see a different Waterford from what we saw in recent years, certainly in the league as Padraic Fanning will have to plan without the services of Ballygunner Club players as they have an All-Ireland Club semi final to look forward to.

That however coupled with a small number of retirements from last year’s panel plus some injuries means that we will see some unfamiliar names at this level of hurling feature in this game.

With Stephen O’Keeffe involved with Ballygunner and Ian O’Regan retiring Billy Nolan for now could be the number one choice to start in goals.

In front of him Barry Coughlan has also called time on his inter county career and his place could well be taken by Conor Prunty a player highly regarded by many within the county with team captain Noel Connors and Shane Fives either side of him.

Hopefully 2019 will see the end of the sweeper system so much hated to be seen by many hurling supporters and Waterford will go for a plain two lines of three at the back.

With a full strength squad to pick from my three in this line would be Conor Gleeson, Tadhg Bourke and Austin Gleeson. But we can’t see the three line out in this game as Conor Gleeson is injured and some are saying that Austin Gleeson is not fully match fit.

This could mean that the Clashmore man will start at centre back with maybe Bunmahon’s Micheál Harney on one side of him with either Kieran Bennett or Shane McNulty on the other.

In the middle of the field former team captain Kevin Moran would be expected to start there but alongside who? Jamie Barron is reported to be out of contention with an injury so that means that the second spot could well go to Colin Dunford or Mark O’Brien with some saying Brian O’Halloran not being ruled out of contention.

Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh after committing to another year in the white and blue could well start at centre forward where he could be flanked by Shane Bennett and DJ Foran in what could be a formidable line.

Stephen Bennett could well start on the edge of the Offaly square and reports suggest that he is going great in training which is welcome news.

Alongside him the management team could well go for two speed merchants in Thomas Ryan and Brian O’Halloran. An inside forward line of Ryan, Bennett and O’Halloran would surely have most full back lines fearing the worst.

Others that could well get a run out in Thurles on Sunday afternoon could well be Lismore’s Jack Prendergast, Ballyduff Upper’s Mikey Kearney and Tallow’s Jordan Henley.

There is some that will argue that it would not be best for Waterford to peak too early in the year. They might be right, but it is important that Waterford put a winning run together in the league from the off this year, winning promotion back to Division 1A for next year and remaining involved in the league as close as possible to the championship.

We hear a lot from some supporters about the importance of home advantage in games and loosing home advantage might be somewhat of a flow for Waterford. But playing in Thurles is no real disadvantage to Waterford. If the side were sent to Nowlan Park, Nenagh, Portlaoise or Carlow to play this game Waterford would be less used to the surrounds.

Even without the Ballygunner players involved in the league for the first few games this year you can’t but feel Waterford should begin with a win in this one.

Barony Ladies 60 Minutes From Croke Park Appearance

History will be created at Leahy Park in Cashel on Sunday afternoon next when Gailltir or Offaly side Saint Rynagh’s will win for themselves a first ever All-Ireland Final appearance at Croke Park next month.

For Gailltir this will be familiar territory as two years ago they lost out to Eglish from Tyrone at Ashbourne, while the venue will also be familiar to the ladies from the Barony as it was in Cashel back in early November that they beat Cork side Eire Óg in the Munster Final.

The setting is completely new to the Offaly side however. While they won back to back titles within their own county  last Autumn, they won their first provincial title some weeks later beating Young Irelands from Kilkenny, a result which suggests that the Offaly side could well prove to be a difficult side to beat for Gailltir as Camogie at all levels in Kilkenny is very strong.

For nearly a decade Lismore and Saint Anne’s have dominated the senior game in the Deise County and in 2016 Gailltir broke their dominance when beating Lismore in a first county final win going back to 2008.

To see Gailltir break the dominance of the sides that controlled things for a number of years was no great surprise and since then we have seen De La Salle also begin to come to the fore, meaning that right now we have a number of clubs competing at the top, something that is only good for the game as a whole.

A great deal of work has gone into the promotion of the game in the Gailltir area and it now that we are starting to see the fruits of this work take shape.

A large number of players from the club has helped Saint Ursuline School win three Munster Finals and two All-Ireland Finals in the last twelve months, and a number of players have also won a place in the different successful Waterford sides in the last few years.

Alan Hansen once famously said you win nothing with kids, something he was proven very wrong on. This Gailltir panel while it has its fair share of what could be called kids, it also has some very experienced players and none more so than Emma Hannon and Áine Lyng, both of whom will prove to be absolutely vital to their chances this Sunday.

The Gailltir management team and players will not need any telling that they are just sixty plus minutes from an All-Ireland Final appearance and a visit to Croke Park, something that will no doubt spur the side on.

Camogie in Waterford right now is very strong and having been here before Gailltir will go into the game as favourites to advance to next month’s All-Ireland Final, but they will not underestimate the challenge they face in this game.

Camogie may not be as strong in Offaly as it is in Waterford, but this is a good Saint Rynagh’s side.

They might have won just two county titles at this level in their history and one Leinster title, but they have within their ranks some players that Gailltir will have to keep an eye on.

Inter county player Siobhan Flannery playing on the edge of the Gailltir square will have to be closely watched throughout as she will not make too many mistakes with the chances that come her way.

Kate Kenny and Mairead Daly in the half forward line while at the other end of the field Ellen Gilligan, Linda O’Sullivan, Trish Nugent and Róisín Egan could well prove vital.

For Gailltir Ciara Jackman is absolutely vital between the posts. She shared inter county duties with Brianna O’Regan last year and did not put a foot wrong. The Fitzgerald’s Shauna, Annie and Aoife are also vital as are the lines of Kate Lynch, Ciara O’Sullivan, Clodagh Carroll and Leah Sheridan.

Two years ago when Gailltir appeared at this stage of the competition the experience of Eglish who had appeared in an All-Ireland Semi Final proved vital and so it could well be this year.

Gailltir playing in a semi final, narrowly missing out on a Croke Park date will surly spur the side managed by Orla Murphy, Gail O’Sullivan and Paul Lyng on, and should be celebrating an All-Ireland appearance mid afternoon on Sunday.

Waterford Begin with a win

Donal O’Rourke’s Waterford Senior Camogie team got their Littlewoods Ireland National League campaign off to the perfect start on Sunday afternoon when they recorded an eight point win over Wexford in Enniscorthy.

The fact that Waterford lined out without the Gailltir players in this year’s panel in this game, as the ladies of the Barony prepare for next Sunday’s All-Ireland Club semi final against St. Rynagh’s from Offaly in Cashel shows how strong the game of Camogie is in Waterford at the moment, testament to the hard work put in by the clubs and the County Board Officers in the last few years.

Beth Carton who won Waterford’s first ever Camogie All-Star Award towards the end of 2018 showed once more why she is so highly regarded by followers of the game as she put over nine points, six of which came from placed ball’s over the course of the hour.

But while the De La Salle tallies woman often makes the headlines when it comes to Camogie in Waterford, this is by no means a one woman team.

Dungarvan’s Sarah Lacey on her senior competitive debut for Waterford hit two points. The Old Boro youngster was part of the Waterford Minor team that won last year’s Munster Final winning team, and another member of that team Keeley Corbett Barry also made her debut.

Shona Curran a member of the Waterford team that won a Division Two League Title and the Intermediate All-Ireland Final at Croke Park was welcomed back into the set up for this year and started the game at Centre Forward while Caoimhe McGrath who has decided to throw her lot in with both the Camogie Team and the Ladies Football Team lined out at wing back.

This year’s captain Niamh Rockett struck Waterford’s goal in the first half of this game, while Orla Hickey another member of the Dungarvan Club also impressed coming off the bench, while Lorraine Bray and Mairead Power also had telling rolls.

Wexford on the day were only in a position to tog out 16 players and are without a manager after Martin Carey resigned from the position, but this does not take from Waterford’s win, after all, this is top flight Camogie and the home side like Waterford had 15 players on the field at the off.

Waterford played against the wind in the first half and after 30 minutes the side in white and blue had 1-7 put on the scoreboard while at the other end just three efforts went over the head of Brianna O’Regan in the Waterford goal.

Sarah Lacey struck the first score of the game and then set up Beth Carton for a good goal scoring chance but she saw her effort stopped by Emma Kiely.

Beth Carton hit her first of the game from a free before the home side levelled with efforts from Chloe Cash and Anais Curran on eight minutes.

Another point from the stick of Beth Carton put Waterford in front and they followed it up with the next five scores resulting in 1-4.

The De La Salle sharp shooter pointed from another free awarded for a foul on herself and followed it up with a delightful effort from play.

Shona Curran on her return to the side following good work by Áine Power split the posts to extend Waterford’s lead before Beth Carton again split the posts this time after good work from the dynamic duo of Niamh Rockett and Lorraine Bray.

Two minutes from the break, the opening goal of the game came when an attempt from Niamh Rockett was not dealt with properly by the Wexford goalkeeper who diverted the Saint Anne’s Club player’s effort into her own net.

In added time at the end of the opening 30 minutes, the home side hit their third score of the game coming from the stick of Anais Curran 21 minutes after her first score, which left the home side trailing 1-7 to 0-3 and with Waterford having the elements at their backs in the second half, the home support would have to thinking it was not going to be their day. Waterford could well have had a second goal on the score board at the break as Beth Carton played in Kaiesha Tobin but the Wexford goalkeeper made up for her earlier mistake, keeping the attempt of the Old Boro player’s effort out.

Whatever was said to the Wexford players out on the field at the break looked as if it was going to work for them as they came out in the second half like a dog out of the traps of Derby Day.

Anais Curran opened the second half scoring with another free and the home side followed that score up with an effort from Emma Walsh and on 40 minutes the home side reduced the defecate further when Anais Curran took on the Waterford defence and darted an unstoppable effort into the top corner of Brianna O’Regan’s net.

But this was as good as it got for the home side as Waterford once more took control of proceedings.

Beth Carton put an effort into the Wexford net but the score was ruled out as the County Westmeath referee deemed that Kaiesha Tobin had entered the Wexford square.

Waterford however did finish the game strong landing five more unanswered scores through Beth Carton and Orla Hickey.

Because next weekend is All-Ireland Club Semi Final weekend there is no inter county action meaning Waterford return to action in two weeks time when they are once more on the road when they take on All-Ireland champions Cork.

Donal O’Rourke’s side will know that this will be a much tougher game that what they had against Wexford, but they will also give themselves a good chance of getting something from the game, as last spring when the two sides played in the Munster Championship in Modeligo, Donal O’Rourke’s side really put it up to the Rebel’s, and will feel on another day and in different circumstances they could have won that game.

Waterford: Brianna O'Regan; Sibeal Harney, Iona Heffernan, Sadie Mai Rowe; Mairead Power, Aoife Landers, Caoimhe McGrath; Lorraine Bray, Clara Griffin; Aine Power, Shona Curran, Niamh Rockett; Kaiesha Tobin, Beth Carton, Sarah Lacey.

Subs: Keeley Corbett-Barry for Sadie Mai Rowe, Orla Hickey for Shona Curran, Niamh Ahearne for Áine Power, Sally Kelly for Sarah Lacey.

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-9 (6fs), Niamh Rockett 1-0, Sarah Lacey 0-2, Shona Curran, Orla Hickey 0-1 each

Wexford: Emma Kiely; Chloe Cash, Siona Nolan, Derbhla Doyle; Shauna Sinnott, Ciara Storey, Leah Walsh; Sorcha Foley, Clodagh Jackman; Emma Walsh, Mairead Sheehan, Anais Curran; Lauren Murphy, Joanne Dillon, Orla Molloy.

Scorers: Anais Curran 1-3 (3fs), Chloe Cash (45), Emma Walsh 0-1 each.

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath)

Waterford Begin 2019 National League with South East Derby Clash

With no other big games on locally this coming weekend, it is hoped that a good attendance from the Déise County will make their way to Saint Patrick’s Park in Enniscorthy for a 2pm throw in when Donal O’Rourke’s Waterford side will take on Wexford in the first round of this year’s National Camogie League.

Now in his second season in charge of the Waterford senior team, the Cappoquin Club man last year had a first season to remember in charge of the team narrowly missing out on a place in the National League semi finals, putting up a very creditable performance against would be All-Ireland Champions Cork in the Munster Championship and reaching the All-Ireland quarter finals where the Déise county lost out to a more experienced Tipperary side in Cork.

It is often felt that the second season in charge of a team can be much more difficult than the first, but while most sides that Waterford will come up against will want to bring them down from the high’s of last year, there will be a hunger in this Waterford side to better what they achieved last year, but it must be pointed out that the experience picked up last year by this very talented group of players will stand to the side, and to replicate and even better what was achieved 12 months ago is a very realistic hope for Waterford this year.

The panel put together by Donal O’Rourke and his management team very much resembles the one which they had together in 2018. There is some absentees from last year’s panel for different reason’s but into the panel in their place comes some very experienced players plus some players which helped Waterford win last year’s Munster Minor ‘A’ Final who will have with them some players that were also involved in that famous night last August that the Cappoquin Club man used at different stages last year.

It is worth remembering that for this game the Waterford management team will have to plan without the services of the Gailltir players in the panel, as the Sky Blues are involved in a massive All-Ireland Intermediate Club title against Offaly side Saint Ryanagh’s.

            Amongst the Gailltir players in the panel that therefore would be expected to be excused from playing this weekend will be Ciara Jackman who along with Brianna O’Regan had some quality performances between the sticks last year, Annie Fitzgerald who is one of the rising starts of the game, the experienced pair of Áine Lyng and Emma Hannon as well as young players like Shauna Fitzgerald, Clodagh Carroll and Kate Lynch.

            Even without these players Waterford should still have a very strong side out on Sunday afternoon for the start of the league.

            Brianna O’Regan who missed a number of games last year after she was handed down a very harsh suspension after she was sent off against Kilkenny in the championship will be between the posts, and reports from training suggest that the talented De La Salle Club player is in the form of her life which says a great deal as she has already produced some top quality performances since she first came to prominence playing under 12 and 14 some years ago.

In defence we could expect to see the likes of Sibeal Harney, Mairead Power, Iona Heffernan, Claire Whyte, Aoife Landers, Áine Power and Orla Hickey would be expected to fight it out for the defensive positions.

In the middle of the field Lorraine Bray was outstanding last year and she is expected to be their again this year but who will partner her there. Donal O’Rourke and his management team have a number of options including the likes of Clara Griffin and maybe Shona Curran and Caoimhe McGrath who are some of the experienced players added to the panel this year.

In attack barring any injuries Niamh Rockett and Beth Carton would be expected to start. Shona Curran’s strength could well be a huge plus if placed at centre forward, while the likes of Deirdre Fahy and Kaiesha Tobin would also be expected to start.

Any remaining spots to be filled in the starting fifteen should be fought out between Aisling Power, Niamh Ahearne, Niamh Murphy, Sally Kelly as well as Sarah Lacey and Keely Corbett-Barry two members of last year’s Minor panel promoted to the seniors this year.

Playing on home soil Wexford will be tough opposition for Waterford, but it is worth remembering that the Model County are no longer the force they were a few years back when between 2007 and 2012 they won four senior and one Intermediate All-Ireland finals and they won three National League Finals in this time.

Last year Waterford fared better than Wexford over the course of the year. Like Waterford they narrowly missed out on a place in the National League semi finals, but in the championship they finished some way off the mark needed to reach the All-Ireland knockout stages of the competition playing in an opposite group to Waterford.

What panel Wexford are operating with remains to be seen, but it is expected that there will not be wholesome changes to last year meaning that the likes of Laura Brennan, Ciara Storey, Áine Lacey, Shelley Kehoe, Chloe Fox, Linda Bolger, Joanne Dillon and Stacey Kehoe will fill vital positions on the starting team.

Playing without the players from one club is something familiar to Donal O’Rourke at this stage as this time last year he was without the services of the Lismore players as like Gailltir they had an All-Ireland semi final to be thinking about.

Donal and all involved in the panel both on and off the field will not need telling that the old Irish saying Tús maith, leath na hoibre is often very true and if they were to get off to a good start this year it could well mean the difference between qualifying for the semi finals and missing out, as it means that they are not playing catch-up from the off, something that half the sides playing this weekend will be doing so from about 3-30pm on Sunday.

Will Waterford get this year league off to a good start on Sunday? Well it won’t be easy for Waterford in Enniscorthy, but there will be a hunger in this group this year to better what was achieved last year. A share of the spoils would be welcomed this weekend, but to collect all three points would be even better, something that I believe is very much achievable.

Pierce ‘Piery’ Butler R.I.P.

          I am sure that many of us meet someone who is much older that you are when you were very young, maybe before you went to school or shortly after starting school and you remained friends with that person for the remainder of your life.

          That person could be the local Teacher, Priest or Garda. It could be the local Shop Keeper, the Post Office Master or maybe someone working in the local village.

One person that I got to know in my youth was Pierce Butler or Piery as he was known to everyone far and wide.

Piery was the driver of what was known as the Small Bus to Saint Mary’s Touraneena National School when I entered the school back in September 1978. Piery’s Bus and Ned O’Grady’s bus after Piery gave up driving was the small bus as it was a privately owned mini bus while the second bus that collected pupils from around the area to bring them to school was one of the yellow CIE school Buses with a white stripe through it which many will remember.

Piery’s first stop at my home was my second day in school having got a lift to school on my first day. I was one of the first on the bus each morning and the front seat beside Piery was always reserved for me, as it was when Ned O’Grady took over.

It was after getting to know Piery on the school run that I found out that both Piery and myself had a common interest the G.A.A. and would often meet him at games on a Sunday afternoon when the local Sliabh gCua/Saint Mary’s G.A.A. Club were in action.

By the early 80’s Piery had retired as the school bus driver but this did not mean that my friendship with Piery was at an end, far from it in fact.

In 1981 the County Junior Football Championship ran late in Waterford, and the County Final between Sliabh gCua and Tramore was held over until the spring of the following year.

But when it was played I was not able to attend the game as I was a patient in Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin (Dublin) for much of 1982 owing to what for me at the time was major surgery on my hip.

As is always the case in the area after the Club win’s a County Final the Cup visits the local school in the days that follow and all the pupils get to drink out of the cup.

Just because I was away at the time they visited the school did not mean that I missed out, because in May of that year when I was allowed home for a short few weeks, Piery and other members of the Club Committee and players paid a visit to the house one Friday evening with the cup and the customary bottle of Orange that was got in one of the local pubs.

Like me Piery’s interest in the G.A.A. began at an early age. Piery once told me that his first memory of the G.A.A. was going to Mickey Hickey’s field in Cahernaleague on the crossbar of his neighbour Ned Lonergan’s bike in around 1930.

He was one of a number of people left in the Parish of Touraneena that could remember Sliabh gCua win a first County Final back in 1936 beating Fenor after a replay in the Junior Football decider in Dungarvan, and going to Green’s Restaurant in the town for Ham sandwiches and from there to Maurice Flynn’s pub in the Square where the players were provided with some oranges by Maurice who was a native of Knockmeal.

Piery also told me about the power the Catholic Church had within the G.A.A. in times past. In 1944 a new Curate Fr George McDonnell was appointed to the Parish of Touraneena and The Nire by the then Bishop Daniel Cohalan.

 One of the first things that Fr McDonnell did was to set up a hurling club in the Touraneena side of the Parish with himself named as Chairman of the newly formed club.

The club were drawn to play against Modeligo in the first round of the championship and to help prepare the team for the game a four team tournament was organised at Hanrahan’s Field in Ballinamult. Fourmilewater were drawn to play Modeligo in one semi final and Ballinamult were drawn against Newcastle.

Ballinamult and Fourmilewater won the two games and were set to contest the final which was to be played in a field in Knockmeal, which ended in a draw, and when the game was replayed Fr. McDonnell was not around on the day for some reason.

The players were told to head to Hanrahan’s Bar after the game where they would be provided with a drink, which Fr. McDonnell found out about.

Fr. McDonnell called a club meeting for the following Wednesday evening in one of the school’s in Touraneena for which he was late to attend, presumably on purpose.

On entering the room Fr. McDonnell took his position of Chair and handed the secretary of the club Danny Kiely a letter and instructed him to read it out. In the letter wrote by Fr. McDonnell he said he did not set up a hurling club in the Parish to make alcoholics out of the young men of the Parish. He resigned his position of Chairman and dissolved the club. But Fr. McDonnell was not to get all his own way as the following year a new hurling section was added to the already existing football club in the parish.

In his day Piery played on many of the local teams down the years. In 1951 he helped the parish win a Junior Hurling Shield Final where he played alongside his brother Ned, Tomás O’Mara, John Power, Larry Kiely, Sean Whelan, Paddy Hearne, Johnny Kiely and Philip O’Mara.

In ’52 he was part of the Saint Mary’s side which contested the Junior Western Final against Ballyduff in Cappoquin having beaten Fourmilewater and Colligan to reach the final. For the final Piery often remembered that the club did not have enough Hurley’s to take part in the game so he and Jimmy Lonergan had to visit a member of the Affane Club to borrow some hurleys to play.

A year on Piery was part of the Sliabh gCua Junior Football team that reached the Western League Final against Ballyduff which was to take place in February 1954.

Piery recalled that at the time the Ballyduff Club were very strong in both hurling and football and that they had little chance of winning and a group of players decided after Sunday mass the day of the game not to travel to play the game.

Two days later the Club received a letter from the Western Board apologising for not informing the club that the field was not playable on the Sunday due to flooding and that the game was cancelled, and informing the club that it was re-fixed for Saint Patrick’s Day in Ballyduff.

This time Sliabh gCua did travel and won the game 0-2 to no score. On the Sliabh gCua team that day along with Piery were amongst others Pascal Power, Fr. Jim Kiely, Sean Whelan, Austin Barron, Jimmy McGrath, Mick Kiely, Tommy Hickey, Jimmy Lonergan and Johnny Kiely most of whom preceded Piery.

 After calling time on his playing time with the club, Piery just like many others remained very active within the G.A.A. working on the administration side of things.

For a number of year’s he served as Chairman of the Current Sliabh gCua/Saint Mary’s Club which later this year celebrates 50 years in existence and in more recent years he was made a Vice President and then President of the Club.

In recent years the club has won its share of western and county titles in Hurling and Football and on each occasion before the presentation was made to the captain, such is the esteem Piery was held within the club he was brought to the centre of the stand to stand alongside the captain for the presentation, something no doubt Piery would be very proud to do.

While Piery’s health went downhill in the last few weeks having celebrated his 93 birthday some weeks back, it is hard to imagine Piery not attending games any longer when Sliabh gCua/Saint Mary’s are playing.

But while he will not be present physically at the games, there is no doubt that he will be looking down on the players and the club wishing the club every success when it comes to games or in different events that it stages.

'Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam'