A Big Test For Walsh Park

            Walsh Park on Sunday afternoon sees a big test takes place. Waterford and Kilkenny, between them have not collected any points in their National League games played to date, and many, especially on the Waterford side of the River Suir will want to see their side lose to their rivals, as local bragging rights is always important to supporters of any G.A.A. side.

            But the biggest test for Waterford this weekend might not be what happens on the field of play, but what comes off the field of play.

            This will be Waterford’s second home game in this year’s National Hurling League Campaign. A few weeks back Waterford lost to another South East Rival – Wexford and many people on the day were not happy.

Let me point out at this stage it was not the defeat to Davy Fitzgerald’s side that many were angry about, and neither was it to do with the fact that Waterford on the day used no sub, something we were later told was the plan of action for the day, as changes would only be made in the event of an injury to one of the home side’s players.

What many were angered about on the day was the venue. People took to Social Media to vent their anger. No doubt some were labelled Keyboard Warriors, it’s a term that some in Waterford like to use when something is said that might not be liked by some, but in fact of what I saw on Social Media there was no Keyboard Warriors, but that is not to say that they were not some. For me, there was no Keyboard Warrior’s because when I checked online as to what a Keyboard Warrior was, it was said that it is someone that keeps their identity private, but all that I saw had a name attached.

Those that did vent their anger after the Wexford game, for most a blind man could see that they had a point in what they are saying, and some used photographic proof to back up what they were saying.

This year we have a new look championship when it comes to hurling, one that most of the top hurling counties apparently did not want introduced.

The new look competition see’s the Munster and Leinster Championship’s played on a round robin basis, with all counties competing in the two province’s guaranteed four games, two at a home venue and two away from home.

Straight away once it was confirmed that the championship was to have a new look, and that Waterford’s two home games would be played against Tipperary and Cork, the two sides who along with Waterford have possibly the biggest support in the province questions were asked would Walsh Park be able to host the two games.

Before the end of 2017 we were told that yes, the ground would hold the games and we were told that talks were going on with some while to develop the Keane’s Road venue.

Many supporters of the Déise County have long suggested that the G.A.A. in Waterford should look into the possibility of putting the For Sale signs up on the Keane’s Road venue and hope that some developer would step in and purchase the site for housing, and that the G.A.A. in Waterford develop a ground away from its current home.

There is many that have suggested that the G.A.A. should have its home base at Carriganore, but it must be noted that the G.A.A. while it uses the facilities at the W.I.T. Arena for training and indeed some matches, it does not own the site, and why then would the G.A.A. put money into the site to bring it up to the requirements needed to host big games. And the question would have to be asked, would the W.I.T. want to sell it now to the G.A.A. or anyone else after they have put much time and energy into making it the facility that it is today.

I for one have to agree with many that Walsh Park is not suitable for hosting big games on a number of reasons.

Parking is always a problem when it comes to Walsh Park. We were told last year that Walsh Park, like other grounds around the country is located in or close to residential areas, but unlike many of these other grounds, there is no real areas that can be developed for parking.

Traditionally parking has taken place on the streets, but when this happens, the owners of the houses near the ground are often prisoners in their homes during games as they would not be able to get their car out, and if they get out before people start to gather in the area, there is no guarantee that they will get back in if they come back home during a match or for a period of time before or after it.

If Walsh Park is to be developed the residents in the area will have a say in whether works can take place or not, and I for one can see many objecting if there is not areas nearby found for people to park their cars.

If the current banks on three sides of the playing surface of the ground are to be converted into proper terracing with concrete steps will it mean that it will reduce the capacity of the ground further? Waterford does not need a ground the size of Semple Stadium, The Gaelic Grounds or the new Pairc Ui Chaoimh, but if the new look All-Ireland Hurling Championship is retained after the trial period is up, Waterford will need a ground that can hold 20,000 up to 25,000 the attendance that would be expected at most Inter County games outside of a provincial final. Can this happen at Walsh Park? Can a stand be built opposite the one that already exists? I doubt there is not enough ground on that side of the field for it to happen as it backs onto a housing estate, and you can hardly put another tier onto the existing stand because of the public road that runs behind it.

For me, Walsh Park should be sold off and the G.A.A. locate to another venue, but where?

Well for me, the G.A.A. already have a venue which if it was to be closed for a period of time and developed, it could well become a venue that we in Waterford could be proud of.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to read my mind as to where. Fraher Field in Dungarvan.

Yes there will be some that will say that the G.A.A. has to have its County Ground in or close to the area where the population is at its biggest.

Waterford City does have the biggest population centre in the county, but ask yourself, how many in Waterford City are interested in the G.A.A. or how many actually know what a hurley or football is.

Last year, without doing an online check to get an exact figure, in the region of 2,000 people attended the County Senior Hurling Final at Walsh Park between two city sides, two clubs are possibly the biggest in the county. For a city with a population of over 50,000 when you consider that a large number of the official attendance that day would have travelled to the game from outside of the city and its hinterland. For the football County Final played at Fraher Field in the month of December an attendance of about half of what was in Walsh Park two months earlier were present, and we consider ourselves a hurling county.

It’s also worth noting also that when there is a double header game at Walsh Park or Fraher Field many supporters from the city area will often only attend one game and will get up and leave after the first game or will come in towards the end of the first game, depending on what side they want to see.

Last year we were told that Walsh Park was seen as a central venue and the one that must be developed. I don’t know who suggested first that Walsh Park was a central venue, but i would love to know who it was a central venue to.

To me Dungarvan is pretty much in the centre of the county. The Old Boro is about a 40 minute drive from Waterford City, roughly the same it takes to travel to Dungarvan from the County Boundary with Tipperary outside Clonmel, and just a little longer in mile that it is from places like Knockanore, Tallow and Ballyduff Upper to Dungarvan, but this extra mileage can be made up with better roads.

There will be some that will argue that not everyone in the city area have their own transport to get to Dungarvan for a game, but the same could be said of people in rural areas, and those in the city have the advantage of a bus service to and from Dungarvan every hour on the hour and stops no more than a five minute walk from Fraher Field.

As things stand, Fraher Field would not be suitable to hosting a big Munster Championship game, but neither is Walsh Park.

Fraher Field however has many pluses going for it. If the ground was closed for two to three years at max, the current stand was knocked, the playing field turned so that it runs along with the road outside it, two new stands built either side of a new playing pitch, and concrete terracing built behind the goals, there is no reason why the ground could not accommodate a capacity of twenty to twenty-five thousand people.

A county ground at Fraher Field would also have the bonus of a number of hotels, pubs and restaurants, a must for many attending games within a short distance of the ground, and within the ground there are a number of areas that could be used for car parking if needed.

 If problems are found with Walsh Park this coming weekend and the organising of big games then a decision will have to be made as quickly as possible to move the purposed championship games away from the venue, be it to play Cork and Tipperary on their own patch, to play Cork in Thurles and Tipperary in Cork, something that could happen as there is no game fixed for Semple Stadium the day Waterford play Cork, and Cork are at home to Limerick the evening before Waterford play Tipperary, or maybe Nowlan Park in Kilkenny could be a possibility as it does not have a Leinster Championship game on the dates that Waterford play Tipperary or Cork.

Waterford and Dublin To Battle It Out In A Must Win Game For Both Sides

During my time in school from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s Maths was a subject that never really appealed to me.

In my time doing Maths however I did learn some of the basics, the Sums as we called them going to school.

And I did enough to work out some permeation that could well be called upon for the weekend coming.

When it comes to Camogie in Waterford in the last decade and a half great progress has being made.

It all began with Waterford winning the Under 16 ‘B’ Championship then considered the minor Championship against Armagh at Portlaoise back in 2003.

Since then there has been numerous grate days for the game in Waterford including four visits for county teams to Croke Park on All-Ireland Finals Day, winning the Junior Championship at the third time of asking in 2011, winning the Intermediate Championship against a fancied Kildare side four years later and winning two league finals at provincial grounds along the way.

And there also have been some great days for other underage teams along the way and not forgetting some of the club teams at Féile na nGael and when Lismore and Gailltir won Munster Intermediate Club crowns in recent years and Lismore appearing in two All-Ireland Finals, winning the first after a replay in the spring of 2014.

This coming weekend while much attention will be on proceedings at Walsh Park when Derek McGrath’s Waterford take on Brian Cody’s Kilkenny in the third round of this year’s National Hurling League, a short distance away at the WIT Arena at Carriganore Donal O’Rourke’s Waterford side will take on Dublin in the penultimate round of games in this year’s National Camogie League in what is a must win game for both sides.

Heading into this weekend’s fixtures it looks as if Kilkenny with nine points from their three games played are sure of a semi final place and right behind them Dublin, Limerick and Waterford are all on four points from three games.

A win for Waterford would move them to seven points and assuming that Kilkenny field as strong as side as they were all along and therefore beat Limerick, when Waterford take on Limerick at a Limerick venue next week Waterford should they avoid defeat in that game would advance to the semi finals of the Division One league for the very first time. Any other results over the next two weekends are not worth thinking about if you are a supporter of the Waterford side.

It would be expected that between five and six thousand people will descend on the Keane’s Road venue in Waterford City and that a crowd about one tenth of that figure would visit the Carriganore venue a short distance away.

In an ideal world it would be great to have the two games played at the one venue, but we don’t live in an ideal world, and in Waterford we don’t have a good history of staging double header inter county games, but it would be great to see a bigger than usual gathering of support make their way to Carriganore as this Waterford Senior Camogie side is one which really deserves a huge support.

This is a side that has made great progress in recent years and have no doubt they will improve again going into the future and it would be no surprise for those watching them over the past number of years to see them play in some big finals in the next number of years.

When these two sides clashed in the league last year at Coolock it was Waterford with Beth Carton in outstanding form that made the journey home with a 0-11 to 0-7 victory under their belts.

The two sides met again in the championship, this time at Walsh Park and on that day it was the visitors that emerged victors on a 0-15 to 1-10 score line and after this the Dublin side went on to contest the All-Ireland Semi Final against Kilkenny, and for this reason, while Waterford will be confident going into this weekend’s game, they won’t be underestimating the challenge that Dublin will pose.

In their games played to date, Siobhan Kehoe in the middle of the field has been outstanding for the Sky Blues. In their most recent game which they beat Meath 0-15 to 0-10 she split the posts 0-8 and if given the chance again this weekend especially if there is any indiscipline shown by the Waterford players anywhere within her shooting capabilities from placed balls.

The Sky Blues did not reach the Semi Finals of last year’s championship with just one main player in their side.

They have plenty of class available to them including Faye McCarthy between the posts, Eimear McCarthy in the middle of the field alongside Siobhan Kehoe as well as the likes of Emma Flanagan, Zoe O’Donoghue and Grace O’Shea who also know where the posts are.

Last time out Waterford with a depleted team because of illness really put it up to Kilkenny and will feel that with a full strength team or a near full strength team they could have been much closer to the Cats.

 At full strength Waterford could well line out with Brianna O’Regan challenged by Ciara Jackman for the number one shirt, in defence, Mairead Power, Iona Heffernan, Jenny McCarthy, Aoife Landers, Claire Whyte, Shauna Fitzgerald, Sibeal Harney, Emma Hannon, Marie Russell and Shauna Kiernan battling it out for positions from two to seven.

In the middle of the field Lorraine Bray and Clara Griffin who is new to this level of Camogie have paired up twice and have hardly put a foot wrong to date so to see the pair team up again would hardly be a surprise.

In Attack just as in defence Waterford have plenty of options being able to call on the likes of Deirdre Fahy, Fiona Morrissey, Áine Lyng both who can also play in defence, Niamh Rockett, Beth Carton, Aisling Power back playing at this level after two years away, Beth Carton, Kaiesha Tobin who is another player new to this level of Camogie but with proven ability, Becky Kavanagh, Claire Murphy, Niamh Murphy and Caithriona McGlone amongst others, Waterford have a real good team.

 Both sides will feel that they have it to take all three points from this game. Both sides are separated by score difference, Waterford having scored seven point score difference advantage over the Sky Blues.

This could well prove to be a keenly contested fixture, one that could go right to the wire, but one that with Waterford playing on a field that they know inside out they are capable of winning.

 

Outstanding Fennell Hits First Hat-Trick For Waterford Seniors

Waterford Senior Ladies Football team recorded back to back wins in this year’s National Football League at Ratheniska on Sunday afternoon last.

Full forward Eimear Fennell put in a player of the match performance for Pat Sullivan’s side hitting a second half hat-trick of goals to help her side to a comfortable 11 point win against a side that have yet to collect any points in this year’s league.

The Abbeyside player is in fine form for Pat Sullivan’s side this year. She hit a goal against Tyrone in the opening round of fixtures at Drumragh and then hit three points against Clare last time out at the WIT Arena, and if she can keep her impressive form going, she could well help her side reach the knockout stages of the competition later in the spring.

It was the home side with the wind at their backs that opened the scoring in this game with a Claire Conlon free, but Waterford soon got going and kicked the next three scores from Eimear Fennell, Lauran McGregor and a Sinead Ryan free.

The home side responded with efforts from Claire Conlon and Norin Kirwan to draw level but Waterford soon went back in front with an effort from team captain Mairead Wall.

Emma Lawlor and Liz Devine hit the next two scores, both resulting in green flags being waved which kept Waterford a point in front, but Pat Sullivan’s side would go to the dressing rooms with a three point lead on the score board thanks to points from Róisín Tobin and Sinead Ryan.

Waterford it looked early in the second half would be dealt with a massive blow when Maria Delahunty and Lauren McGregor were sin binned by the Wicklow referee in charge of this game, but the home side never made use of their numerical advantage as they could have.

Aileen Wall opened the second half scoring, and then just as was the case in the first half both sides swapped goals in quick succession. As a result of a green flag being waved from an Emma Lawlor effort levelled matters but Eimear Fennell soon cancelled out the home side’s second goal with her first of the game to put Waterford back in front by three.

With their full quota of players back on the field Waterford pressed on for the remainder of the game, as points from Lauren McGregor, Aileen Wall and Maria Delahunty followed for Waterford to stretch their lead to six and that went to nine when Eimear Fennell got her second of the game.

Mags McEvoy pulled a point back for the home side but there was still time left for Eimear Fennell to have her name make the headlines as she netted her third of the game for the visitors who in their next game are at home to a Sligo team that are also looking for a first win in this year’s competition at the end of the month.

Waterford: Geraldine Power; Dearbhaile Ní hAodha, Karen McGrath, Rebecca Casey; Liz Devine, Emma Murray, Megan Dunford; Mairead Wall, Aisling Hahessey; Róisín Tobin, Lauren McGregor, Katie Murray; Sinead Ryan, Eimear Fennell, Michelle Ryan. Subs: Maria Delahunty for Liz Devine, Aoife Murray for Dearbhaile Hayes, Aileen Wall for Sinéad Ryan, Keely Corbett Barry for Michelle Ryan, Kate Hahessey for Aisling Hahessey, Kelly Ann Hogan for Lauren McGregor

Scorers: Eimear Fennell 3-1, Liz Devine 1-0, Lauren McGregor, Sinead Ryan (1f), Aileen Wall 0-2 each, Mairead Wall, Róisín Tobin, Maria Delahunty 0-1 each.

Laois: Fiona Kelly; Aimee Kelly, Jenny McEvoy, Mary Cotter; Victoria Byrne, Mags McEvoy, Anna Healy; Laura Nerney, Joyce Dunne; Erone Fitzpatrick, Laura Maher, Caoimhe Simms; Claire Conlon, Norin Kirwan, Emma Lawlor. Subs: Ciara Burke for Norin Kirwan, Ciara Hughes for Joyce Dunne, Norin Kirwan for Victoria Byrne, Meaghan Dunne for Claire Conlon, Caoimhe Lalor for Caoimhe Simms.

Scorers: Emma Lawlor 2-1, Claire Conlon 0-2 (1f), Mags McEvoy (F), Norin Kirwan 0-1 each.

Referee: Stephen McNulty (Wicklow).

In the only other game played in Division Two last weekend, Cavan recorded a 3-10 to 3-5 win over Clare at Doonbeg.

The weather conditions over the weekend saw Sligo’s game at home to Armagh called off as was the clash between Tyrone and Tipperary. These two games are re-fixed for this coming Sunday with a 2pm throw in.

As things stand Cavan top the division with seven points from their three games played to date. Remember there is three points for a win in Ladies Football. Tipperary, Tyrone and Waterford are all on six points and are place in that order on score difference, but that will all change this coming weekend. Should there be a winner in the Tyrone/Tipperary game that side will go top, while if the game ends in a draw, both will overtake Cavan on score difference at the top of the table, while if Tipperary loose by five points or more, or Tyrone were to lose by two points or more Waterford would move up a place on score difference.

At the other end of the table Laois are bottom of the table on score difference over Sligo with both sides yet to win in this year’s campaign, but the side from Connacht have a game on hand over the side from the midlands. Armagh have one point from their two games to date and will go above Clare who have three points from their three games, this weekend if the 2012 Intermediate All-Ireland winners can get the better of Sligo.

Waterford Ladies Record Fine Win

Waterford Senior Ladies Footballers collected their first points in this year’s National League on Saturday afternoon last when they easily accounted for Clare at the WIT Arena at Carriganore.

When the two sides clashed in the league last year, Waterford were brought well into North Clare for a game that was played in strong winds at Carron and it was no surprise therefore that the game proved to be a game of two halves with the side that had the wind at their backs making the best possible use of it.

That game therefore could not give an indication as to how this game would pan out, and there were not all that many other league or championship games to go on in recent years as the two often played in different competitions.

A week previous to this game, Pat Sullivan’s side made the long journey to Drumragh in Tyrone for a meeting with the host county, where despite serving up a good performance, the Déise Ladies had to settle for second best on the day.

The Waterford Management team named 11 of the side that lost to Tyrone in the opening fixture for this game and after this game drew to a end on Saturday last of the twenty nine players listed on the programme the Waterford management team had seen all but three in competitive action this year and are sure to give these players a run out somewhere along the sides five remaining games and may even bring extra players currently not involved to create extra competition for places and ensuring that complacency does not set in.

The home side back in their familiar white shirts for this game were always in control of this game and never looked as if they were going to drop points for the second weekend in a row.

From the side that started against Tyrone, Kate Hahessey, Laura Cusack, Keeley Barry-Corbett and Aileen Wall sat out this game with Karen McGrath, Lauren McGregor, Michelle Ryan and Liz Devine that came in for them and it was one of these players, Lauren McGregor that got proceedings under way with a goal inside five minutes of the throw in.

One of Clare’s most experienced players Niamh O’Dea responded with a point, but this was followed with a brace of Sinead Ryan points and one each from her older sister Michelle and Róisín Tobin which put Waterford well in front with a 1-5 to 0-1 advantage showing on the scoreboard.

In the last number of years Lauren McGregor has made a name for herself in the games she has contributed to, kicking some important scores for Pat Sullivan’s side and she did the same again in this game as she added to her early goal with a second which put Waterford 2-5 to 0-1 in front, but the visitors would hit the last two scores of the half through Ailish Considine and Grainne Nolan which left their side trailing 2-5 to 0-3 at the break.

The visitors needed a good start to the second half if they were going to get back into this game and they enjoyed the better start to the second thirty minutes.

Róisín Looney and Aoife Murray swapped early scores before Orla Devitt one of a few players on the Clare side visiting the WIT Arena for the second time in a week beat Sally Kelly for a goal to leave Clare trailing 2-6 to 1-4.

Devitt was part of the Clare Camogie team that got a draw at the same venue a week earlier against Waterford in the League. With Ladies Football and Camogie able to accommodate duel players, you have to wonder why it does not in the men’s game. Yes I know some will point to the commitment made by the country’s top hurlers and footballers, but it must be remembered that those playing Ladies Football and Camogie are putting in the same effort and maybe even a greater effort than their male counterparts so if it can happen in the Ladies games why can’t it happen with the men.

However this was as good as it got for the visitors as they failed to score for the remainder of the game, while at the other end Waterford continued to press the Clare defence hard and kicked a number of further scores which could well prove important at the end of the seven rounds of games in the round robin section of the competition.

Maria Delahunty who has hit some important scores for Waterford and after she got her name on the score sheet after she had replaced  Michelle Ryan Eimear Fennell put over a brace of scores before her fellow Abbeyside club player Maria Delahunty put over another brace of scores to put Waterford well in control.

Geraldine Power who played in last year’s league with Waterford did her chances of winning a place in the team for the sides next outing against Laois on Sunday next no harm when after replacing Lauren McGregor she hit Waterford’s third goal of the afternoon, bringing a fine afternoon’s work by the team to an end.

Waterford: Sally Kelly; Rebecca Casey, Michelle McGrath, Karen McGrath; Lauren McGregor, Emma Murray, Megan Dunford; Mairead Wall, Aisling Hahessey; Róisín Tobin, Michelle Ryan, Katie Murray; Sinead Ryan, Eimear Fennell, Liz Devine. Subs: Aoife Murray for Liz Devine, Maria Delahunty for Michelle Ryan, Aileen Wall for Sinéad Ryan, Geraldine Power for Lauren McGregor, Caragh McCarthy for Aisling Hahessey, Laura Cusack for Mairéad Wall, Dearbhaile Ní hAodha for Karen McGrath.

Scorers: Lauren McGregor 2-0, Geraldine Power 1-0, Sinead Ryan (3F), Maria Delahunty, Eimear Fennell 0-3 each, Michelle Ryan, Róisín Tobin, Aoife Murray 0-1 each.

Clare: Ciara Harvey; Kate Harrington, Laurie Ryan, Amanda Mulcair; Louise Woods, Grainne Harvey, Laura Egan; Tara Kelly, Róisín Looney; Orla Devitt, Grainne Nolan, Niamh O’Dea; Caithriona Cullinan, Fidelma Marrinan, Ailish Considine. Subs: Emma McMahon for Caithriona Cullinan, Ciara Hickey for Ailish Considine, Kayleigh McCormack for Róisín Considine, Áine Keane for Amanda Mulcair, Becky McMahon for Tara Kelly, Sarah Bohannon for Louise Woods, Rebecca Doohan for Orla Devitt.

Scorers: Orla Devitt 1-0, Niamh O’Dea, Ailish Considine, Grainne Nolan (F), Róisín Looney 0-1 each

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford)

 

Under Strength Waterford Test Strong Kilkenny Side

            Waterford’s excellent start to this year’s National Camogie League came to an end of Sunday afternoon when they lost out to a strong Kilkenny side at Conahy.  

            New Waterford Manager Donal O’Rourke has named a large panel for this year’s league with the programme for the opening game against Meath at the WIT Arena listing 34 players, of which all but eight of them at this stage have got some game time and of this number that have yet to play, three are from the Lismore Club who were involved in the Club Championship up to recently so were not considered for selection.

            For the two games before this game the side was rotated to allow as many players as possible to get game time under their belts and for this game there was again some rotation, with nine of the side which earned a draw against Clare at the WIT Arena starting this game.

The home side fielded a strong starting fifteen for this game with ten of those starting here also starting the championship game between the same two counties in last year’s championship at Walsh Park, while Waterford for this game, with Waterford fielding nine of the side that were beaten 2-15 to 0-6.

Kilkenny went into this game with two wins from their first two games and were confident that they would make that three in a row and therefore as good as book their place in the knockout stages of the competition.

The home side got off to a great start in this game as they went 1-4 to 0-1 in front after just 11 minutes.

Many sides falling behind so early to such strong opposition would have thrown in the towel straight away expecting the worst, but this side which had a number of players out with illness are not like many teams and they worked hard and although they lost out at the end of the day, they make Kilkenny fight hard for every score they got.

Miriam Walsh and Julie Ann Malone hit early scores for the home side to which Beth Carton responded to with her first of the afternoon on five minutes, the home side followed up with scores from Anne Dalton and another from Julie Ann Malone before Grace O’Donnell hit the game’s only goal on eleven minutes which put her side 1-4 to 0-1 in front.

  The Kilkenny side that Waterford played on Sunday afternoon was one that has its quota of All-Ireland, National League and Ashbourne Cup medals and on thirteen minutes one player with all three of the above mentioned medals Katie Power got on the score sheet on thirteen minutes.

Waterford enjoyed a purple patch after this as Beth Carton hit three scores on the bounce to narrow the Kilkenny lead to four, but they managed to extend that before the break when Miriam Walsh got her second of the game, which helped her side to a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage at the break.

The third quarter of this game proved to be evenly balanced as Beth Carton and Denise Gaule swapped scores after which Aoife Doyle and Beth Carton swapped scores which kept the home side in front.

Kilkenny in the closing quarter of this game called on all their experience and added points from Miriam Walsh and Denise Gaule to extend their lead with twelve minutes of the hour still to play.

With the game beginning to slip away from Waterford Saoirse O’Brien, Abbie Dunphy and Sadie Mai Rowe were all handed their league debuts for Waterford in the closing minutes of this game, giving them some valuable experience of playing at this level, something that will stand to them going forward.

In the time that remained Beth Carton and Miriam Walsh swapped scores before Aoife Doyle and Denise Gaule landed scores to edge Kilkenny 1-13 to 0-7 in front with the hour played.

Both sides in stoppage time would score once more. Niamh Rockett pointed for Waterford in the first minute of time added on by the County Cork referee and four minutes later Denise Gaule closed the scoring with her fourth of the afternoon.

The Waterford ladies have a weekend off this coming weekend and will play Dublin at the WIT Arena on February 18 in a must win game for both sides and the side will be appealing for a big support on the day and make up that sixteenth player on the day.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Mairead Power, Iona Heffernan, Jenny McCarthy; Aoife Landers,  Claire Whyte, Shauna Fitzgerald, Lorraine Bray, Sibeal Harney, Orla Hickey, Deirdre Fahy, Niamh Rockett; Aisling Power, Beth Carton, Áine Power. Subs: Clara Griffin for Shauna Fitzgerald, Sadie Mai Rowe for Claire Whyte, Clare Murphy for Áine Power, Abbie Dunphy for Mairead Power, Saoirse O’Brien for Orla Hickey.

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-7 (6F), Niamh Rockett 0-1

Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh, Jacqui Frisby, Davina Tobin, Catherine Foley, Michelle Teehan, Colette Dormer, Róisín Phelan, Anne Dalton, Claire Phelan, Aoife Doyle, Julie Ann Malone, Katie Power, Jenny Clifford, Grace O'Donnell, Miriam Walsh Subs: Denise Gaule for Jenny Clifford, Michelle Quilty for Grace O'Donnell, Danielle Morrissey for Colette Dormer, Laura Murphy for Jacqui Frisby, Lydia Phelan for Michelle Teehan.

Scorers: Miriam Walsh, Denise Gaule (2F) 0-4 each, Grace O’Donnell 1-0, Julie Ann Malone, Aoife Doyle 0-2 each, Anne Dalton (F), Katie Power 0-1 each.

Referee: Andrew Larkin (Cork)

Prendergast Stars As Ardmore Claim All-Ireland Title

Ballymacarbry Senior Ladies Footballers have done it. Lismore Camogie Players have done it, and now Ardmore Junior Hurlers have done it.

Ardmore’s junior hurling team today came from behind with time almost up to win this year’s All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Final and in doing so became the first Waterford team to win an All-Ireland Club Championship at G.A.A. Headquarters.

In recent years De La Salle’s Senior Hurlers, Ballysaggart’s Junior Hurlers and Lismore’s Camogie team have come close to winning at G.A.A. headquarters on All-Ireland Final day but up to now, no Waterford Club had climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand on the biggest days in the club calendar year.

This was a final that had those that travelled to G.A.A. Headquarters to support the Round Tower Club men sitting on their seats in the Hogan Stand right to the end, and they did so for longer than the allotted sixty minutes as this game needed a further twenty minutes to find a winner.

For much of the sixty minutes it looked as if it was Ardmore were going to emerge winners even if it was the Wexford Club had the better of the start in this game.

While Ardmore will receive and should take a lot of plaudits for the way they won this game, great credit must go to the Saint Mogues side from the Fethard-on-Sea area of Wexford for the roll they played in this game, as it always takes two sides to serve up a memorable game.

The Ardmore side sent out by Ardmore manager Tommy Cronin and his management side was one which contains a blend of youth and experience. Right now it remains to be seen if the experienced players some of whom are closer to 40 than 30 will commit to another year in the Blue and White shirt of Ardmore, but if they were not to, nobody could ever argue that they did not end their playing career on a high, and there is no greater high than with an Celtic Cross in your collection of medals.

Seamus Prendergast put in a Man of the Match performance for Ardmore in this game hitting 1-8 for his side over the eighty plus minutes which he played in. But this was no means a one man team as throughout the side the team had its hero’s including rising star Seamus Keating at centre back, team Captain Declan Prendergast at full back, corner forward John Gartland who hit two vital goals and Kenny Murphy in the middle of the field, while for their opponents had his side won the game Mark Wallace who finished the game with fourteen points would have got the Man of the Match Award.

While there is expected to be great celebrations in the Ardmore area this evening and in the coming days, things could well have been much different.

With the sixty minutes played and the game in stoppage time, the Round Tower Club side found themselves one point in arrears despite leading for most of it, and it took a massive point from David Gartland with the last puck of the game to send this game to extra time to try and find a winner.

Heading into this game while they might not have seen the Wexford side in action, there is no doubt that team manager Tommy Cronin, team coach Wayne Power and the rest of the side would have done their homework on their opponents for this game, and no doubt one name that of Mark Wallace would have come up time and time again.

When presented with chances from any indiscipline shown by Ardmore the Saint Mogues man seldom missed. He made an early impact scoring a brace of early points after Seamus Prendergast had given Ardmore the lead with a free, and Michael Dwyer helped to stretch the Wexford’s side lead (0-3 to 0-1) with eleven minutes played.

But after this the Round Tower men upped their performance. They added to their tally on the scoreboard on twelve minutes when a Seamus Keating free from distance fell into the danger zone in front of the Saint Mogues goal and with a strike along the ground Seamus Prendergast beat Sean Foley to put his side back in front by a point.

 The Wexford and Leinster Champions responded with a point from Mark Wallace, but Ardmore would soon get back in front and would head to the dressing rooms with a 1-4 to 0-6 advantage showing on the giant scoreboards around Croke Park with Seamus Prendergast hitting 1-3 of his sides tally in those opening thirty plus minutes, and Seamus Keating putting over a massive score from his own half of the field.

Seven minutes after the restart Ardmore struck for a second goal when the Wexford sides goalkeeper Sean Foley had an attempted clearance hooked by Seamus Prendergast after which the ball fell to John Gartland who finished to the net, a score that gave the winners a 2-5 to 0-7 lead.

The Wexford side however would hit back with three points from Mark Wallace and from the latter when Garrett Foley got the ball in the middle of the field he sent it straight back in and over the head of Jack Walsh who returned to the team after missing the semi final win over Setanta a week earlier to level matters on the score board.

On sixty minutes the sides were all square on the score board but one minute into stoppage time Mark Wallace put over a massive free from his own ’65 metre line to give his side the lead once more and it was beginning to appear that victory would be going to the Wexford side.

But no game is over till the final whistle is sounded and just as referee Shane Hayes was about to put his whistle to his lips for the last time in this game David Gartland landed a free with the last puck of the game to level matters for the eight time in this game and to send it to extra time.

Both sides were clearly going to tire in the added twenty minutes playing on the massive surface that is Croke Park and the side that were to prove the hungrier would win on the day.

Conceding that late score when they obviously felt victory was going to be theirs seem to have knocked the stuffing out of the Wexford side in extra time.

In the first period of extra time it was Ardmore who showed the greater hunger as Seamus Prendergast landed a brace of scores and David Gartland hit another vital score to push their side three in front, but the Wexford side courtesy of another placed ball score from Mark Wallace brought the Wexford side to within two (2-11 to 0-15) as the sides changed ends for the second half of extra time.

Ardmore in the second half would score just once more, but that score proved crucial as John Gartland again popped up and netted a third goal shortly after Michael Dwyer had made it a one point game after the restart.

It was now the turn of Saint Mogues to show what they were made of and in the time that remained Mark Wallace and Edmund Power split the Ardmore posts to leave two between the sides, but the all important score that they needed to get something from the game failed to arrive.

ARDMORE: Jack Walsh; Niall Hennessy, Declan Prendergast, Daniel Power; Gavin Williams, Seamus Keating, Ritchie Hennessey; Kenny Murphy, Wayne Hennessy; Sean Barron, David Gartland, Michael Cronin; James Flavin, Seamus Prendergast, John Gartland. Subs: James Kennedy for Michael Cronin (ht), Kieran Conway for Daniel Power (43), Stephen Keating for Wayne Hennessy (69), Michael Cronin for James Kennedy (73), Wayne Hennessy for Gavin Williams (79)

Scorers: Seamus Prendergast 1-8 (7f), John Gartland 2-0, David Gartland 0-2, Seamus Keating 0-1

FETHARD ST MOGUES: Sean Foley; Martin Power, Ruairi Tubrid, Daniel Mullan; Richard Waters, Kevin Rowe, Joe Sutton; Garrett Foley, John Tubritt; Edmund Power, Mark Wallace, Daire Barden; Ciaran Dwyer, Graham O’Grady, Michael Dwyer. Subs: Darren Foley for Graham O’Grady (43), Bryan Power for John Tubritt (49), Brian O’Donoghue for Edmund Power (62), Edmund Power for Brian O’Donoghue (70), Graham O’Grady for Ciaran Dwyer (70).

Scorers: Mark Wallace 0-14 (12f, 1 '65), Michael Dwyer 0-2, Garrett Foley 0-1, Edmund Power 0-1

Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway)

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Croke Park We Go

Most of us and certainly those of us of a certain vintage have heard the lyrics of the Van Morrison song ‘My Moma told us there would be days like this’.

For the hurlers of West Waterford Club Ardmore and for Wexford side Fethard this Sunday afternoon will be one of those day’s as the two clubs will get a rare chance to play together as a club unit in an All-Ireland Final at G.A.A. in Croke Park where the prize on offer will be the Junior Club Hurling Championship.

For two relatively small clubs chances like this don’t happen very often and the two sides will remember what ever will happen between 2pm and about 3-20pm for the rest of their lives.

Both sides up to now have blitzed their way to this weekend’s decider.

After coming through in their own county, Fethard beat Naomh Brid from Carlow in the first round of the Leinster Championship and followed that up with a win over Erin’s Isle from Dublin in the Leinster Semi Final.

Kilkenny Clubs have dominated the competition in Leinster since the inception of the competition in the early years of the last decade and when Fethard came up against John Lockes at Wexford Park, the Kilkenny side would have fancied their chances but it was the Wexford unit that came out on the better side of a 1-17 to 2-11 score line.

Next up for the Wexford side was a tricky trip to London to play the Brother Pearse club and returned home with an 0-18 to 2-9 victory which set up their recent semi final clash with Galway side Sylane who come from a rich football land in Galway from the Corofin and Headford areas.

Even though they were from a strong football side many expected the Galway side to emerge victors in that game but it was the men from the model county that emerged as victors on a 0-18 to 0-9 score line.

Centre forward Mark Wallace was top scorer for the Wexford side that day with 11 points, all but one of which came from placed balls. With one player contributing so much from placed balls you have to wonder where the scores will come from open play and Ardmore this weekend will be confident that if they can put in a disciplined performance then they can emerge as victors in this one.

Last time our wing forward Edmond Power and corner forwards Ciaran and Mikie Dwyer all ended the game with two points behind their names on the score sheet but you can’t but think that even higher tallies will be wanted from these players and others in the forward will be needed to win this one.

Ardmore it could be also said had things all too easy to date. Their toughest game of the year it could be argued was their Western Final win over a Saint Mary’s side that were looking to win a third final in a row, and the Touraneena outfit looked as if they were going to do that till Ardmore landed a series of late scores to win.

They followed that win up with a big win over Ballydurn in the County Final and then had wins over opposition from Clare, Limerick and Tipperary before beating Donegal Senior Hurling Champions Setanta in last weekend’s rearranged All-Ireland semi final at Navan.

The Round Tower men look as if they will have a full quota of players to pick from for this weekend’s game now that Jack Walsh has sat out his suspension after he was sent off against Ballybacon-Grange in the Munster Final but it remains to be seen if he will win his place back in the team.

With players like former Inter county hurlers Seamus and Declan Prendergast, the Hennessy’s, the Gartland’s, the Keating, Kenny Murphy etc to pick from for this game you have to feel that Ardmore are good enough to win this game. Experience has to count for something and they have it in abundance playing Senior Hurling in the Déise County in 2014 and played Intermediate for two years before they were relegated at the end of 2016, but they have showed since that they are a side too strong to be playing in the third tier of championship hurling, both locally and on the inter county scene.

Gallant Lismore Fall at Penultimate Hurdle

A playing season in which they won the County Senior League, the County Senior Championship and the Munster Intermediate Club Championship came to an end for Lismore Camogie Club when they were beaten by Galway side Athenry at Kinnegad.

Lismore travelled to the Westmeath venue confident that they would reach a third All-Ireland Club final in five years, but on the day they came up against a very strong Galway side that included vastly experienced players such as Therese Donohue, Jessica Gill and Rebecca Glynn

Both sides were forced to make changes to the side that they would have hoped to field for such a game. For Lismore ace free taker Aoife Hannon missed the game, while for the Galway side Eimear Keane missed the clash and will be hoping that she can force her way back into contention for their upcoming All-Ireland Final.

Lismore found the going tough throughout this game and never were allowed to show exactly what they can do.

At the break they trailed by three points, and in the second half they failed to add to their first half tally while the Galway side added just three points to their first half tally in what were difficult conditions for both sides.

The Galway side were first off the mark in this game with three points in the opening ten minutes. Jessica Gill opened the scoring with a point from play which was quickly followed with a brace of scores from the impressive Therese Donohue by the tenth minute.

Lismore however were intent on making a game of things and not to let the Galway side have things all their own way and they hit back with a Nicola Morrissey point on 15 minutes and Caithriona McGlone followed up with another point six minutes later.

But the Galway side would add two more scores, both frees off the stick of Therese Donohue to give her side a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage at the break.

The Galway side clearly had their homework down when it came to the threat that Lismore can pose to opposing sides and each time Caithriona McGlone a player that had scored seven goals in her last four competitive games got the ball, the Athenry defence swarmed around her and as a result the ladies from the Heritage Town never looked as if they were going to have a green flag waved in this game.

But if the Athenry defence proved strong at one end, the same could be said of Lismore at the other end, and like their opponents they never allowed their Galway side the chance to have a green flag waved.

Niamh Hannon opened the second half scoring for the Galway side nine minutes into the second half and they had to wait another 21 minutes to score again and when they did it was just like a London Bus, two came in quick succession, as Noreen Coen put over a brace of scores in a three minute spell.

With Lismore’s interest in the competition now after coming to an end, many of the players may now take a short break away from the game to recharge the batteries for a new year ahead in which they will be hoping to replicate what they achieved in 2017, but Waterford manager Donal O’Rourke will be hoping that the players that he wishes to use this year will not be too long away from the game, as he will want as strong as possible panel for the remainder of the National League which Waterford have made a good start to, but have possibly their hardest games yet to come.

Lismore; Tanya Morrissey; Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast, Ellen Curran; Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Izabella Markiewiz; Marie Russell, Sharon Williams; Grainne Kenneally, Nicola Morrissey, Shona Curran; Johanna Houlihan, Caithriona McGlone Ellen Power. Subs: Ruth Geoghegan for Johanna Houlihan, Sinead Bennett for Ellen Power.

Scorers: Nicola Morrissey, Caithriona McGlone 0-1 each.

Athenry: Megan McDonagh; Regina Mitchell, Niamh Keane, Fiona Page; Lorna Hannon, Jessica Gill, Kate Moran; Dervla Higgins, Grace Cahill; Niamh Donnellan, Therese Donohue, Niamh Keogh; Noreen Coen, Niamh Hannon, Elona Mahon. Sub: Megan Waldron for Niamh Keogh.

Scorers: Therese Donohue 0-4, Noreen Coen 0-2, Jessica Gill, Niamh Hannon 0-1 each.

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath).