Football Championship leaving bittersweet taste

The following article appeared in the ‘Munster Express’ newspaper dated Tuesday 14 November 2017 and was written by myself.

To much fanfare, almost a year ago, a new look County Senior Football Championship was introduced for the current edition.

The listening world was told or maybe lead to believe that would be more competitive Championship, with a series of ‘dead rubber’ games being done away with, as each and every game would have two sides battling it out for something meaningful.

Most new look championships tend to come with teething problems, but to say that this year’s Waterford Senior Football Championship has become farcical would be an understatement. And I that someone will have to hold their hands up very high and admit that they got things not just wrong but very very wrong.

A person could expect to hear something like “we (Waterford) got to the All-Ireland Hurling Final and that held things up”, but that argument simply doesn’t stand up.

Yes, everyone wants to see Waterford win an All-Ireland Hurling Final, but it cannot come at a cost.

Many club panels operating in the senior grade in Waterford are operating with 25 to 30 players with some with even bigger panels.

But I suspect the majority are operating with 19 to 21 players and I base this on the names of many team sheets also include players who are also lining out at Intermediate and Junior level. Such players frequently find themselves up the numbers for 15 v 15 games during training sessions or to play midweek secondary competitions when some players are away from home for work or study purposes, or while some players are involved with different inter county panels.

But can we really have a situation whereby competitions are held up by a minority of players, barely in double figures in Waterford playing in competitions for the majority of senior club footballers – in excess of 300 players.

Can we really blame players who may be fed off with the G.A.A. given that they’re not getting a regular flow of games each year, and opt instead to play soccer or rugby, thus foregoing hurling and football?

Two years ago, the County Senior Football Championship ran late, and we saw our Senior Football Final played on a miserable Friday Evening, with winners Stradbally forced to do battle against Nemo Rangers in the Munster Championship less than 24 hours after they won the County title.

Since that night, we have seen no member of the Stradbally Club play Senior Football for the County. We can only surmise as to why this is the case, and in truth it is hard to blame them for the shambolic way they were treated.

Since the turn of the Millennium Stradbally are the most successful senior football club in the county.

Within their ranks they have some very fine footballers and in the past two years it could well be argued that Waterford could well have achieved promotion from Division Four of the National Football League with the best Stradbally players in a white and blue shirt.

 We might have won an extra game or two in the championship, including last summer’s Munster clash with Cork in Fraher Field.

Last week we saw another very embarrassing situation when it comes to Waterford Football. Gaultier are a very proud footballing side, who along with Rathgormack and Saint Saviours have been keeping the football flag flying in the east of the county.

Yes, it can be somewhat understood why what happened (or what didn’t happen) last week came about.

Gaultier have players who hurl playing with either Passage or Ballygunner Hurling Clubs, and of course we know that Ballygunner are in Sunday’s Munster Senior Club Hurling Final and there is a crossover of players – think the Hutchinson brothers and Billy O’Keeffe, to name but three. But at the same time, there is no justifiable reason as to why the Senior Football Championship has been held up for so long.

This year’s county senior football championship began over the first weekend of May. The second round of games was played at the end of July, and it was only in the middle of last week that we found out the outcome of a round three game.

In the meantime we have three clubs twiddling their thumbs since the middle of July who have reached the semi finals, not knowing when they are going to be involved in the championship again. And the same could well be argued for the other nine clubs.

I for one don’t know how these clubs are fixed in relation to team trainers (i.e. if they are paying a trainer expenses or not).

If they are then they’ve invested a lot of money spent this year as they have to be kept ticking over just in case a game is sprung on them and their players have to be ready and fit.  

Waterford were the first team to bow out of the All-Ireland Football qualifiers, yet Waterford have still failed to compete its Senior Football Championship in time to play in the Munster Championship.

          And this isn’t right, given how competitive The Nire, Ballinacourty and Stradbally have proven at that level.

          Might we see a situation develop in the future we see more and more footballers not making themselves available for the county?  To be honest, it’d be hard to blame anyone who reaches such a decision.

          Football has always been the second code in Waterford, we all realise this, but it’s hard to recall a time where it appears to have been less considered in terms of scheduling than it is being at present.

          It’d be great to see the game getting a little more consideration and it’d be great to see matches run off over a coherent schedule. But sadly, given the events of this year, we don’t appear any closer to that ever materialising, and that’s simply not good enough.

Ambitious Plan By Waterford Ladies Football County Board

The Ladies Football and Camogie County Boards across the country are often at the mercy of the G.A.A. and G.A.A. Clubs around the county to make their facilities available to them to make facilities available to them to play their games.

Not like across the country the same applies here in Waterford.

To the credit of County Boards and indeed to Clubs, facilities are made available to their sister organisations as much as possible for the playing of games.

Here in Waterford, both County Boards are extra lucky as the excellent facilities owned by Waterford Institute of Technology at the WIT Arena at Carriganore are also available to both Boards if they are needed and are of course available.

Sometimes however the Ladies Football and Camogie associations are not as lucky when it comes to the playing of its games.

In 2015, Offaly played against Limerick in the National League Division Four Final.

Both county boards were given the opportunity to play the final at Parnell Park in Dublin, in front of the TG4 cameras and the game shown live on that station.

But there was a but to the offer, a very big BUT.

If the game was to be played at Parnell Park and the game shown live on TG4, both sides would have to give up the right to use the dressing rooms at the North Dublin venue.

They could have used played the game at another venue, one more central to both counties, where they would have the use of dressing rooms and whatever facilities were available at the ground, but the game would not be shown live on TG4.

The reason why Offaly and Limerick could not use the dressing rooms at Parnell Park was that the game would be the curtain raiser to that years All-Ireland under 21 Football final between Tipperary and Tyrone.

Because of the growing size’s of Inter county panels and management teams as well as those that work in the background to these teams, all the dressing rooms at Parnell Park would be assigned to the two under 21 teams, and it was up to the ladies teams to find where ever they wanted to tog out and tog off and to shower after their games. You could well say that the G.A.A. were making the two ladies sides very much second class players (at best). It was like if their game did not matter.

Offaly used the facilities of a nearby school to tog out for the game, while their opponents used the facilities of a nearby club.

Both sides did their pre-match warm up where they togged out and then returned to the dressing room area which they were using to gather their gear and clothing and got on board their team coach and made the way to Parnell Park.

The sides on arriving at Parnell Park were shown into two small function rooms where they were allowed to leave their gear and clothing during the match. Both sides had two options. Use the small rooms or else leave their gear on the bus and remain on the field at half time in belting rain and cold.

After the game, one side cold, wet and delighted, the other cold, wet and disappointed headed back to the small function room, collected what they had left there, get on board their coach and head back to where they togged off and warmed up to shower and change into dry clothing.

Is this what the G.A.A. should be about? Should there be a first or second class player? Should the often referred to elite player be treated to any other player?

The answer of course is very much no to all of these questions.

With some time now, the officers of Waterford Ladies Football Board are working hard to try and ensure that they are not relying on anyone to play their important games.

Ladies Football and Camogie County Boards from North to South and East to West have tried to purchase their own grounds and the Waterford Ladies Football Board are trying to become the latest to do so.

If and when the Waterford Ladies Football County Board does purchase and develop their own grounds it will prove to be a very valuable asset.

To do this is not going to easy, and the hard work begins in earnest this coming weekend.

The County Board are holding a “Night at the Dogs” on Saturday evening at Kilcohan Park in Waterford.

Tickets for the night are available from all of the Ladies Football Clubs in the county and i am sure that they are also available from the County Board Officers.

Tickets cost €10 each and there is also the option of purchasing a family ticket for €20 which admits two adults and two children.

The gates at Kilcohan Park open on Saturday evening around 7pm with the first race of the evening getting underway 50 minutes later.

Standing to be corrected on this, but it is usually the case when such nights take place, the organisation which benefits on the night usually only do so with pre-purchased tickets and they get little if any of the takings taken up at the gate on the night, so if you are interested in Ladies Football and would like to see the Board own and develop their own grounds in the county, why not purchase a ticket as soon as possible, even if you cannot go on the night.

Munster Title Number Five For Lismore

A great year for the Lismore Camogie Club came to a close earlier this afternoon when the Club won the Munster Intermediate Club Championship beating Cork intermediate Champions Newcestown at Mahon, adding the title to the County Senior League (Denny Buckley Cup) and the County Senior Championship that they have already won this year.

Lismore appearing in their sixth Munster Final at this level went into the game as the favourites, and although five points separated the sides at the end of the sixty plus minutes played of this game, they will be the first to admit that they were pushed all the way to the final whistle by a Newcestown side that had a nice blend of youth and experience.

Lismore wing back Marie Russell was presented with the Player of the Match award after the game, but she was not the only player to shine as there were also performances of note from Tanya Morrissey, Shona Curran, Sharon Williams, Caithriona McGlone and Aoife Hannon on the day.

This was a keenly contested contest throughout with Lismore worthy winners at the end of the game, but on another day they know things could have been much different as the Cork side were guilty of some poor striking of placed balls over the course of the game, while goalkeeper Tanya Morrissey made some good saves and Shona Curran who captained the side to All-Ireland glory in the 2013-14 season, brought the sliotar out of defence late on in the game when the Cork side were trying with all their might to get something from the game.

Aoife Hannon opened the scoring in this game with a free on four minutes and a minute later Caithriona McGlone doubled the Cathedral Towns lead on the score board.

But Lismore’s lead was a short lived one as the side on the borders of West Cork came roaring back with points from Meabh O’Donovan and Colleen Twomey from a free on six and eight minutes and they took the lead a minute later when Therese McCarthy put the sliotar over the reach of Tanya Morrissey.

Lismore however would be the dominant team for the remainder of the opening half and hit back with a hat trick of points all from frees off the hurley of Aoife Hannon between the 10 and 18 minutes.

Collette Desmond tried her luck for the games opening goal on 20 minutes but she saw her effort tipped round the post by Tanya Morrissey for a ’45 and from the placed ball Coleen Twomey shot wide. The same player shot for goal two minutes later but she could not get past the Lismore net minder who again put the sliotar out for another 45 and this time Coleen Twomey shot wide once more.

Caithriona McGlone edged Lismore further in front on 26 minutes with a point from play and two minutes later, the same player who is always a player to come up with the crucial scores on the big day got inside the Newcestown defence when Grainne Kenneally played in an inch perfect pass and when in such situations there was only one thing on her mind and she made no mistake putting the sliotar past teenager Orla Dinneen in Newcestown goal.

The Cork side would hit the last score of the half, a point from Colleen Twomey just before the break, which left her side trailing 1-6 to 0-4 at the interval.

Newcestown in the second half put a lot of pressure on the Lismore defence. Very early in the half Suzanne Deasy dropped a long range free in around the Lismore goal but the Lismore defence were able to deal with it comfortably and bring the ball out of defence.

Shona Curran extended her sides lead with a point on 33 minutes. Two minutes later Colleen Twomey put a 45 wide, but made up for it 3 minutes later when she put over a free. On 40 minutes she again struck another free but was again off target.

Aoife Hannon edged Lismore further in front on 41 minutes with another free, her fifth of the game before Collette Desmond now on free taking duty put over her first placed ball at the end of the third quarter.

With 9 minutes to go Aoife Hannon again split the Newcestown posts, but it was followed by a period of continued Newcestown pressure,

Ciara O’Sullivan pointed with six minutes to go and three minutes later Collette Desmond again found the range with a placed ball.

Suzanne Deasy had an effort on the hour mark taken off the line by Shona Curran and a minute later the same Newcestown player shot wide from a placed ball.

Three minutes into stoppage time Aoife Hannon ensured that victory would be Lismore’s when she pointed from a free and while the Tipperary official found further time to add on, try as they might Newcestown were unable to breach the Lismore defence and even with the last play of the afternoon they were unable to get past Tanya Morrissey who made an excellent save.

Lismore: Tanya Morrissey; Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast, Ellen Curran; Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Marie Russell; Shona Curran, Sharon Williams; Ruth Geoghegan, Grainne Kenneally, Nicola Morrissey; Johanna Houlihan, Caitriona McGlone, Aoife Hannon. Sub: Emma Power for Johanna Houlihan (54).

Scorers: Aoife Hannon 0-7 (7f), Caithriona McGlone 1-2, Shona Curran 0-1.

Newcestown: Orla Dinneen; Mary McSweeney, Rose Desmond, Aisling O’Donovan; Maeve Lynch, Suzanne Deasy, Alison Crowley; Zerica Griffen, Evelyn Crowley; Maria Kenneally, Therese McCarthy, Meabh O’Donovan; Ciara O’Sullivan, Colleen Twomey, Collette Desmond. Subs: Amy Murray for Maria Kenneally (HT), Hilda O’Mahony for Therese McCarthy (51), Keelin Barrett for Alison Crowley (56), Emma Murray for Colleen Twomey (65).

Scorers: Colleen Twomey 0-3 (2F), Collette Desmond 0-2 (1F), Meabh O’Donovan, Therese McCarthy, Ciara O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Referee: T.P O’Sullivan (Tipperary)

Sheehan Brothers Excel For Sliabh gCua In County Final Win

Sliabh gCua are County Junior Football Champions for the fourth time and for the second time in six years after they recorded a two point win over Ballyduff Lower at windswept Fraher Field today.

Many were making Ballyduff Lower the favourites to win this year’s title, making up for their loss to Colligan at the same stage of the competition twelve months ago at Walsh Park, but on the day they came up against a very strong Sliabh gCua side.

Games have come thick and fast for Sliabh gCua in recent weeks.

Having waited till the end of July to four weeks ago to play a championship game and since then they have played Shamrocks twice in a drawn and replayed western semi final and then against Old Parish last weekend in the western final often on some heavy and cut up fields, had the side in green and white gone into this game with tired legs, it could be given as an excuse if it was the recently crowned East Waterford Champions had made up for their County Final loss twelve months ago against Colligan this time around, but there was no tired legs to be seen as the Touraneena outfit on the day were worthy winners.

In the Western Final win over Old Parish, Sliabh gCua lost full back JJ Coffey with an injury after 24 minutes after he bravely put his body in the way of Old Parish scoring a goal, and while he was deemed fit enough to start in this game, he lasted just 21 minutes before he was once again replaced by Ronan Gleeson.

This could be seen to be a blow to the Touraneena sides chances of winning, but as happened in the Western Final, Sliabh gCua upped their performance to make up for the loss of their full back.

Eight minutes after Sliabh gCua lost their full back, Ballyduff Lower lost John O’Leary but due to different circumstances as he was sent off by referee Tom Dee having collected his second yellow card of the game within sixty seconds of receiving his first from the John Mitchells Club man in charge of this game.

Down the years when the Sliabh gCua/Saint Mary’s Club have played in divisional or County Finals, its often different sets of brothers that have really shun on the day.

In the recent Western Final win over Old Parish it was Eoin and Mike Kearns that were the sides best players on the night and in this game it was another set of brothers, Kevin and Jason Sheehan who between them scored 0-10 out of Sliabh gCua’s tally, Jason kicking a very impressive 8 points while older brother Kevin who was judged to be Man of the Match on the day landed a brace of scores and are bound to have impressed the watching Waterford Senior Football manager Tom McGlinchey.

Jason Sheehan opened the scoring for Sliabh gCua on three minutes and when Eoin Kearns stuck a goal four minutes later when the Sliabh gCua attack were quickest to react to a poor Ballyduff restart after the ball was kicked wide, things were looking very good for the Touraneena side.

But that goal was quickly cancelled out when at the other end of the field Jack Lyons was on hand to beat Daniel Flynn after some sloppy defending at the country end of the ground.

Jason Sheehan and Eoin Cummins swapped scores from frees which had Sliabh gCua one in front with nineteen minutes played, but the eventual winners finished the half strong with the wind at their backs as Denis Coffey, Jason Sheehan from a free and then play and Dermot Tobin landed scores before John O’Leary’s sending off with a minute of the half remaining.

In added time at the end of the opening half Jason Sheehan and Eoin Cummins both swapped scores giving Sliabh gCua a 1-7 to 1-2 advantage as the sides went to the dressing rooms at the break.

Sliabh gCua knew that while they would have a man advantage for the second half, things would not be as easy for them as it was the side from the East of the county that would have the strong wind at their backs for the next thirty plus minutes.

Eoin Cummins and Kevin Sheehan swapped early scores for their respective sides within three minutes of the restart, before Ballyduff hit somewhat of a purple patch hitting three points through Eoin Cummins, Brian Power and Calum Lyons in a ninety second spell with thirty seven minutes showing on the clock.

Kevin Sheehan and Eoin Kearns pulled points back for Sliabh gCua in the forty second minute which kept them in front.

However another purple patch in which Calum Lyons and Eoin Cummins with a brace of scores brought Ballyduff to within one of Sliabh gCua with twelve minutes plus stoppage time to play.

The momentum was now with last year’s beaten finalists and Sliabh gCua needed to steady the ship somewhat. And this is what happened with a brace of Jason Sheehan scores on fifty one and fifty two minutes to put them three back in front.

With six minutes remaining Niall Clifford made things a little more difficult for the eventual winners, and it could have got a lot more harder in the end but for a quite brilliant block down by Mike Kearns just as three added minutes were being announced would be played at the end of the hour, putting the ball out for a ’45.

Jason Sheehan rounded off a brilliant afternoon’s work on the hour mark when he put over his eight score of the afternoon, and while Eoin Cummins would pull one back for Ballyduff in the third added minute at the end of the hour, it was not enough to spoil Sliabh gCua’s day.

Sliabh gCua will now play against Cork side Knocknagree this coming weekend in the Munster Junior Club Semi Final at a Cork Venue (possibly Mallow) after they beat Erin’s Own 2-19 to 2-10 in the recent Cork County Junior football final and then beat Tipperary side Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams 5-15 to 0-8 in the Munster Quarter Final last weekend in Mallow.  

Sliabh gCua: Daniel Flynn; Jack Sheehan, JJ Coffey, Gearoid Hallinan; Dylan McCarthy, Brendan McGourty, Sean Fitzpatrick; Eoin Kearns, Mike Kearns; Cillian Tobin, Stephen Coffey, Denis Coffey; Dermot Tobin, Jason Sheehan, Kevin Sheehan. Subs: Ronan Gleeson for JJ Coffey (21), David Whelan for Killian Tobin (42), Aidan Fitzpatrick for Dermot Tobin.

Scorers: Jason Sheehan 0-8 (4f), Eoin Kearns 1-1, Kevin Sheehan 0-2, Denis Coffey, Dermot Tobin 0-1 each.

Ballyduff Lower: Adam Carroll; Colman Power, John O’Leary, Ronan Dunphy; Marcus Millea, Paul Kennedy, Anthony Whelan; Eoin Cummins, Cormac Dunphy; Declan Cheasty, Calum Lyons, Kevin Cheasty; Brian Power, Jack Kennedy, Jack Lyons. Subs: Niall Clifford for Anthony Whelan (42), Craig Tyrell for Paul Kennedy (46), Dylan Reade for Brian Power (54), Emmett Power for Jack Lyons (58).

Scorers: Eoin Cummins 0-7 (4F), Jack Lyons 1-0, Calum Lyons 0-2, Niall Clifford, Brian Power 0-1 each.

Referee: Tom Dee

Lismore Should Prevail In Cahir in Munster Final

Playing Camogie in the latter weeks of any given year is nothing new for the Lismore Camogie Club. In fact it’s nothing new for clubs in Waterford to be still playing at the highest level and it would be nothing to do with championships running late. Credit must go to the officers of the County Board who have their main championship completed by the end of September each year, well in time for the County Champions to compete in the Munster Championship, a competition that the girls from the Cathedral Town are playing in this weekend.

The side in the yellow and Black hooped shirts are up against Cork side Newcestown in this year’s Munster Intermediate Club Final in Cahir where they will be looking to win a fifth Munster Final title since 2010 as they appear in their sixth final in this time span.

The Cork side have proven to be the best side in the Rebel county at this level in 2017.

In May they beat Enniskeane in the Cork Intermediate League final 2-14 to 1-8 in Bandon, and they brought the form shown in this game into the championship where they beat Newtownshandrum 2-19 to 0-8 in the first round of the competition and in the semi finals they had an equally impressive 4-6 to 0-2 win over Sliabh Rua, and in the County Final played back on the 7 of October they again beat Enniskeane at Bantry on a 1-13 to 3-4 score line.

The Cork side go into the game with what appears to be a settled look to their team.

Orla Dinneen will line out between the posts. The full back line could well consist of team captain Frances Deasy at Full back flanked by Mary McSweeney and Alison Crowley.

Suzanne Sweeney is likely to start at centre back with Meabh Lynch and Aisling O’Donovan either side of her.

The middle of the field could well see Evelyn Crowley, Zerica Griffen and Therese McCarthy do battle for two places.

Maria Kenneally could well have Hilda O’Mahony and Meabh O’Donovan either side of her, while the Lismore full back line will have to be at their very best to contain what could be a very dangerous full forward line of Collette Desmond who was the Player of the Match in the County Final scoring three points all from play, Colleen Twomey who struck half a dozen points that day and Ciara O’Sullivan the scorer of the sides only goal.

While there is some experienced players in the Newcestown team which Lismore will have to watch carefully, Orla Dinneen, Mary McSweeney, Meabh Lynch, Aisling O’Donovan, Zerica Griffen, Maria Kenneally, Meabh O’Donovan and Ciara O’Sullivan who are all expected to start are teenagers, something that Lismore might be hoping to take advantage off. However while these players are all still very young, they have all come off very successful underage Newcestown sides in the last four or five years.

Lismore head into this game on the back of a tough Championship to date.

They beat Saint Anne’s and De La Salle and drew with local rivals Cappoquin and then County and Munster Champions Gailltir, which was good enough to give them a semi final spot against De La Salle, who finished level on points with De La Salle and Cappoquin, but the latter were knocked out on score difference.

In the Semi Final, Lismore had a comprehensive 4-12 to 0-7 win over De La Salle in Kill.

Aoife Hannon who missed out playing last year, finished as top scorer for her side in this game playing centre forward finishing the game with 1-7.

Caithriona McGlone always a player to produce the goods on the big day also was very impressive for Lismore playing at full forward finishing the game with 2-3.

That win set up a County Final appearance against Gailltir in a repeat of last year’s County Final which the girls from the Barony deservedly won.  

Aoife Hannon again finished as top scorer for Lismore with seven points, while Caithriona McGlone again banged in a brace of goals for her side in a 2-10 to 0-11 win, with the experienced Grainne Kenneally, Shona Curran and team captain Nicola Morrissey all chipping in with scores on the day.

Lismore’s last outing was against Tipperary champions Silvermines in the Munster Semi Final resulting in a 4—6 to 1-10 victory.

Caithriona McGlone was again to the fore for Lismore hitting another brace of goals for her side and added three points as well for good measure. Aoife Hannon that day hit 1-3 while Lismore’s second goal came off the stick of Sinead Bennett.

Lismore manager Brendan Landers and his management team are unlikely to make many changes if any to the side which they have sent out in recent games.

That will mean that Tanya Morrissey will once more be between the posts, while the full back line will consist of Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast and Ellen Curran.

The half back line is often the winning and losing of games and Lismore are lucky to have a good three-o of players across this line which will mean that Shauna Kiernan will be flanked by Aoife Houlihan and Marie Russell.

In the middle of the field the very experienced Shona Curran will be partnered by Sharon Williams, while the half forward line could well be made up of Ruth Geoghegan, Grainne Kenneally and Nicola Morrissey, while the Lismore full forward line of Caithriona McGlone with Aoife Hannon and Johanna Houlihan on either side of her could be every bit as dangerous to the Newcestown full back line as the Cork sides full forward line will be the Lismore full back line.

Lismore in this game on the back of good results against Cork sides in recent years.

While this might be a young Newcestown side, when the sides take to the field on Saturday afternoon they will respect the Cork club side in the same way that they will respect Lismore.

Lismore are playing Senior within Waterford with many years now and Intermediate at Provincial level after they won County Finals, while Newcestown up to fairly recently were playing in the Junior grade in Cork and their side would have changed somewhat in the past couple of years.

There can be only one winner on the day, and you can’t but feel that if Caithriona McGlone is in the form to raise green flags as she has in the last number of games, then Lismore will win a fifth Munster Title on Saturday afternoon and go into an All-semi final on a high.

 

Can Captain Nicola Inspire Lismore to Win another Munster Title

Winning Adult titles in the past decade is nothing new to the Lismore Camogie Club.

They have appeared in more Senior Finals in this past decade more than anyone else and they have won more finals than anyone else. Saint Anne’s and Gailltir there strongest rivals are the only sides to stop them in recent times adding further county titles to their Roll of Honour, while since the County League’s for which the winners are presented with the Denny Buckley Cup, a trophy presented to the County Board by Lismore’s Laura Buckley in memory of her Father who died in 2009 at all too young an age and who did tremendous work promoting the game, the Cathedral Town side have made it their own as well, only Saint Anne’s stopping them from winning it on one occasion since it was first played for.

The Club has also done extremely well in the Munster Intermediate Club Championship, the competition that the Waterford Senior Champions play in each year, winning their quota of finals. And the club has also reached two All-Ireland Intermediate Finals, winning the first which they played in after a replay against Ballyhale Shamrocks in Clonmel after the two sides finished all square at Croke Park, while they just fell short to another Kilkenny Club Piltown in the second All-Ireland Final they have played in.

A number of players have been central to many of these successes, and some will be hoping to add to their collection of medals this coming weekend when they take on Cork side Newcestown in the Munster Intermediate Club Final at the G.A.A. Grounds at Cahir.

One such player is the Captain of the Lismore side in 2017 Nicola Morrissey.

Nicola is a hugely experienced player who is playing with Club and County now with a number of years.

In the white and blue of Waterford she is the holder of a Junior All-Ireland Medal from 2011 and an Intermediate Medal from four years later, when Waterford beat Kildare on what was a great day for Waterford at Croke Park. Nicola captained Waterford to the 2011 triumph and in the final scored 0-2 in Waterford’s 2-11 to 1-13 win over Down.  

Such was her performances for Waterford when the Déise Ladies won the 2011 All-Ireland Junior Championship, the Lismore lady was one of a number of Waterford players picked on the Soaring Star Awards team. The Soaring Star Awards are presented to players who play in the lower tiers of the Inter County Camogie Championship each year.  

And her ability has also been spotted by the Munster Selectors and they have selected her to play for the Southern Province in the Inter Provisional’s.

With Lismore she has also won an impressive array of medals, including six Senior County titles, Four Intermediate titles (hoping for a fifth this weekend) and an All-Ireland Intermediate title amongst other medals.  

As one of the senior and longest serving members of the current panel, Nicola has inspired a number of players that have come after her, who all set out with the home of winning just some of what she has won and achieved.

A win this weekend for Lismore with Nicola lifting the winner’s trophy after the game, would surly get the next generation of young girls, not just in Lismore but across the whole county to take up the game and try and achieve just some of what one of the greats of the game in Waterford has achieved in the last number of years.

Gunner’s March On

Ballygunner are through to an eight Munster Senior Club Final where they will take on Limerick champions Na Piarsaigh in a repeat of the 2015 final which the Limerick side won on a 2-18 to 2-11 score line in Thurles, after the Limerick side today easily accounted for Cork champions Blackrock in the Gaelic Grounds on a 2-26 to 0-10 score line.

This game was the Gunner’s eight in the last eight weeks and there is bound to have some amongst the crowd of just under 2,500 that were wondering was it a step too far for Fergal Hartley’s charges as at the break in this game they found themselves five points down, but the Waterford city side were able to turn things around and with 56 minutes on the clock they found themselves locked together 0-16 apiece and the game was looking as if extra time was going to be needed at Walsh Park for the second week in a row to decide which team would advance to this year’s championship decider.

It was the visiting side that opened the scoring in this game with a Jamie Shanahan free. In a tight opening quarter to this game, both sides went tit-for-tat at each other and with ten minutes showing on the clock it was the Clare Champions that held a slender 0-3 to 0-2 lead.

Pauric Mahony was keeping the scoreboard ticking over for Ballygunner with a string of successful frees, but Ballygunner still found themselves trailing at the midpoint in the first half (0-5 to 0-4).

Derek Fahy in the Sixmilebridge goal did well to keep Conor Power from having a green flag waved on 19 minutes, putting the sliotar out for a ’65 which Ballygunner failed to convert from. Jamie Shanahan from a free and Shane O’Sullivan traded scores before Alan Mulready sent the Clare side two in front after which Pauric Mahony and Jamie Shanahan swapped scores to give the Clare side a 0-8 to 0-6 advantage with six minutes of the first half remaining.

The visitors in the time that remained in the first half pressed on and went to the dressing rooms with an 0-11 to 0-6 advantage on the score board as Jamie Shanahan knocked over two more placed balls while Alan Gilligan also found the range just before the break.

Ballygunner started the second half brightly with a series of points and with nine minutes of the second half played they had levelled matters.

Stephen O’Keeffe did well to keep a Shane Golden shot from reaching the back of his net, but from the rebound Cathal Malone pointed to put his side back in front but Pauric Mahony pointed again on 44 minutes to level matters at 13 points each.

Billy O’Keeffe, Brian Corry Jamie Shanahan and Pauric Mahony all swapped scores to keep the sides level. Pauric Mahony and Jamie Shanahan swapped scores to level matters with less than four minutes of the hour remaining. 

JJ Hutchinson made a hero’s name for himself with two minutes to go when he crashed home a loose ball and when Billy O’Keeffe followed up with a point things were looking very good for the Waterford champions.

But there was still squeaky bum time for Ballygunner as Séadna Morey broke up field to finish past Stephen O’Keeffe to leave Ballygunner in front by the minimum, but before the Clare side had a chance to have another attempt to level matters, County Limerick referee Johnny Murphy blew his full time whistle.

Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Eddie Hayden, Barry Coughlan, Ian Kenny; Wayne Hutchinson, Philip Mahony, Shane Walsh; Harley Barnes, Shane O’Sullivan; David O’Sullivan, Pauric Mahony, Billy O’Keeffe; Conor Power, JJ Hutchinson, Peter Hogan. Subs: Barry O’Sullivan for Shane Walsh (42), David Walsh for Hogan (60)

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-11 (9fs, 1 65’), JJ Hutchinson 1-3, Billy O’Keeffe 0-3, Shane O’Sullivan 0-1.

Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Noel Purcell, Séadna Morey, Barry Fitzpatrick; Caimin Morey, Aidan Quilligan, Evan McInerney;  Jamie Shanahan, Conor Deasy; Cathal Malone, Niall Gilligan, Shane Golden; Brian Corry, Alex Morey, Alan Mulready. Subs: Kevin Lynch for Alan Mulready (55), Brian Carey for Evan McInerney (58).

Scorers: Jamie Shanahan 0-9 (6fs), Séadna Morey 1-0, Niall Gilligan 0-2, Conor Deasy, Cathal Malone, Alex Morey, Brian Corry, Shane Golden, Alan Mulready 0-1 each.

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)

Western Title Number Eight for Sliabh gCua

The Western Junior Football Championship has made its way to Touraneena for the eight time as Sliabh gCua for the second time in six years this evening proved too good for An Sean Phobal at a cold Fraher Field.

Over the course of the hour, Sliabh gCua were the better of the two sides and were full value for their 1-14 to 1-5 victory and now go on to play Ballyduff Lower in the County Final, a club which beat Saint Mary’s in last year’s Junior hurling County Final at Fraher Field.

On the night brothers Mike and Eoin Kearns were excellent for Sliabh gCua lording proceedings in the middle of the field, while behind them when the ball did go past them, Brendan McGourty was often in the right place to mop up the ball and intelligently brought it out of defence and help set up another Sliabh gCua attack.

It would be wrong however to think that the win was down to these three men, as each and every one of the 19 players used by the Sliabh gCua management team played their part in the win and in the championship success over the past number of weeks and months.

An Sean Phobal will be disappointed with their overall performance in this game, as they know that they are much closer to Sliabh gCua than the score line would suggest, and they will be back in contention once more next year.

Sliabh gCua on the night never trailed in this game.

Jason Sheehan who was accurate on free taking duty all night opened the scoring on five minutes when he put over the first of his seven points in this game.

Sliabh gCua after this soon got into their stride and kicked points on eight and nine minutes off the boots of Dermot Tobin and Denis Coffey.

Cormac Ó Innseadúin hit An Sean Phobal’s first score of the game on ten minutes when he put over a free. But that score was quickly cancelled out with a second point from Dermot Tobin on twelve minutes and them a brace of Jason Sheehan frees in the thirteenth minute and a further score from the same player five minutes later which put Sliabh gCua 0-7 to 0-1 in front.

Tiarnan Ó Foghlú hit An Sean Phobal’s first score from play on twenty one minutes, but the Touraneena outfit would finish the half the half continuing to be the stronger of the two sides, despite losing JJ Coffey on twenty four minutes with an injury after he bravely put his body on the line to deny Sean Phobal a goal scoring chance just moments earlier. 

In added time at the end of the first half Jason Sheehan put over his fifth score of the game and Denis Coffey got his second to send Sliabh gCua to the dressing rooms leading 0-9 to 0-2.

Sliabh gCua in the third quarter proved once more to be the better of the two sides, as Eoin Kearns hit a brace of points on thirty-two and thirty-eight minutes with Jason Sheehan putting over another free for the winners in between.  

At this point Sliabh gCua were ten points in front, but that lead was eaten into on forty minutes when Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín gave Daniel Flynn no chance planting the ball high into the roof of the net to leave seven between the sides.

Points from Brian Froinnseach and Cormac Ó Innseadúin followed for ‘The Shock’s’ who closed in on the Sliabh gCua lead with twelve minutes plus stoppage time still to play.

There is bound to have some inside the stand that felt that if Sean Phobal could raise another green flag then there could well be a grandstand finish to this game, but for An Sean Phobal this was as good as it got.

Kevin Sheehan had a good chance to rattle the net with eight minutes to go, but he saw his effort rise a little too high and hit the outside of the post and went wide as Sliabh gCua once more began to exert pressure at the country end of the field.

With four minutes to go Jason Sheehan put over his seven free of the evening and a minute later Stephen Coffey split the post to put Sliabh gCua 0-14 to 1-4 in front.

Credit An Sean Phobal however, they refused to throw in the towel and on the hour mark, Aodhan Mac Gearailt drew a brilliant save from an alert Daniel Flynn in the Sliabh gCua goal and from the rebound Graham Ó Gadhra struck the upright. Sliabh gCua cleared the danger and attacked down field and within seconds of An Sean Phobal missing at one end, Stephen Coffey blasted to the net to the net at the other.

Substitute Tomás Ó Cuirrín put over a point for Sean Phobal  in added time but it proved to be a mere consolation score for his side.

Sliabh gCua now play Ballyduff Lower in the County Final after they beat Erin’s Own in the Eastern Final earlier today on a 2-7 to 1-5 score line in Dunhill.

Sliabh gCua: Daniel Flynn, Gearoid Hallinan, JJ Coffey, Jack Skehan; Dylan McCarthy, Brendan McGourty, Sean Fitzpatrick; Eoin Kearns, Mike Kearns; Denis Coffey, Stephen Coffey, Dermot Tobin; Kevin Sheehan, Jason Sheehan, Killian Tobin. Subs: Ronan Gleeson for JJ Coffey (24), Aidan Fitzpatrick for Dermot Tobin (57), Tom Tobin for Kevin Sheehan (61), Eoin Walsh for Mike Kearns (61).

Scorers: Jason Sheehan 0-7 (7F), Stephen Coffey 1-1, Dermot Tobin, Denis Coffey, Eoin Kearns 0-2 each.

Sean Phobal: Aodan de Paor; Liam O’ Raghallaigh, Reamonn Ó Turraoin, Seamus Ó Flaibhín; Stiofán Ó Conbhuí, Andrias Breathnach; Cormac Ó Innseadúin, Shane de Paor; Brian Froinnseach, Sean Ó Conbhuí, Tiarnain Ó Foghlú; Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín, Graham Ó Gadhra, Aodhan Mac Gearailt. Subs: Padraig Ó hEalaithe for Tiarnain Ó Foghlú (40), Tomás Ó Cuirrín for Brian Froinnseach (45), Domhnall Ó Murchú for Stiofán Ó Conbhuí (57).

Scorers: Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín 1-0, Cormac Ó Innseadúin 0-2 (1F), Tiarnain Ó Foghlú, Brian Froinnseach, Tomás Ó Cuirrín (F) 0-1 each.

Referee: Pat Casey (Affane).

O’Sullivan’s Goal the Difference at Fraher Field

Less than 48 hours after winning the county Intermediate Football County Final, Dungarvan bowed out of this year’s Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship on Sunday last when they went under to Mallow at Fraher Field.

This was a pretty awful game of football and it was plain to see from an early stage that whatever side that did advance would struggle to go any further in the competition.

Both sides finished the game with 14 players and could well have finished with less on the field at the end of the game on another day.

Kevin Sheehan was sent off with 8 minutes remaining after he picked up his second yellow card of the game after he kicked out at Darragh Fitzgerald while he was lying on the ground. He picked up his first yellow after the half time whistle was sounded for what appeared to be something he said to the referee.

Patrick Curran was sent off on a straight red in added time at the end of the hour following some ugly scenes along the sideline in front of the stand.

The Cork champions proved to be the better of the sides in the first half turning around with an 0-8 to 0-7 advantage on the scoreboard, Dungarvan staying in touch with six points from Gavin Crotty all from frees, while their only score from open play in the first 30 minutes came on 19 minutes when Patrick Curran put over a good point.

Gavin Crotty opened the scoring in the first minute with a free but the visiting side hit back with points from Kieran O’Sullivan, Ryan Harkin and Matty Taylor in a two minute spell.

Dungarvan’s Mick Devine was unlucky not to have rattled the net on five minutes when soccer style he took on the Mallow defence but he saw his effort go just wide on the country end of the ground.

Gavin Crotty pointed on 8 minutes but it was followed with a brace of scores by Cian O’Riordan and one from Ryan Harkin.

Kieran O’Sullivan had a goal bound shot saved by Michael Walsh on 16 minutes and from the rebound Cian O’Riordan saw his effort taken off the line by the Dungarvan defence.

O’Riordan pointed on 18 while Dungarvan got their first from play a minute later, a good score by Patrick Curran.

Gavin Crotty with a brace of scores followed up for Dungarvan and with five minutes of the first half remaining Killian O’Connor pointed to put Mallow three in front, but a brace of Gavin Crotty frees in the last four minutes of the half ensured that there was only one between the sides at the break.

Dungarvan proved to be the better of the two sides in the third quarter as Gavin Crotty put over a hat-trick of scores, two of which were from frees, with Cian O’Riordan pulling one back for Mallow.

The game’s only goal came on 49 minutes when Craig Lynch played in Kieran O’Sullivan who palmed the ball unmarked past Michael Walsh which gave his side a 1-9 to 0-10 lead.

Gavin Crotty made it a one point game on the hour mark when his side had a man advantage on the field but failed to make it tell, and two points in quick succession by Cian O’Riordan and Sean Hayes on 62 minutes secures Mallow’s passage to the semi finals.

Dungarvan: Michael Walsh; Darragh Fitzgerald, Aaron Donnelly, Peter Queally; John Curran, Conor Sheridan, Gavin Power; Michael Kiely, Joe Allen; Gavin Crotty, Liam Ryan, Mick Devine; Luke O’Callaghan, Patrick Curran, Jack Lacey. Subs: Mark Boland for Peter Queally (46), Aidan Kirwan for Liam Ryan (59)

Scorers: Gavin Crotty 0-10 (9F) Patrick Curran 0-1.

Mallow: Kevin Doyle; Michael Quirke, Stephen Coughlan, Bill Myers; James Loughrey, Matty Taylor, Aaron Cahill; Killian O’Connor, Eoin Stanton; Conor Stokes, Kieran O’Sullivan, Ryan Harkin; Kevin Sheehan, Cian O’Riordan, Craig Lynch. Subs: John McGuinness for James Loughrey (33), Sean Hayes for Conor Stokes (38), Trevor McEvoy for Killian O’Connor (53), Eoin O’Carroll for Craig Lynch (58), Darren O’Riordan for Aaron Cahill (59)

Scorers: Cian O’Connor 0-5 (1F), Kieran O’Sullivan 1-1, Ryan Harkin 0-2, Matty Taylor, Killian O’Connor, Sean Hayes 0-1 each.

Referee: Richard Moloney (Limerick)