Stretch in daylight and sunshine give us a welcome lift
Flanagan, Codd lead way
IHOPE the improved weather and noticeable stretch in daylight hours helped in lifting the spirits of our readers over the weekend. The things we used to take for granted have been transformed into matters of significance during these difficult times, and hopefully that’s a lesson all of us will take on board whenever we free ourselves from the lockdown shackles.
Certainly, the welcome sight of sunshine and an extra half-hour of brightness was appreciated by anyone I spoke to recently, and we need those little plus points to keep us going.
As I embarked on one of my weekend strolls, the thought occurred to me that if all was well in the world I would have been attending an Allianz League game somewhere instead.
February 27 and 28 were pencilled in as the original starting dates for the second-most important competition on the inter-county calendar on the GAA’s original fixture list, but sadly that wasn’t to be.
Nobody can say with any certainty yet how the playing season will pan out. With every passing week, the danger of the leagues being declared null and void must be increasing, purely for reasons of time, or to be more accurate the lack of it.
Some people are still strongly advocating a club first approach, similar to last year, while others would be more comfortable with the roll-out of the inter-county programme given that it involves fewer personnel.
All of that is outside the GAA’s control to be fair, and we fully realise now that they can only act in accordance with the rules and regulations as laid down by the Government and health officials.
To my way of thinking, the big priority right now is to find a workable compromise that allows our young people to return to some form of activity.
I’m not even suggesting that they be thrust back into competitive fare quickly; just the opportunity to meet up with their friends again in a training setting would be such a huge boost.
Much of the debate tends to focus on our top adult players, but we won’t have anyone to fill their boots when they retire if we don’t ensure as a nation that the health and well-being of young children and teenagers is given top priority.
Bear in mind that a lot of secondary school students still won’t be returning to school until April 12. That’s more than five weeks down the road, so surely they need something at this stage to give them an outlet to meet friends in a relaxed, supervised setting.
Last weekend also brought the announcement of the inaugural Cáirde Loch Garman club team of the year awards, bringing a month of speculation and debate to an interesting end.
The two sides picked have thrown up the usual mix of established county players, promising young guns that deserve their chance with Wexford, and my favourite cohort in any selection of this nature - the good, solid clubman who knows deep down that he’ll never wear the purple and gold, but who will never be found wanting when he puts on his own jersey.
I think I speak for most GAA followers when I look at the club hurling team chosen and look forward to the day when Glen Malone, Jack Cullen, Conor Hearne, Conor Mahoney, Seán Keane-Carroll and Ross Banville will all get their chances on the big stage.
Who knows, maybe Davy might even surprise us and throw them all in together at the same time?!
In other news, there was a significant development for Wexford over the weekend after the completion of annual Congress and the installation of New York’s Larry McCarthy as the new President of the Association.
Anyone with a knowledge of GAA politics - and I can wear that t-shirt after 15 years deeply involved in administration - will recognise the importance of being asked to chair the national CCCC. It’s arguably the most powerful and influential sub-committee of the lot, and it will be led for the next three years by our own Derek Kent.
Congratulations to the Taghmon-Camross clubman on this notable achievement, and here’s hoping that he will be able to get his teeth into the fixtures programme for 2021 sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, keep enjoying the sunshine everybody; it’s true what they say - as long as there’s light, there’s hope.
GOLF IRELAND has announced the allocation of the €2.8m Club Resilience Fund for eligible clubs located in the Republic of Ireland.
Delivered by Sport Ireland, the fund aims to provide short-term financial help to golf clubs, supporting business resilience and future sustainability post Covid-19.
Eligible clubs were invited to apply for funding at the end of 2020, and to be considered for funding, applicants must have met the criteria and conditions set out in conjunction with Sport Ireland, which were designed to assist clubs most in need of financial supports.
It has been confirmed that Wexford’s allocation is €15,950. Mark Kennelly, Chief Executive of Golf Ireland, said: ‘ The Covid-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, a severe financial impact on golf clubs which have been closed for five of the last twelve months.
‘The submissions received from clubs confirmed the significant need for financial assistance, and Golf Ireland made a strong proposal to Sport Ireland for significant support for clubs.’
Wexford Golf Club is very grateful for its allocation. Essential works to further upgrade areas in the clubhouse are currently under way, with the house committee working on improving the lay-out and condition of the men’s external locker room.
If members wish to retrieve any items from the lockers, please contact John Pitt on 087-6781639 or the office at 053-9142238 on or before Monday, March 8.
Your co-operation would be very much appreciated.
ROSSLARE GOLF
The Rosslare Golf Club fixtures diary has gone to print and will be available shortly.
This year there are eight additional pages incorporating Burrow fixtures, Junior fixtures, competition rules, new handicap system, rules for Juniors, and the competition purse, so there is lots of information to peruse while awaiting a return to golf.
With no return date in sight at present, the Captains’ drive-in has been postponed once again to Sunday, June 20.
Although there is no fairway action just now, the newly-formed Rosslare Golf Club management committee is busy at work.
Members of the committee are creating the strategic plan to further improve and develop the club and its activities.
The management sub-committees are also active in their respective departments.
It’s membership renewal time so check out www. rosslaregolf.com or email office@rosslaregolf.com for membership offers.
Stay safe everyone!
SEAN FLANAGAN and Jamie Codd had three winners in the week, Jordan Gainford added two, and J.J. Slevin and Seán O’Keeffe also scored, making it a healthy ten for the Wexford riders from Monday to Sunday.
Gainford has had a remarkable start to his career as a professional jockey, with three wins in his first week, with two of them coming in at 25/1.
At Fairyhouse on Monday he won on Mt. Leinster Gold (5/2f), trained by Colin Bowe in Kiltealy and owned by Anthony Kearns, the well-known tenor.
He was following on from his 25/1 winning debut as a Conditional rider at Navan the previous day on Gordon Elliott’s Fierami.
Gainford made all the running on Mt. Leinster Gold, a sevenyear-old daughter of Goldwell, making her track debut after four point-to-point runs and three wins under Barry O’Neill. The horse was bred by another of the famous Irish tenors, Ronan Tynan, and won by a comfortable five lengths.
The Paul Nolan-trained Western Zara (9/2) was second on her track debut in Division 2 of the mares’ maiden hurdle, ridden by Seán O’Keeffe. At the end she could not match Enda Bolger’s hot favourite, Norwigi (4/9f).
Seán Flanagan and Jamie Codd had just two rides each at Thurles on Thursday and they won all four in impressive style. Flanagan’s were both for David O’Brien of Piltown, Kilkenny, and the Fastey For Fun Syndicate, giving the trainer his first track double.
Minx Tiara (1/1f) was a runaway 14 lengths winner of a €20,000 novice chase. In an all-Wexford finish, Richie Rath’s (Screen) Imitation Game was second at 50/1, and third was Colin Bowe’s Cushinstown Finest (11/8), with
Jordan Gainford tasting his first defeat in his third ride as a professional.
Flanagan and Kelly doubled up in a €21,000 handicap chase with Cusp of Carabelli (9/2) and this was harder work, beating Rocky’s Silver (18/1) and Conor Orr by half a length.
Jamie Codd had a first and last race double. He scored in the opening Hunters’ Chase on Jury Duty (11/2) for Gordon Elliott and that one may be Cheltenham bound.
Barry O’Neill was putting it up to the winner on favourite Winged Leader (3/1) until David Christie’s charge came down at the last, though Codd felt he still had a bit up his sleeve at that stage.
He was involved in another tight call in the bumper as he got up in the dying strides on Michael Grassick’s Mollys Glory (6/4f) to deny Tom Hamilton on Premier Queen (40/1) by a head.
Liz Doyle’s Silk Worm (7/2) got second in the ladies’ handicap hurdle under Jody Townend, five and a half lengths behind the favourite, Fighting Fit (6/5) under Aine O’Connor.
It was back to Fairyhouse on Saturday and a third win for Flanagan, and another for both Gainford and Seán O’Keeffe. Gainford’s win came in the bumper on the Stuart Crawford-trained debutant, O’Toole, at 25/1.
It was a chance ride for the Caim man as the trainer’s brother, Ben, was due to be in the saddle but there was a problem with his Covid-19 documentation.
The horse had been prepared to go pointing but that was ruled out by the lockdown. He romped home by 15 lengths from James O’Sullivan on Little Big Rocky at a massive 250/1.
Seán Flanagan scored on the well-backed Macgiloney (3/1) for Denis Hogan in the novice chase, and Seán O’Keeffe won for Tom Mullins on Breakeven (5/2) in a maiden hurdle, adding to previous successes in two points and a bumper. Second just over two lengths back was Stranger Danger (7/1), ridden by Gainford for Gordon Elliott.
On a strong card at Naas on Sunday, the Wexford flag was kept flying by J.J. Slevin and Jamie Codd.
Slevin scored in the €40k Paddy Power Podcast novice chase as he romped in by ten lengths on Joseph O’Brien’s Home By The Lee (5/1), having taken it up at the second last.
Codd scored yet another bumper win for Elliott with a strong finish on Gerri Colombe (1/2), over three lengths ahead of Walter Grey for Danny Hand.
Seán Flanagan was a well-beaten second on Daly Tiger (7/4) behind the impressive Cilaos Emery (1/2) for Townend and Mullins, and Jordan Gainford kept up his good form when finishing third of 20 in a two-mile handicap hurdle on Gordon Elliott’s Presenting Dylan (14/1).
On the flat, Donagh O’Connor (New Ross) had just one ride at Dundalk on Friday evening and came second of 13 on David Marnane’s Jered Maddox (13/2) behind Togoville.
In Britain, it was a quiet week for the Wexford riders. Daryl Jacob had just four rides and had a winner at Hereford on Sunday on Raffles Gitane (5/4f) for Harry Whittington. Tom O’Brien is going through a very lean spell with no winner in 46 rides over the last 36 days.
On the flat, P.J. McDonald had a double at Newcastle on Tuesday on Ghost Rider (8/13) for Mark Johnston and Snash (8/1) for Charlie Hills, before a frustrating run of three seconds at Lingfield on Saturday.