CROMANE

LOTTO

The numbers drawn on February 7in the Cromane GAA lotto draw were 28, 16, 20 and 27. There was no winner of the €5,600 jackpot. Four prizes of €40 each went to Dot O’Shea, Glenbeigh. Ticket sold by Killorglin Cr. Union. Peggy Foran, Tulligbeg. Ticket sold by Patie Joy. The Doyle Family. Ardmoneil. Ticket sold by Killorglin Cr. Union. Liane Teahan, Cromane. Ticket sold by Jacks.

Next week’s jackpot is €5,700. If youre not in, you cant win.

Tickets on sale from usual sellers and in local businesses and online. MUNSTER FINAL

This Sunday Cromane will play in a Munster final – that sounds good, doesn’t it.

We will contest the Munster Junior B final against the Limerick champions Ballybrown in Knockaderry, Co. Limerick.

It is almost 10 years to the day since our men in maroon became the first Kerry team to win this competition back in 2008.

We beat Cork’s St Oliver Plunkett’s (from Ahiohill in west Cork) by 1-8 to 0-8 in the 2017 final (which was actually played in March 2008).

Since then the competition has only been won by Kerry teams: Tuosist (2008), Churchill (2009), Na Gaeil (2010), Brosna (2011), Scartaglin (2012), Asdee (2013), Valentia Young Islanders (2014), Sneem-Derrynane (2015), and Lispole (2016).

Ballybrown, for their part, played nine games to win the Limerick county title that included four replays in their last four games: the city final against Abbey Sarsfields, county quarter-final against Banogue, county semi-final with Knockaderry, and the Limerick Junior B county final against Castletown-Ballyagran. Then they drew and went to extra time to beat Cork’s Argideen Rangers by a point in the Munster semi-final. Ballybrown, like ourselves, have had a great few months. 2017 was a special year for them as it was their first time to ever win the Limerick Junior B title.

Cromane qualified to represent Kerry in this competition courtesy of our 1-12 to 0-12 Novice final win over Moyvane last October.

Since then we have defeated the Clare champions, Banner, from Ennis (0-10 to 0-5), in the Munster Junior B quarter-final and on February 4 we accounted for the Tipperary champions, Cashel King Cormacs in the semi-final by 2-14 to 4-3.

Our lads have been working their hearts out all through 2017 and into 2018. Last year they also gained promotion back to Division 4 of the county league so the effort is paying off.

We need your continued support, it is greatly appreciated by the players. A good crowd from Cromane was at the quarter-final and semi-final and it stood the men on the field seeing familiar faces before, during, and after the game. Let’s make a special effort on Sunday.

The final is on this Sunday, February 18, in Knockaderry,

Co. Limerick, on the Limerick side of Newcastlewest, with a throwin of 2 p.m. An Cromán Abú.

MID KERRY under-21 FINAL The Glenbeigh-Glencar/Cromane (GGC) amalgamation team took on Milltown/Castlemaine in the 2018 Mid Kerry Under-21 final. See elsewhere in this sports section for full match report. CLUB SOCIAL

We had a great night at our annual club social last Friday night in Jack’s Coastguard Restaurant and Bar, Cromane.

Many many thanks to all who helped make the night a success. Pride of honour, of course, went to our senior footballers who received their County Novice-winning medals on the night. The lads have continued their good form in the early part of 2018 and are currently preparing for the Munster Junior B final next Sunday.

Special awards presented last Friday night included the club person of the year award that went to Stephen Scales. Stephen is the man that keeps us honest, as he looks after all insurance-related issues. Most years he goes above and beyond that duty and 2017 was no different. Stephen has been at the helm of Cromane GAA for many years in numerous administration roles, including that of club secretary. Thanks for everything you have done, and continue to do, for our club Stephen.

The following 2017 player-related awards were presented by our special guest on the night, Kerry minor manager Peter Keane: Player of the year – Darren Houlihan; Young Player of the Year – Shane Ahern; Most Improved – Finbar Casey.

Well done to all the recipients, we wish them all continued success on and off the field of play for 2018.

Our recent lotto winner Jason Clifford (also a member of the senior football panel) received his cheque for €14,800 from club chairman Stephen Casey and treasurers Johnny O’Connor and Patricia Teahan.

Our gratitude to our guest speaker on the night Kerry minor manager Peter Keane (who is also a treasured club sponsor), to all the staff at Jack’s Bar and Restaurant (our main club sponsor), and to the band Acoustra, who kept everyone entertained during the night.

MID KERRY LEAGUE Cromane played Milltown/Castlemaine in awful weather conditions last Thursday night in Tralee. It was our second outing in the Mid Kerry League having won on rearranged game against Glenbeigh-Glencar the previous week. It looked as if we were going to make it two wins from two for long periods till a late Milltown/ Castlemaine surge resulted in them kicking 1-3 in the final five minutes. The winning point coming from a free five minutes into injury time.

Nevertheless we performed well for 40-plus minutes in a game coming just four days after a bruising encounter with Cashel King Cormacs the previous Sunday in the Munster Junior B semi-final.

By the 40th minute mark we led 1-6 to 0-1, with the goal coming midway through the first half when veteran Martin Sweeney blasted home off his previously unknown right foot. We led by 1-4 to 0-1 at the break and two quick points from Donnchadh Walsh and Paul Patrick O’Sullivan looked to have us in good nick, up by eight with 20 left.

That’s when Milltown/Castlemaine took over and errors starting creeping into our game as more pressure was applied. A series of points from Jack McCarthy and Cathal Moriarty got them to within striking distance before a goal and a late Moriarty free won the game for them.

Team and scorers: Paudie McCarthy, Stephen Foley, Seán Teahan, Eamon O’Connor; Finbar Casey, Niall Dennehy, Liam Teahan; Donnchadh Walsh 0-1, Darren Houlihan 0-1; Emmet Casey, Mikey Houlihan, Seán O’Sullivan 0-2 (0-1f); Paul Patrick O’Sullivan 0-2 (0-1f), Shane O’Neill, Martin Sweeney 1-0. Replacements: Cathal Crosby for PP O’Sullivan 38th minute, Shane Ahern for Eamon O’Connor 40th minute, Micheál Shaughnessy for Emmet Casey 45th minute, Danny Connor for Stephen Foley 50th minute, Aidan O’Sullivan for Martin Sweeney 55th minute, Cian O’Keeffe for Mikey Houlihan 60th minute.

CROMANE LIGHTS UP: Cromane GAA Club were one of hundreds across the country light up our pitches for Operation Transformation last Monday (for the third week in a row).

We have come on board with the RTÉ show as well as the GAA for Ireland Lights Up this means that every Monday over a period of six weeks till February 26 our club pitch will be open and be lit up for you, your family and friends to come and walk from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP 2018: The deadline for club membership is Saturday, March 31. If you have yet to pay, then please get in touch with our club registrars Paul Patrick O’Sullivan, Patrick Casey, Sinéad Lavin, and/or Theresa O’Sullivan to pay your membership for 2018.

The Cromane GAA Membership rates for 2018 are as follows: Senior player: €60 Family: €60 Couple: €50 Adult: €30 Students: €30 Underage: €20.

Membership must be paid to one of our club registrars Paul Patrick O’Sullivan, Patrick Casey, Sinéad Lavin, and Theresa O’Sullivan. MINI MAROONS

Our popular Cromane GAA Mini Maroons football camp for four- to sixyear-olds was postponed last Sunday due to the early start for our seniors’ in Limerick. It returns this Sunday, once again at Glenbeigh GAA Hall.

This will be the fourth weekend of the camp, for potential Cromane GAA members, which will continue till Sunday, March 4.

You can still get involved as this is a great event for your children. They pick up the skills of football, have fun, and make friends? By the way, it’s also free Interested? Email Cromane GAA coaching officer Gavin O’Connor (on cromanecoachingoffer@gmail.com) or call our Coiste na nÓg secretary Sinéad Lavin. REFEREES NEEDED Cromane GAA Club, and Kerry GAA in general, are looking for young people who are interested in refereeing, to officiate under-12 and under-14 games, and an older person, perhaps an ex-player, that could be available to referee a senior game within a year or two with the proper training.

Our games cannot take place without players and equally so referees, courses for new referees will take place early in 2018. Interested? Please contact a club committee member. GAELTACHT SCHOLARSHIPS Applications are now open for Gaeltacht Scholarships. The GAA are now offering scholarships to Coláistí Chorcha Dhuibhne for June/July/ August of this year are now available.

The scholarships are open to applicants in the 10-18-years-old bracket. Contact a member of the club executive if interested in learning more. FIXTURES

Sunday, February 18 – Munster Junior B FC final: Cromane v Ballybrown (Limerick) in Knockaderry, Co. Limerick, at 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 3 – County Minor League Division 3B (round 2): Glenbeigh-Glencar/Cromane (GGC) v Ballymac in Ballymac at 4 p.m.

Sunday, March 4 – Mid Kerry League (round 3): Cromane v Laune Rangers in Cromane at 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 10 – County Minor League Division 3B (round 3): GGC v Gneeveguilla in Gneeveguilla at 4 p.m.

Sunday, March 11 – County League Division 4 (round 1): Cromane v Renard in Renard at 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 18 – Mid Kerry League (round 4): Cromane v Beaufort in Cromane at 2 p.m.