ROUND-UP

YET more difficulties arose last weekend in GAA fixtures with two walkovers given by struggling teams and a third fixture not fulfilled after a club refused to play due to a bereavement in the local area.

Knockananna and the St Patrick’s Division 3 side handed walkovers to Stratford-Grangecon and Shillelagh respectively while Newcastle refused to field for their clash with Éire Óg following a death in the club.

The difficulties prompted the online character Bill Hill to launch a stinging atack on Wicklow GAA, but County Chairman Martin Fitzgerald says that the rules regarding bereavements in clubs were explained to club delegates and agreed to by club delegates at the start of the year.

“Wicklow GAA would break your heart! Bill Hill was set up to have a few laughs, promote our Wicklow sporting clubs and county teams, Wicklow businesses and Wicklow people in general in as light hearted way as possible,” wrote Bill Hill on his popular Facebook page.

“We have put in hours of our time to do this like many good GAA people all over the county are doing in the smallest little club to the biggest for the love of the game and their area!

“Almost daily we receive messages from good GAA people trying to keep the game alive in their area and repeatedly it seems to be that they are being faced with the same age old stumbling blocks and frankly an almost complete lack of interest in doing anything to help stop clubs from folding.

“Surely there can be some flexibility in certain cases like today’s fixture between Newcastle and Eire Og in Division 3 which Newcastle were unwilling to field due to a bereavement in the club with the game fixed on the same day as the funeral.

“Surely when both clubs can agree a refixture and knowing that Newcastle have been struggling with numbers common sense should prevail.

“Bill Hill is finding it harder day by day to bother promoting Wicklow GAA when Wicklow GAA is unwillinging to support itself.

“Knowing the amount of clubs on the brink of collapse an emergency meeting of sorts to hear the concerns and issues facing clubs is of paramount importance, but Bill is only a fictional character so what would he know, but a positive future for Wicklow GAA is also looking very much like fiction too,” he wrote.

Martin Fitzgerald said that the Newcastle club had looked for the game off but that due to the deceased not being a father, mother, brother , sister, son or daughter or a panel member, the game had to go ahead and a later of time to play the game was offered which Newcastle refused.

Fitzgerald explained how his own club, Annacurra, had looked for a game off the previous week following the passing of a player’s grandfather but that the request was denied and the game was played later in the day than the original fixture which clashed with the funeral.

The County Chairman said the CCC would meet to decide on the fixture this week.

In other games, there were big wins for Blessington and Kilcoole in Division 3 while Baltinglass and Coolboy fought out an entertaining draw.

Goals from Kieran McGovern (2), Eddie Boylan, Eoin Higgins and David Behan helped Blessington to a 5-12 to 0-10 victory over Hollywood last Saturday.

The win lifts Blessington over Baltinglass and into second spot behind flying Kilcoole.

Blessington face the trick job of going to Enniskerry to take on the home side in their next encounter this Saturday at 6pm.

Hollywood travel to Coolboy this Thursday, April 19, to take on a fast recovering home side intent on bouncing back from their near extinction a few weeks ago.

Blessington scorers: Kieran McGovern 2-01. Eddie Boylan 1-02. Eoin Higgins 1-01. David Behan 1-01. Ethan Cotter 0-03. Stephen Carroll 0-02 Alan Ellis and Sean Mescal 0-01 each.

Michael Gregan proved to be the hero for Coolboy when he lashed home the equalising goal late on in their clash with Baltinglass over in the west last weekend.

The vital goal came about thanks to sterling work by the returning Johnny Willoughby who is a welcome boost for the Coolboy ranks.

The Coolboy men found themselves ahead by 1-4 to 0-2 at the break but a storng second half showing put Baltinglass in control until Gregan’s late strike.

They take on Hollywood at home this Thursday and will look to improve on their mid-table position.

Kilcoole continued their march in Division 3 with a thumping win over Kilbride/Lacken over in the west last weekend.

Always in control, the Kilcoole men led by 1-7 to 0-2 at the break and never looked in any danger.

They will face struggling St Patrick’s on Saturday at 6pm while Kilbride/Lacken will welcome Newcastle for what should be a right battle.

A walkover from St Patrick’s sees SHillelagh sitting in fourth spot in Division 3 with four wins from five games. They face Hollywood on April 27 at home.