Double delight for U14 hurlers
Winning a trophy for underage hurling is mighty for any GAA club. For Bride Rovers last weekend was a really special few days for our U14 hurling team. Because of the Covid pandemic the Rebel Óg schedule of competitions has been greatly reduced this year. Our U14 hurlers would normally have a league and championship but for 2020 they had just a league style competition in the north division.
Last Saturday in Castletownroche we played the final of our section. Then, just twenty-four hours later, in Páirc na Bride we took part in the Teresa Walsh Memorial tournament. In former years this tournament was played as either a blitz or else two semi-finals and a final. Because of the strange times we live in where large gatherings are discouraged, our juvenile club decided to have just a one game competition. Well after two great games of hurling our U14s captured two trophies on a memorable weekend for the club. Great credit to all the players concerned.
The league final on Saturday was a great game of hurling and, though we won in the end by a margin of eleven points, it was a very competitive contest. Naturally the boys were very tired on Sunday and a gale-force wind made conditions difficult but they showed great determination to hold on for a three point win.
Saturday, October 3: Rebel Óg North (division 2 A) hurling final: Bride Rovers 5-13 Millstreet 2-11; Sunday, October 4: Teresa Walsh Memorial Hurling Tournament final: Bride Rovers 2-6 Ballycastle Gaels 1-6.
Denis Motherway, Kilworth, son of John from Aghada refereed the league final on Saturday. The Castletownroche pitch was in superb condition as the teams took the field for a 2 o’clock start. Physically the Millstreet boys looked bigger and stronger but our boys played great hurling. Team captain Cameron Swalbe O’Sullivan led by example from centre back. We quickly got to grips with the Duhallow side. They say goals win games, well our lads laid a solid foundation early on and a quartet of green flags helped us to a 4-3 to 1-4 lead at the first water break. With a strong wind behind them the Millstreet boys dominated the second quarter and reduced our half-time lead to a mere four points, Bride Rovers 4-6 Millstreet 2-8.
We had the wind behind us for the second period but the wind never won any game for any team. Scores were scarce in the third quarter as we added just six points while our opponents raised just two white flags. It was the Rovers ahead by 4-12 to 2-10 at the second water break. In that quarter our backs were superb with their blocking and hooking and tracking back. Several times Millstreet forwards ran at the heart of our defence but were repulsed with great defending. In the end we won by 5-13 to 2-11.
It was a great team performance and they showed some lovely hurling skill and great spirit and determination. After the final whistle Patsy O’Mahony (Kilworth), representing Rebel Óg North, presented the cup to our outstanding captain Cameron. Cameron thanked all his team-mates and the selectors and the Millstreet team. Thanks also to the Castletownroche club for the use of the pitch. It was a happy bunch of hurlers and their parents who left Castletown just before 4 o’clock en route to a whistle stop tour of Bartlemy and Rathcormac. Cameron hails from Hollyhill and the last Bride Rovers captain from that famed townland was Gerard Gubbins who led his team to East Cork U16 hurling success back in 1987 from the halfback line. Centre back in 1987 was Larry O’Keeffe and wingback on that team was Cameron’s father Donal! There’s a line in ‘ Bride Rovers Abu’ ‘ how oft the traditions of sires we inherit’. Gearóid Gubbins, Gerard’s son is on the 2020 team and so the tradition goes on.
It was wild and windy day on Sunday in Páirc na Bride but thankfully the rain held off. Teresa Walsh was a stalwart of our club for many years. With her husband Ollie she travelled all over the country following the Rovers. It wasn’t just when sons Pat and Brendan were playing but every single Bride Rovers team. She was a brilliant person, so happy, so positive, always encouraging and smiling. Her untimely death in 2016 was a terrible blow to her family, community and to the Bride Rovers Club. She will never be forgotten and the Walsh family sponsor a tournament each year in her memory. As was mentioned earlier the strange times we’re in meant having multiple teams playing on the one day is out of the question. Ballycastle Gaels kindly agreed to come and play in a one-off tournament final. It just so happened that the league final and tournament final had to go ahead on successive days. As it has turned it was just as well because now all Gaelic games have been cancelled for the foreseeable future as the GAA has made a directive.
Unlike the league final on Saturday, Sunday’s game was a very tight and physical contest. Scores were hard earned with both defences well on top. Ben Knox picked up an injury on Saturday and was unable to lineout on Sunday. We led by a point at the break 0-4 to 0-3. In fairness great credit goes to both teams because the near gale-force wind made hurling difficult. Scores came a bit easier in the second half but it was obvious that our lads were very tired. Nevertheless they hurled right ‘til the end and won by 2-6 to 1-6. It was great victory coming just twenty four hours after the league tie.
After the march Brendan Walsh presented the players with their medals and then presented the cup to team captain Cameron. It was a proud and unique moment for our captain, accepting a second cup in just over twenty four hours. Thanks to all who helped with the arrangements on the day and thanks to Ballycastle Gaels for accepting the invitation to play in the tournament.
The panel of Bride Rovers who brought the two cups back to the parish last weekend: Sean Madden, Cameron Swalbe O’Sullivan (captain), Luke Harrington, Ben Knox, Gearóid Gubbins, Jack Keating, Oran Kielty, Cillian O’Sullivan, Jack Hynes, Jack Collins, Cormac Barry, Gearóid O’Connell, Conor O’Riordan, Ronan Barry, Tomas O’Riordan, Thomas Hackett, Darragh Delaney, Adam Cronin, Adam Kelleher, Sean Dowling, Shane Prendergast.
The team mentors who have worked tirelessly with this group of players are: Paddy Hynes, William O’Riordan, Michael Keating, Wm O’Leary, Wm Finnegan and Ryan Prendergast. Great credit to each and every one of this group who have put in endless hours with the lads.
GERARD GUBBINS’ TEAM
The 1987 U16 hurling team beat Sars and Aghada to reach the semi-final against Carrigtwohill. They were 8 points in arrears with 20 minutes left but rallied well to get a draw. We won the replay easily and then defeated Watergrasshill in the East Cork final by 5-10 to 1-3. The East Cork Cup was presented by Pat Foley on behalf of the East Cork Juvenile Board. Pat was a native of Rathcormac and a former Bride Rovers player. We got a walkover from Banteer in the county rounds but lost the county final to Newcestown by 5-3 to 3-6 above in Kilbarry on October 18. Our team 33 years ago was:
A O’Flynn, L Mannix, L Johnson, M Walsh, D O’Sullivan, L O’Keeffe, Gerard Gubbins (captain), N Twomey, K O’Donovan, B Hazelwood, B Hogan, M Hogan, A Hayes, S Shinnick, K Quinlan.
LOTTO
On Tuesday, September 29 the Bride Rovers Club lotto jackpot was worth €20,000. The four numbers drawn on the night were 1, 3, 14 and 28 and there was no jackpot winner. The €30 winners were: Donal Kelleher, Pat Hogan Dripsey, Dick Kearney, Nevan Butler and Aidan Collins. Please support our weekly lotto by buying a ticket from club members, in local business outlets or online.
U16 FOOTBALL GAME CALLED OFF
On this coming Saturday, October 10, we were billed to play Clyda Rovers in the U16 football plate final in Killavullen at 12noon. Like all other GAA fixtures this game is now off.
COVID NOT GONE AWAY
On Monday the GAA announced that all games, juvenile and adult, have been cancelled until further notice due to recent happenings after GAA games and events. The Covid pandemic has not gone away and the numbers contracting the disease have steadily risen in recent months. Please observe the rules and regulations now in place in order to protect your health.
U15 HURLING
The U15 hurling team have training on tonight Thursday 7-30 in astro. Unfortunately, the U15 league which was due to commence on Saturday of this weekend has been postponed yet again. Hopefully, we will get go ahead in the coming weeks.
U10 HURLING
Our U10s played hurling v Castlelyons away on Saturday. In what, unfortunately, could prove to be our last game of the year our lads played some great hurling with great teamwork. A reminder to all players and parents that training continues on Wednesdays at 630pm and Saturdays at 10am.
NO ‘COUNTIES’ FOR EAST CORK
On county final weekend there was no luck for East Cork teams. Both Castlelyons and Fr O’Neills were defeated in their respective finals. Lisgoold kept the flag flying in the Cork JHC where their win over Inniscarra qualifies them for a semi-final spot v Dromtarriffe… when it will be played no one knows!
Bride Rovers Club sponsors are Rathcormac Tyres, Fermoy Print & Design, Veolia.