Another month to plan
Well it seems like April 7th is the next big date to look out for as regards any possible change in the Covid regulations. Level 5 restrictions are in place until that date at the very earliest. Even then it may be only inter county GAA activity will be allowed. I feel there is a major need to get juvenile games up and running as quickly as possible. Now that schools are reopening on a phased basis it should be similar with outdoor sporting events.
In the meantime, as the vaccination rollout continues it is imperative that everyone obeys the rules in place. The GAA has been to the fore as a community organisation serving all the public and in Bride Rovers we continue to offer assistance to anyone in our community that needs any help. Please do not hesitate to contact our Rúnaí Daniel Lane at 087 2070100 if you need help.
CLUB LOTTO
The jackpot on last Tuesday night was €20,000, the numbers drawn were 2, 21, 28 and 30 and there was no winner was. The winners of €30 each were Nevan Butler, Aidan Hayes, Martin Nagle c/o Online, Aidan O’Mahony Fermoy, Nora O’Donovan. The jackpot for last Tuesday night, March 2 was €20,000. You can join the Bride Rovers weekly lotto online at or purchase tickets from any of the retail outlets locally that are open. Tickets can also be got locally from Bride Rovers GAA Club members throughout the parish. Your support of the weekly lotto draw is deeply appreciated. If you’re not in you can’t win and each €2 is a help for our club.
WELCOME
We welcome Laune Rangers footballer Paul Larkin to the Bride Rovers Club and also a welcome back to U14 player Jack Mannix who played with us previously.
FIRST JUVENILE TITLE 1957
While we have a record of Bartlemy U16 hurlers playing the Lisgoold ‘ Little Volunteers’ in a challenge game near Keame Forge in May 1888 it wasn’t until 1957 that an underage title came to the parish - the minor hurlers of course won East Cork and county titles in 1932. In 1956 the U16 hurlers lost the divisional final to Sarsfields. At that time not every club fielded under age teams which meant the clubs with a team could have players from neighbouring parishes. A last minute point from sub Jamesie Heskin of Desert proved to be the winner in the semi-final v Midleton.
The ‘ 57 final then was repeat of the year before but on August the 17th in Midleton the Rovers overturned the 1956 result with a 4-1 to 2-0 victory.
The team that brought the first ever U16 title to the parish was Mick Ryan (brother of recently deceased Eamonn - he was in goals for Sars!), John Shorten Coolagown - his father was a Forester, Eddy Heskin Desert, Pat Barry Bride St - son of Jack of the ‘ 32 minor team, Finbarr Neville Leamlara, Mike Murphy Main St, John Kenny Castlelyons, Sean Leahy St Bridget’s Tce - captain, Tony O’Brien Sunnyside, Tom McAuliffe Castlelyons, Eddy Meade Castlelyons, Jimmy O’Brien Sunnyside, John Gubbins Keame, Doney Pyne Ballybrowney, Brain Canniffe - son of Guard Canniffe, Brian was later an Irish rugby international player. Subs: Paddy Beecher - son of Con, Jamesie Heskin Desert, Sean Keating Mullintoura and Paddy O’Connor Ballybrowney.
A BRIDE ROVERS QUIZ!
1 He played a few games of hurling with Bride Rovers and represented Ireland at the 1972 Munich Olympics?
2 What Bride Rovers hurler played in Senior All-Ireland finals with Cork and against Cork?
3 What Bride Rovers brothers won Fitzgibbon Cups in 1973 and 1974 and were beaten in the 1975 final by UCC?
4 What Bride Rovers players lined out in the 1998 County JH final, the 20023 County IH final and the 2008 County SH final?
5 Jim McCarthy, Dublin/UCD and what Bride Rovers player who lined out with UCC, were the first ever players sent off in either a Sigerson or Fitzgibbon Cup game? The year was 1938 and UCD won by 4-4 to 2-1. The Bride Rovers player wasn’t around for the Cup presentation - he was in hospital getting stitches to a head wound! Answers next week.
PLANNING PERMISSION SOUGHT
Our Future Development Committee (Project 2021) under the Chairmanship of Richie O’Regan have been busily working away over the last few months drawing up plans for our main project for the year - the redevelopment of Áras de Barra.
Áras de Barra was the name given to the dressing room block built by the club in 1984. It consisted of 4 dressing rooms, a store and toilets. It was named in honour of the late Tomas de Barra (the Master) who was involved in the Club’s foundation in 1928 and at the time of his death in March 1985 was very involved in the development of our new pitch. Down the years larger public toilets and a large meeting room/catering room/gym were added.
It is now felt that the dressing rooms need major refurbishment as does the club gym. In recent weeks a planning application has been lodged with Cork County Council for (1) renovation and elevational changes to existing dressing room building and (2) construction of extension to dressing room building incorporating shower areas, extension to gym and store. Planning normally takes a month or two and in the meantime funding streams will be investigated.
CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN HALBERT
Congratulations to John Halbert of Watergrasshill Hurling Club who has been appointed to the national CCCC in Croke Park. The Central Competitions Control Committee has charge of making GAA fixtures at national level.
BRIDE ROVERS GAA CLUB 100 SCHEME NOW OPEN FOR 2021
Our Club 100 fundraising scheme is now in its 3rd year. It provides an income stream to guarantee us finances to carry out further development work as we head towards our centenary in 2028. There are three options for joining the Club 100, gold, silver and bronze. Joining Club 100 combines paying club membership, supporting the weekly club lotto and joining the Cork GAA Monthly Draw. Payment is on a monthly basis. Full details from any club officer.
CONGRESS
The Annual GAA Congress took place online last Saturday. The new president Larry McCarthy officially took over from John Horan. A native of Cork city, Larry has been domiciled in New York with many years and is very involved in all matters GAA in the Big Apple. For his presidential term he will be living in Dublin. We wish him all the best as he takes over the Association at a time of unprecedented change. One of the motions passed last
Saturday was the rule which punishes the cynical foul which prevents goal-scoring opportunities. There is a double whammy of a penalty, a ten minute ‘holiday’ on the sideline confined to a so-called ‘sin bin’ plus the awarding of a penalty. Goals have become as scarce as hens teeth in recent championship games so ‘twill be interesting is this rule change will make any difference.
ARE YOU IN THE 2021 CORK GAA MEMBERS DRAW?
Rebels’ Bounty is the new name for the Cork GAA annual members monthly draw. The tickets are just €10 a month or a single once-off payment of €100. This year there will be 30 prizes each month. The minimum first prize each month will be €20,000 with prizes of €25,000 in December and April and in August 2021 the first prize is €100,000. The January, February and March draws are down for March 25th, less than three weeks away. The first 100 tickets we sell goes to the draw central fund but we keep 100% of all ticket sales after that. Bride Rovers Club is encouraging members, players and supporters to join the draw. Tickets can be had from club officers or contact our Rúnaí Daniel Lane at 087 2070100. A brochure outlining all the details of the draw can be had from any club officer.
GREAT BRIDE ROVERS COMEBACKS
Picture the scene, a packed Clonmult Park in Midleton in 1968, Bride Rovers in their first junior A hurling final since 1938 when Cloyne beat us, trying to win the title for the first time since 1932; Sarsfields had a mighty first half. Maybe it was nerves or inexperience but after twenty seven minutes of the match Sars led by 3-7 to 0-4, a lead of
four goals. Seanie Barry had scored three points and John Meade the fourth. We got a huge boost when a long range effort from sixty yards distance, struck by Seanie Barry, went all the way to the net. A little bit better then at half time, still down by 3-7 to 1-4, a margin of nine points.
After the break Sars had two more white flags to lead by 11 points. The next few minutes were scoreless and then the Rovers onslaught started. Frank Meade and Tom O’Riordan had goals on either side of points from Seanie and Pat Hoskins and suddenly the Sars lead was down to three. The Rovers supporters were in full voice and when Seanie pointed a free the margin was but one single score. However Sars hit back, a goal from Pat Looney followed by a Joe Long white flag saw them led by six in the 53rd minute - it seemed the Rovers revival was stopped in its tracks. With his hand high in the air Tom O’Riordan caught the sliotar and passed it to Seanie and the green flag was waving - just three points in it now. Johnny Barry lashed in another goal to level the match. A draw looked on but Seanie Barry hit over a brilliant point and for the first time in the final the Rovers were ahead.
Talk about pressure in those last few minutes, but we held on to win amid scenes of joy not witnessed in Midleton for years.
PLAYER PROFILE
Name : Pat Barry, Age : 45 yrs old, Occupation: Medical Device Associate with Alcon Ireland.
Did you start playing Gaelic Games at home, in the pitch or at school? At home with my brother Liam.
Would you think Bride Rovers could have won at least a county junior football county title if we took football more seriously? To play in so many East Cork finals and to win 2, we were definitely good enough to win a county championship. It’s sad to see that football has taken a back seat in the club.
Can you remember your first underage game? I can’t remember my first game but I do recall beating Castlelyons to win the U12 East Cork and League title.
What Cork players - or other counties, did you admire as a child? The Offaly football team is who I most admired as a child when they beat Kerry in the 1982 football final and it continued through the 90s watching them in the hurling, maybe it was the colour of the jersey or when they played at the opening of our pitch in 1985.
In 1994 and 1995 we shipped heavy defeats in the East Cork JAHC - did you feel in those years that we were making no progress? I was just breaking onto the junior team then, those games were very disheartening defeats, however there was still hope for the future as we had a good minor team coming up who had already won a county minor title.
Have you seen a huge change in training for players, even at club level over the last 25 years? Training has become more professional now. The level of training for clubs is as high as the inter county training.
People speak of the great tradition and spirit in Bride Rovers teams - were you aware of this growing up? The first time I was aware of great traditions in Bride Rovers was through my underage coaches, Paudie Murphy, Pat Broderick and Tony Walsh and later when I was playing junior under Pat Hoskins.
If you were to be marooned on a desert Island for two months and you could take four friends (not family members) with you, whom would you take? Mark O’Connell, Terry Broderick, Pat Walsh, the craic would be mighty and reliving all the matches we played together.
What do you think of the hand-pass in hurling nowadays? Hurling is supposed to be one of the fastest games in the world but the amount of hand passes that players go through to get the ball into the forward line now has slowed the game down and is frustrating to watch.
You’ve played in East Cork JB and JA finals and Co JH, IH and SH finals with Bride Rovers, what game or games gave you the most satisfaction? Winning the junior B hurling and football titles in 1993 and the county junior A title in 1998.
As a defender what do you think of the new rule where a player who commits a ‘cynical foul which prevents a goal being scored’ gets 10 mins in the sin bin and the opposition get a penalty shot? I think it’s ridiculous, I wouldn’t have much game time and a sore backside if I was still playing.
Who was the greatest ‘ joker’ you played with? The craic was mighty among all of the players back in the day, you had the miserable antics of Pat Walsh who would only bring enough shampoo for his own head, and look at his hair now.
Why do so many of the Bride Rovers players have nicknames? It all comes back to the banter and craic amongst players.
You hear so much today about ‘team bonding’, what do you think really bonds a group together and makes great friendships? I think when you go through tough games and in the heat of the battle your team mate/friend is there to back you up, this in my opinion bonds a team.
What is your favourite food? Steak and chips. The toughest player you ever marked? Any fast forward. What makes hurling such a unique game? If you think of it logically girls/ boys chasing a ball with sticks sounds mad, but it’s the best game in the world.
When you pulled on that green, white and gold jersey for the first time at junior level what did you feel? I felt proud to be wearing the jersey alongside the likes of Tom Mulcahy, John A Murphy and Tom Kearney, it was a great feeling.
Are there rules in hurling you would change? Restrict the amount of hand passes and no short puck outs. Do you think Dublin footballers can be beaten in the next two years? Hope so, sick of watching them winning. Did you love, hate or just barely tolerate training? I loved training, while we took it seriously we also had great craic.
Who were the biggest influences on you as a player? Pat Hoskins and Jack Russell were a big influence on me. I still use what they taught me with my kids today.
What’s your favourite film? All James Bond films. Should young players start at the very basics of hurling at 4 or 5 years of age? Absolutely, especially when the club has great facilities to cater for them.
When you recall all the games you’ve played what game or incident makes you laugh most? The county intermediate semi-final against Youghal. Youghal had a penalty and when we were all lined up behind the penalty taker, Padraig Murphy decided to swipe the hurley from the Youghal player and throw it behind him just as the penalty was being taken. The Youghal player didn’t know whether to go back for the hurley or run in for the rebound. Thankfully it’s immortalised on video.
SYMPATHY
The Bride Rovers Club wishes to express its deepest sympathy to the family of the late Jim Max of Thurles. Jim and his family were involved with years as the caterers for Stewards and guests on match days in Semple Stadium. Jim’s daughter Mairead is married to Fergus O’Meara, formerly of Mondaniel. May Jim rest in peace.
Bride Rovers Club sponsors are; Rathcormac Tyres, Fermoy Print & Design and Veolia Environmental Services.