WEEKEND WASHOUT
The deceptive nature of March was plain to be seen last weekend. After a few grand, benign days the heavens opened on Saturday. Sports fixtures including local point to point races at Ballyarthur, Fermoy and GAA matches all over the country were postponed. Our opening game in the 202 RED FM Senior Hurling League against Carrigtwohill was one of the fixtures to go by the wayside. With pitches at Páirc na Bride, Pynes or Páirc Seamus de Barra Carrigtwohill unplayable the fixture was called off. The game has now been refixed for next Tuesday, March 22nd in Carrig under lights. On the following Sunday, March 27th we are on the road again with a match against Erins Own in Caherlag at 2.30pm.
JUNIOR HURLING
Our second fixture in the East Cork Junior Hurling League is on Thursday, March 24th at 8pm, under lights, in Páirc Uí Chinnéide, Killeagh.
JUNIOR FOOTBALL
On next Sunday, March 20th we area away to Glenbower Rovers in Killeagh in the JFL at 3pm. Our Championship line-up in East Cork for the A grade football has been arranged. Game 1 will be v Cloyne, Game 2 v Aghada and the third group game v Glenbower Rovers. Dates for these games will be announced shortly.
CORK V MEATH
Tough days for the Cork senior footballers. Under Keith Ricken hopes were high that the senior footballers of Cork might regain Division 1 League status. Now with just two games left it’s a struggle to retain Division 2 status. Last Sunday’s defeat to Meath means Cork simply have to win their last two games v Down at home next weekend and away to Offaly the following Sunday. By contrast the Cork hurlers travel to Wexford next Sunday in buoyant mood. Already through to the League semi-final, Sunday’s game will afford an opportunity to try out players in preparation for bigger gamers to come.
TONY WALSH CUP
It was announced at Monday night’s meeting that a date has been fixed for the 2022 playing of the Tony Walsh Senior Hurling Cup. On Sunday, April 9th (Palm Sunday) Bride Rovers will play Mallow in the Cup Final. Later that evening the 2021 JAFC medals will be presented to the players. The time of the Cup Final throw-in has yet to be finalised.
WELL DONE GIRLS
Well done to Katie Quirke, Sarah Murphy, Grace Cullotty, Emma Barry and Aoife Hurley who were all involved last week with their colleges in the Yoplait HEC Championships in ladies football.
LOTTO
To date there has been a very good response to our online lotto promotion. With a jackpot of €18,400 on Tuesday, 8th March the four numbers drawn were 5, 9, 13 and 20 and there was no jackpot winner. The €30 lucky dip winners were Jenna McCarthy, Fermoy, Dermot O’Brien, c/o Club 100, Liam Cahill, Thurles, Cara Hicks c/o online lotto and William O’Flynn c/o online lotto. The spot prize of an annual Netflix subscription went to Elie and Olive O’Sullivan c/o Flamingo Redz. The special spot prize for the Draw on last Tuesday night, March 15th was a Fuel Voucher for Corrib Oil. We encourage members and supporters to continue to contact friends, relations and work colleagues asking them to support the online lotto.
Please spread the word far and wide and help build our pathway to 2028. Anyone needing assistance with the online lotto messaging campaign please ring Dave at 0877999413
ART COMPETITION
Some months back the Bride Rovers Club invited pupils in Scoil Bride, Rathcormac and Bishop O’Brien Memorial School in Bartlemy to take part in an art competition. Participants were asked to design a poster reflecting our Irishness and aspects of our Irish culture. We got a terrific response from both schools. Due to Covid restrictions it took us a long time to arrange school visits to announce winners and present prizes. Last Friday Mossy O’Sullivan and John Arnold delivered the good news and Easter eggs, car stickers, keyrings, sliotars and other special prizes to the schools. Thanks to staff in both schools for their cooperation and assistance and mile buíochas to all the pupils who entered. We got external judges to pick the winners and they were loud in their praise of the extremely hight standard of Artwork. Thanks to each and every pupil who took part. The following were the prize-winners from Bartlemy School; 3rd Class; 1st Kate O’Donovan, 2nd Caoimhe Arnold, 3rd Chloe Murphy, 4th Aoife Butler. 4th Class; 1st Saoirse Kiely, 2nd Riona Broderick, 3rd Erika Dorgan, 4th James O’Regan. 5th Class; 1st Liam Carr, 2nd Sophie Bartley, 3rd Jack O’Donovan, 4th Niamh Butler. 6th Class; 1st Ava O’Regan, 2nd Brooke Noctor, 3rd Danny Walsh, 4th Ciarain O’Donovan. We’ll feature the results from Scoil Bhríde next week.
SCÓR
We had entries in the Tráth na gCeist (Question Time ) and Amhráiníoct Aonair (Solo Singing) recently in the Imokilly Scór na nÓg (fé 16). Our entrants didn’t qualify for the next round but did very well on the night. Maith sibh a buachailli agus a gcailíni.
COUNTY BOARD FIXTURES
The Cork County Board released their masters fixture plan for 2022 last week. Dates, venues and times have been put on our three senior championship games beginning in July. Details of our fixtures are as follows;
Sunday, July 31st at 2pm SAHC R1 Carrigtwohill v Bride Rovers in Midleton Sunday, Aug 7th at 2pm SAHC R2 Bride Rovers v Ballyhea in Kildorrery, Saturday, Aug 27th at 7.30pm SAHC R3 Bride Rovers v Ballymartle in Riverstown.
Our club venue of Páirc na Bride has also been selected to host five County Championship games as follows; Fri, July 22nd at 7.30pm SAFC R1 Bishopstown v Fermoy. Sun, July 31st at 4pm PJHC R1 Dripsey v Ballygiblin. Fri, Aug 5th at 7.30pm PIHC R2 Castlelyons v Watergrasshill. Fri, Aug 12th at 7.30pm IAFC R2 Glanworth v Glenville. Sun, Aug 28th at 4pm PSHC R3 Erin’s Own v Bishopstown. As it stands there is a ‘fixtures clash’ on July 31st as we are playing away and down to host a games as well. This is being examined by the County Board at present and hopefully can be resolved.
CLUB FIXTURES COMMITTEE
Our club fixtures committee have a meeting on next Monday night, March 21st at 8pm in the clubrooms.
CLUB EXECUTIVE MEETING
We had a club executive meeting on Monday night. A lengthy agenda was dealt with. Some decisions made included; the Club agreed to purchase a €100 Ticket for the ‘ matchesformick’ Fund organised by Bishopstown GAA to help Club stalwart Mick Cronin who received life-changing injuries in an accident last November.
The Kitchen will be installed in the Clubroom next week, room to be tidied and floor painted. Cork County Amenity Grants for 2020, 2021 and 2022 discussed and relevant actions approved. Votes of Sympathy were passed to the families of Mary Doolan, Michael Gowen, Mary Ryan, Fermoy and Josie Purcell, Cork (mother of Jim Purcell).
DOWN MEMORY LANE 2010 CORK SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
After a tough Senior Championship game against Glen Rovers in 2010 both ourselves and the Blackpool side were at one stage thrown out of the Championship. Later on payment of a substantial fine both clubs were re-admitted to the competition and so we faced Blarney in the next round. This was how the game was written about in
TheAvondhu.
Since our last game in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship against Glen Rovers on Sunday, June 27th, a lot has been written and spoken of the game and as they say, a lot of water has flowed under Dr Barry’s Bridge. Well, all the controversaries of the past six weeks had to be brushed aside on Sunday evening last when we faced Blarney in round 3 of the Championship. Like us, Blarney had lost their two opening games in this year’s championship, to Ballinhassig and Newtownshandrum. Blarney are just in their third year in the Senior grade, having won the Premier Intermediate title in Cork in 2007. In the spring of 2008 they went on to win the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship title in Croke Park. In 2003 when we won the Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship title we met Blarney in the first round in Watergrasshill. That was on Sunday, April 27th when we won by 0-13 to 2-5 having been level 0-7 to 1-4 at the break.
The die was cast on Sunday as the previous evening Blackrock had lost to Cloyne in their last chance game. This meant that the losers of the Bride Rovers v Blarney game would meet Blackrock in the relegation final with the losing side then going down to Premier Intermediate Grade for 2011.
With a six o’clock start in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, a lot of cows were milked in Bartlemy, Rathcormac and Kildinan. Despite the unusual start time, there was a decent enough crowd present for a single game. From the moment Gerard Harrington threw in the sliotar, we were on the attack and Kieran Collins had a good early point. From the puckout Blarney attacked and full forward John Hurley kicked the ball to the net to put his side ahead. This could have been a disastrous situation but the lads never panicked. Barry Johnson pointed a free and in the fifth minute Michael Collins hit over the equaliser.
We really dominated the play for the next fifteen minutes but just couldn’t score. Between the 6th and 17th minute we had five wides in a row. Three minutes later Blarney took the lead again from a free. A similar score put the mid-Cork side two points ahead, 1-2 to 0-3 in the twenty-fifth minute. After a good defensive clearance, Stephen Boyce got a nice point but Blarney went two ahead 1-3 to 0-4. Jerome had a point to leave the minimum between the sides but in added time, Blarney hit over a free to see them go in at the break ahead by 1-4 to 0-5. It was a disappointing situation because in reality we could easily have been 4 or 5 points up.
The pace of the game increased drastically in the second half with both teams making a huge effort. Barry Johnson pointed two great frees to restore parity in the fifth minute. Two minutes later we were awarded a penalty. Barry’s shot was saved but Sean Ryan raised a white flag and we were ahead for only the second time in the game. With the Rovers’ crowd now in full voice, Barry put us two points ahead. Barry Murphy was brilliant at centre back and he led by example. Ahead by 0-10 to 1-5, it looked like we would pull away. Blarney had other ideas though. They narrowed the gap with a pointed free in the 45th minute. Then came the crucial moment of the game. The Mid Cork side were awarded a semi penalty, which, if they had goaled, would put them 2 points ahead. The shot was saved and from the subsequent ‘65m the teams were level once more 1-7 to 0-10.
Two more points from Barry put us 0-12 to 1-7 in front. Just when we looked to move ahead we conceded silly frees and Blarney were level again 1-9 to 0-12 with seven minutes to go. When Brian Murphy went on a surging run he was pulled down and Barry put us a point ahead 0-13 to 1-9. Blarney had several dangerous attacks in the final minutes but Brendan Walsh and Denny Fitzgerald marshalled the defence well. With two minutes to go Barry put us 0-14 to 1-9 ahead - two points up a dangerous lead. Blarney went for a winning goal but the sliotar was cleared to Michael Collins, he found Barry who passed to Donal Ryan, the Blarney goalie advanced on Donal who returned the sliotar to Barry - goal!
At last we were safe, up 1-14 to 1-9. Shortly after, the final whistle went. It wasn’t a classic game but the feeling of relief at the final whistle! We are still in the 2010 championship and we’ll be senior in 2011. It was a great game to win and credit to the eighteen players who played. We were missing Daniel Dooley and David Burke from the earlier rounds. Well done lads and well done to the backroom team who’ve had a difficult time over the last six weeks, not knowing whether we were in or out.
Team and scorers: Denis Fitzgerald, Shane Kearney, Brendan Walsh, Trevor Moloney, Jason Pratt, Barry Murphy, Aidan Collins, Brian Murphy, Padraig Murphy, Kieran Collins (0-1), Barry Johnson (1-9), Jerome O’Driscoll, (0-1), Michael Collins ((0-1), Sean Ryan (0-1), Stephen Boyce (0-1). Subs: Donal Ryan, Michael Kearney, Pat Walsh.
U12S IN ACTION
The U12 boys have training on this coming Friday morning, March 18th at 11am in the juvenile pitch. They begin their 2022 playing season with a practice hurling match on Sunday morning at 10 o clock against Watergrasshill also in our juvenile pitch also..