Here comes summertime!
Just ahead of schedule review a reminder that clocks, watches, phones etc go forward this weekend. Yes, summertime begins at 2am on this coming Sunday morning, March 26th. Wouldn’t want you missing that match. Come to think of it we haven’t seen that much sunlight yet!
LATEST LOTTO RESULTS
Results of the most recent weekly lotto draw from Monday night last, March 20th. Numbers drawn were 1, 15, 18 and 25 and the jackpot wasn’t won. The consolation winners were Tom Finn c/o PH Conna, Kevin Galvin Lacken, Margaret Barry phone number supplied, Pat Clancy Monagown Conna and Pat Rumley c/o PH. Which means the next draw with a jackpot of €12,200 will be held in the clubrooms, Ballynoe on Monday night, March 27th.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS
What a week that was as the Olympics of national hunt racing started with Barry Connell and Marine Nationaile surging home to win the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday afternoon, March 14th last. With it you feel another star was duly arriving on the greatest stage of all. Did you notice how many third and fourth string Mullins horses Michael O’Sullivan from Lombardstown was aboard for the rest of the week? Or is the mind playing tricks and simply overreacting to a spine tingling first day double? Understandable excitement with the impending retirement of Honeysuckle just after the mind-blowing performance of Constitution Hill in claiming her Champion Hurdle crown just before.
We rooted for Johnny Barry on Mahler Mission. Alas a late fall put paid to his chances in the National Hunt Novices Chase. Gallopin Des Champs made up for that cruel final fence fall 12 months ago and was class personified on final Gold Cup day. Remember he’s only 7 years of age. Remember you were witnessing vintage Willie Mullins and Paul Townend all week. Staying alive and you feel Willie will yet surpass the one hundred winner mark at the greatest festival of all. This year still has Aintree, Fairyhouse and Punchestown to come. Breathtaking.
On matters equine can we wish the best of good luck to the local committee on the staging of Ballynoe point to points this coming weekend. An institution in the Parish. That’s where a lot of these jumping stars start out. With maybe as many as 9 different trainers attaining success resulted in an 18-10 victory for the Prestbury Cup in the Cotswolds.
GRAND SLAM
A marvellously successful week for Irish sport completed by a hard earned though deserved win over the Roses at the Aviva on Saturday evening last. A Six Nations tussle with two seismic first half occurrences coming up to the break. That first half try for the home-based team before Freddy Steward saw red just before the break. Ireland wore down the English challenge and further tries from Henshaw, Herring and Sheehan with his second duly arrived.
Rare that three of the four Irish tries scored were by hookers. A fourth Grand Slam arrived. But after previous wins came in Belfast, Cardiff and London this was a first attained in Dublin. Now the World Cup commences in early September with the Final scheduled for the end of October. Hold your breath.
NATIONAL LEAGUES
When the terms semi-finals and final rise to the surface it gives one due notice of where we are with the national leagues. It’s Cork v Kilkenny at Nowlan Park and Limerick v Tipperary in this weekend’s hurling semi-finals. With the decider down for April 8th/9th. It looks like a Dublin/Derry Division 2 National Football League Final while Cork will meet Clare in the Munster Senior Football Championship at Ennis on Sunday, April 9th at 2pm. Winners play Limerick in the semi-final on Saturday evening, April 22nd at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Throw-in will be 7pm.
Round robin stages of the provincial hurling championship commence a day later. It’s Clare at home to Tipperary with reigning Munster and All-Ireland title holders Limerick up against Waterford, more than likely in Thurles. Waterford without a home pitch. One week later coming to Páirc Uí Chaoimh to play the Rebels. That’s timed for 4pm. Let the games begin!
ROUND 2 DIVISION 2 EAST CORK JUNIOR HURLING LEAGUE Midleton 4-20 St Catherines 1-05
Challenge games were being arranged, played and seen out. Opening sequence of matches in the hurling and football leagues fixed according to the master plan. All seeing the light of day. Likewise with the U18 leagues involving both codes. That was the story presenting itself through the month of February and early days of this month. On reflection an exceptionally dry period.
Then from the middle of last week the situation changed. Down came the rains, pitches suffered, and games were pulled on a daily basis. Be they adult or juvenile. The only adult game played - and you would imagine just barely - was this division 2 junior hurling league tie at Clonmult Park on Sunday morning last. Midleton the superior force against understrength opposition who still produced the score of the contest. A probing Kian O’Donoghue delivery first timed to the net by an alert Eoin Sheehan on 54 minutes.
Scorers: E Sheehan (1-00), R Clancy (0-03 frees), W Leamy and K O’Donoghue (0-01 each). St Catherine’s team: E Aherne, C McAuliffe, P Keane, J Mulcahy, W Leamy, L O’Connor, D Galvin, J Hayes, K O’Donoghue, C Dinneen, R Clancy, S Cotter, E Sheehan, S Walsh and G Hartnett.
Referee:
(Youghal).
Anthony O’Regan
JUVENILE STARTS WITH O’CALLAGHAN CUP
With twelve players from the starting line-up shared equally between Bride Rovers, Watergrasshill and St Catherines and defeated Harty quarter-finalists St Colman’s Fermoy for the first time since 2-11 were crowned Cork PPS Senior Hurling College Champions. Defeating Gaelcholáiste Mhuire 1-24 to 1-10 in the O’Callaghan Cup Final when played at the MTU campus on Tuesday, March 14th last. Included in the starting team would be Gearoid O’Brien, Oisín Fitzgerald, Fionn O’Connell and Sean O’Donoghue.
SECTION 1 ROUND 1 DIVISION 2 REBEL ÓG EAST U16 FOOTBALL LEAGUE St Catherines 1-02 St Vincents 4-08
Switched from home to Farranree and the better team were victors of this tie when played on Sunday last at 12 midday.
Scorers: J Temple (1-00) and G Sheehan (0-02 frees).
St Catherine’s team: T Dee, F McCready, J Kenneally, C Barry, S Walsh, S Aherne, L Moore, J Pietropaolo, C Hickey, K O’Donoghue, G Sheehan, T Clancy, S Wallace, J O’Connor and J Temple. Subs: C Murray for S Wallace, S O’Donoghue for F McCready, C O’Driscoll for J Pietropaolo, S McCarthy for L Moore. Also B Aherne.
Referee P Walsh.
UPCOMING ON YOUR FIXTURE LIST
Friday, March 24th at Killeagh, round 3 division 2 East Cork Junior Football league v Glenbower Rovers/Killeagh at 8pm. Saturday, March 25th at Rathcormac, round 3 division 2 Rebel Óg East U18 Football League v Bride Rovers at 1pm. Sunday, March 26th at Ballynoe, round 2 division 1 Rebel Óg East U14 Football League v St Colmcilles at 6pm. Wednesday, March 29th at Ballynoe, round 3 Premier 2 County U18 Hurling League v Bride Rovers at 6.30pm.
ST CATHERINE’S GAA CLUB SPONSORS
T&A Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Ballynoe are sponsors of St Catherines GAA Club. Mulcahy Steel are sponsors of St Catherines Juvenile GAA Club.