Teamwork and determination pays off
U14 FOOTBALL
St Dominic’s took on St Peter’s in U14 football on Friday night in Glanworth. The St Dominic’s side started strong with an early 2nd minute goal from Luke O’Donnell. This was closely followed 2 minutes later by another St Dominic’s goal for Rory Murray. Joe McGrath and Fionn O’Connell defended well, keeping the St Peter’s side out. Luke O’Donnell scored a point in the 9th minute. St Peter’s fought back and too found the back of the net twice in the first half. Matt McGrath, Colm Walsh and Michael Coughlan in the backline cleared great ball, minimising St Peter’s scoring chances.
The St Dominic’s side fought hard but St Peter’s defence kept St Dominic’s scores at bay. Joey Gibson, Warren O’Neill and Eoin Sheedy made some great scoring opportunities. Jamie Coleman was super on the kickouts with Cristian Connolly showing great drive and skill to win these. In the 19th minute the forwards’ teamwork was rewarded with a point that was finished by Robbie O’Neill. James O’Keeffe and Tom Lee in corner forward made some brilliant passes throughout the first half. The half time score saw St Dominic’s trail St Peter’s 2-05 to 2-02.
The beginning of the second half was quiet in terms of scores but both teams tried hard to up the scoreboard. In the 11th minute of the second half St Dominic’s were awarded a penalty which was buried into the back of the net by Cristian Connolly. This goal added fuel to the game and led both teams to up a gear. St Peter’s fought back with a goal of their own, followed by a point by Luke O’Donnell. This was closely followed by a point from Eoin Sheedy. James O’Keeffe won great ball and created lovely scoring chances. St Dominic’s had then found their groove which led to more points from Cristian Connolly and Luke O’Donnell.
St Dominic’s finished up victorious on a scoreline of 4-07 to St Peter’s 3-6. It was a close game in the end but the St Dominic’s side showed great teamwork and determination which paid off with the win on the day.
U13 FOOTBALL
U13s got their season under way against St Catherine’s in Ballynoe on Saturday evening. It was the lads’ first game playing full pitch and they adapted very well, playing some great football. We took the lead early with goals from Sean Barry and Alex Moorehouse. St Catherine’s fought back with a couple of well taken scores. We finished the first half strong with some great scores, Eoghan Desmond and a free from Daniel Sheedy saw us lead at the break 4-3 to 2-1.
We faced into a strong wind in the second half which saw Catherine’s get some fine scores and get back into the game. Some great defending from Tristan Curran and Joey Gibson kept St Catherine’s at bay but with 10 minutes left they drew level. Both sides pushed for the win with Sean Barry kicking a great point to ensure a nail biting finish. Again, great defending from John Dunne and Luke Burke kept St Catherine’s out but they weren’t to be denied, kicking 2 late scores to win the game. Final score St Catherine’s 6-5 St Dominic’s 5-4.
U12 FOOTBALL
U12 footballers took on Ballycastle Gaels in Glanworth on Sunday evening.
St Dominic’s started strong with an early save by goalkeeper Sean McAuliffe which was cleared by Joey Gibson and Eoghan Desmond. Ryan Linehan got an early 5th minute goal for the St Dominic’s side. St Dominic’s goalie Sean made some excellent saves throughout the game but Ballycastle Gaels fought back and found the back of the net in the 8th minute. Eoghan Desmond and Joey Gibson won some great kickouts, with teammates Ryan Linehan and John Dunne creating great passing opportunities. Oisín Noonan in corner back blocked a great ball with Conan Selma clearing it to the halfway line. Rory Fuller in fullback swept up and cleared another great save by goalkeeper Sean. Daniel Sheedy showed great defending and laid a good ball off to Ryan Linehan which unfortunately dropped short. Ballycastle Gaels won a free in and scored their first point of the game. St Dominic’s drove on with Tommy Brennan passing the ball into the full forward line, Ciaran Roche, Rojus Rimgailia and Rhys Pierce battling hard for a score but the ball went out over the line. Ballycastle Gaels secured their second goal late in the first half, with another quick goal attempt which was saved but pointed on second try. Half-time score Ballycastle 2-02 St Dominic’s 1-0.
St Dominic’s started the second half with the following s u b s t i t ut i o n s ; Matt Coughlan, Elijah Walsh, Finbarr Conran and Danny O’Keeffe. The second half throw-in was won by Joey Gibson who played really well all over the field throughout the match, winning ball and making passes to teammates. Ballycastle Gaels scored an early goal. Oisín Noonan again cleared good ball. Matt Coughlan showed great defending as well as making great runs in midfield. A Ballycastle free in was caught well by John Dunne and again cleared by Oisín Noonan. Danny O’Keeffe had a great try for a point but was blocked down and went out for a 45. Daniel Sheedy took the 45 passing onto Rory Linehan who passed onto Joey Gibson which again went out for a 45. Daniel again took this 45 but it was cleared by Ballycastle. Daniel Sheedy then got his name on the scorecard with a lovely point from a free. A throw ball was again won by Joey Gibson which was passed off to Rory Fuller. Great teamwork was shown by Finbarr Conran and Elijah Walsh with the ball making its way to Eoghan Desmond who found the back of the net. Danny O’Keeffe made a great run but unfortunately was blocked down by Ballycastle defenders. The lads played really well, showing great teamwork and skills but were narrowly beaten on the night. Final score St Dominics 2-01 Ballycastle Gaels 3-02.
U16 HURLING
The U16 hurlers took on Kilworth Araglen Óg on Monday night in Shanballymore. St Dominic’s won the toss and played with a strong wind in the first half. Kilworth Araglen Óg started the game with an early point. John Meaney won a free out which was scored by James O’Brien. Kilworth Araglen Óg followed this with a goal. James O’Brien scored another lovely point from a 65 in the 8th minute. Kilworth Araglen Óg drove for goal again with two shots on goal in a short few minutes which were saved by Gavin Barrett and cleared by fullback Harry Kennerley. Colm Walsh in wingback was outstanding on the night, fighting for great ball. Colm won a free which was taken by James O’Brien but unfortunately dropped short into the square and was swept up by Kilworth Araglen Óg defenders. Eoin Sheedy made a great save which made its way to Michael Leamy and then Cian Linehan who was awarded a free.
In the 20th minute Liam O’Keeffe showed great composure to steady himself 25m out and drive the sliotar into the back of the net. Niall Casey and Ryan Nolan put great pressure on their markers throughout the match and forced a number of Kilworth Araglen Óg wides. Tadhg Quirke in the centre of the field was rewarded a free on the 65m line which was scored by James O’Brien. Kilworth Araglen Óg finished the first half with a late goal. The score at half-time was St Dominic’s 1-03 to Kilworth Araglen Óg 2-02.
Kilworth Araglen Óg had the wind in the second half, scoring an early point from a free. Tadhg Quirke took a nice free but unfortunately dropped short into a strong breeze. Eoin Sheedy hustled well for the ball with Ryan Nolan applying great pressure which resulted in two wides. Colm Walsh won great ball which was passed off to James O’Brien and pointed. Cristian Connolly came on as a sub and fought hard for ball which ended up over the sideline for a St Dominic’s ball. John Meaney and Ryan Nolan defended well, blocking ball, which resulted in a ‘65 for Kilworth Araglen Óg. Cristian Connolly and Niall Casey won frees which were dropped into the forwards Niall Murray and Cian O’Donnell, who were unlucky not to get a score. St Dominic’s were beaten by a stronger Kilworth Araglen Óg side, final score 1-04 to 4-09.
ST DOMINIC’S HURLING IN CROKE PARK
On Tuesday morning, 2 April, during their Easter holidays, the St Dominic’s U12 boys met in Glanworth to hit the road to Croke Park.
The team had been invited to participate in Munster hurling Club Days. The GAA organises Club Days to bring a selection of teams together from all over Munster to experience GAA headquarters at Croke Park. This year, St Dominic’s were picked to attend as one of the Cork teams.
The bus left Glanworth at 09:00 carrying the boys, their mentors and some family members travelling in support. Excitement levels were high on the trip to Dublin, nobody had been on a trip like this before and we didn’t know exactly what to expect.
It was a fine, sunny day on the road into Dublin. As the bus passed along the streets of Drumcondra we could see the stadium stands looming and soon we were passing through a large gate into the grounds of Croke Park.
Straight away, we were called for our team photo in front of the Cusack Stand. We were based in the Cusack Stand where we had our packed lunches and watched some of the other teams playing their matches. Some of our supporters had made the journey up independently and we were delighted to see them there.
Then we were called for our tour of the stadium. The team and mentors saw the Club Wall where the crests of Shanballymore GAA Club and Glanworth GAA Club were spotted. The tour included visits to the players’ lounge, the dressing rooms and the podium where we had a change to have a go at lifting “the” Liam MacCarthy Cup, which the lads did with relish.
Then, onto the matches on the Croke Park grass. What an opportunity! Two pitches were laid out, playing across the grounds. First up, on the Canal End pitch, we played An Ghaeltacht from Co Waterford who were very fine hurlers and our boys played really well. They tuned in well to the Gaeilge from the Waterford boys and soon caught-on to everything being said.
Each game was 17 minutes long with a three minute break in between. Only time for a quick word from the mentors and onto the next match. Next up was Knockainey from Co Limerick who were formidable opponents and a tough test. Subs were rolled on and off by the mentors who were stationed behind the cordon at the edge of the pitch – only the players could walk on the grass of course.
Finally, St Dominic’s played Firies from Co Kerry. We shared the stadium tour with these lads and had great craic with them along the way. Again, they were strong opponents and our boys played very well and did us proud.
As well as the U12 team, St Dominic’s also brought along our go-to man for refereeing, Michael Coughlan, who presided over some of the matches in Croke Park and allowed free-flowing games as usual.
During our time on the pitch, the names of the boys and mentors and our referee were on the big screens in the stadium under the St Dominic’s crest. A very proud sight for all of us.
With our matches completed, we departed Croke Park after an absolutely fabulous day. A quick stop on the way home for some food and we were met by parents and supporters off the bus in Glanworth.
Sincere thanks to Liam Brennan (club secretary) and the wider St Dominic’s committee for facilitating the trip and for subsidising the bus and covering the cost of food on the way home. Thanks to all the supporters who travelled, it was really great to see them. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play in Croke Park as juveniles and St Dominic’s were very lucky to be picked. Hopefully, the boys got a taste for it and perhaps some of them will earn the chance to play there again, maybe even to lift the Liam MacCarthy for real next time!
U6S TO U10S
U6s started training this week in Shanballymore Community Centre, it was great to see the kids starting at a young age. This is a great opportunity to get into GAA and new members are always welcome.
U8 hurlers headed to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday morning last to participate in a monster blitz. This saw over 1,200 kids from across the county take part. The sun was shining and the lads really enjoyed the experience of playing on the 4G surface.
The U9 hurlers played three games in Grenagh on Sunday. The lads played really well and the blitz style event gave them loads of valuable game time.
The U10 footballers played Banteer/Lyre in a blitz in Glanworth AstroTurf. The lads had a great evening and got to show off the skills they have been practicing in training.
CLUB NEWS
The U14 captains for the coming season, Cian Browne and Rory Murray, also headed to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday. The boys attended the launch of the 2024 U14 Championship. The boys got the opportunity to check out the pitch as well as eyeing up the opposition for the coming season!
Well done to Tadhg Quirke who played in corner back for Cork U15 hurlers against Limerick on Saturday in UL sports complex. Cork came out on top, beating Limerick 4-14 to 1-04.
Well done to Darragh O’Brien, who started midfield for the Cork U20 footballers. Cork were victorious on the night beating Tipperary 0-14 to 0-07. Well done to Darragh and teammates.
St Dominic’s are holding an introduction to Coaching Gaelic games course in Glanworth on Tuesday 23rd and Thursday, 25th April from 6.30 to 10pm both evenings. Anyone who is involved in coaching teams needs to complete this course as well as those who will be training at Cúl Camps. For further details or to book your place please contact us on St Dominic’s GAA social media.
St Dominic’s Cúl Camp is running from July 1st to 5th and bookings are not open. To book a slot please see socials or contact club officers. A fun filled, enjoyable week is in store for all.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
For any upcoming fixtures keep an eye on our social media pages!