HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 1 HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 2
TTHHEE BBRRIIAARR semis Preview
The Hurling Championship's intensify this weekend as clubs discover their fate and chances of reaching the County Finals. While the predictions might not have been "precise" to date, the hurling definitely has lived up to expectations and let's hope that both will improve over the coming days of hurling.
In the Pettitts Senior Hurling Championship semi final, Shelmaliers attack Oulart the Ballagh. The latter side left it until extra time to see off Ferns in the quarter final clash. Conor Goff is solid for Oulart while Nicky Kirwan and Des Mythen have great free taking ability. Ciaran O Shaughnessy, Tommy Barron and Stephen Banville lead the Shelmaliers into battle. While the Shelmaliers will be confident after the win over St Martins, Oulart seem too strong for the valiant men from "Over The Water".
In the other clash, Faythe Harriers and Rathnure take to the field. Jim Berry leads a formidable Wexford town side who boast some classy forwards including Paul Lambert, Kevin Gore and Rhys Clarke. Rathnure's, Paul Codd was valiant and proud in the post match interview after they defeated St Anne's. Richard Flynn, Robbie Codd and Trevor Hogan are also predominant for Rathnure. This should be a dramatic duel between the rural and town club's. Rathnure's determination could just about edge the dangerous Harriers attack.
In the Intermediate Championship, four teams fight for senior status.
In the first semi final, Bunclody and Craanford are set for battle. For the men of Half Way House, Colin Farrell, Aidan Nolan and Kevin Dunne act as main scorers. For the Fr O Regan's Club, James O Loughlin, Peter and Shane Kavanagh show flair. Their quarter final win over Rathgarogue Cushinstown was inspiring but yet Bunclody look like they could emerge from this game as winners by a narrow margin.
The second semi final is set to be the most epic battle. Blackwater and Oylegate; the game that has been regarded by many as the decider of the championship. Oylegate host the talent of Fergal Doran, Trevor Moulton and Jamie Reck while Blackwater have powerful attackers like Brendan and Paul Murphy while Dean Wright's free taking is reliable. While both sides are formidable, Oylegate seem to have a slight upper hand but the tension at this game will be palpable.
Finally the Top Oil Intermediate A Hurling Championship comes down to the crucial stages this weekend.
Between Marshalstown and Buffers Alley, both sides showcase a similar style of tough and powerful hurling. For the Gorey District side, John Moran and Cormac Lee Chin Foley supported their defeat of Fethard in the quarter (Faythe Hariers) final. When Marshalstown defeated Monagear, Micheal Jordan and James Byrne were exceptional in dismantling their opponents defence. This will be a dogged battle with Marshalstown shaping up to be the winning side.
The second clash is set between Naomh Eanna and Shamrocks. Gorey play a direct style of hurling as Justin Kenny feeds the ball to Conor McDonald, the scorer of three goals in their quarter final, while Peter Travers and William Cullen went well also. Mylie Cash, Graham Denton and Maurice Casey have high scoring tallies for the Shamrocks while the Jacob brothers of George and Bob are workhorses for the Enniscorthy town side. Naomh Eanna remain unbeaten so far and it looks like that status won't be changing after Saturday's game.
Le gach dea ghuí,
The Briar HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 3
Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship SEMI-FINAL RATHNuRE
40th Anniversary of Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland champions and winners of the Wexford county 7-aside – The Rathnure Connection championship in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
2012 marked the 40th annual Kilmacud Crokes All- Unlike today, the award presentation took place Ireland Hurling Sevens competition, held on the some time after the conclusion of the competition. Saturday of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship Michael Murphy, a heraldic artist, would paint the Final weekend. This year a special presentation was family crest of each player on the winning panel on made to the winning captains for the previous 40 to a plaque. When Rathnure won their second title years. A total of 28 teams entered the inaugural most, if not all, their players already had family tournament in 1973 and the last two standing were plaques. As the club was crestless Murphy was asked Buffers Alley, backboned by the legendary Tony to design a crest incorporating a pike and hurley. Doran and St Finbarrs of Cork. Buffers Alley were This is the same crest that the club uses today. victorious by a point and this was the first of three Wexford wins on the trot. Rathnure went on to win the U16 Kilmacud Crokes 7-aside tournament in 1992 after a victory over Na Rathnure were victorious in 1974 beating Roscrea in Piarsaigh of Cork. This team was backboned by Paul the final. Earlier, Rathnure narrowly knocked out Codd and Mick O' Leary who line out today. Mount Sion of Waterford. It took a 70's shootout to Rathnure narrowly lost the 1995 U16 tournament separate the two teams after they had finished and were beaten by Kilormac / Killoughey in extra level. time. Brendan O' Leary, Trevor Hogan and Shane Barron were members of this team. Rathnure retained their title in 1975. This final was the first and only final to be decided on ‘penalties’ (three each side) after Faythe Harriers had matched Rathnure (2-7 to 1-10) in normal time. There was no extra time. The first five penalties were saved before John Quigley became the Rathnure hero, blasting the winner to the net. The 1975 winning team was Teddy O' Connor, Martin Quigley, Mickey Foley, John Quigley, Liam Byrne, Pat Flynn, Pat Quigley, Patsy O' Connnor and John O' Connor. Syl Barron was Martin Quigley of the victorious Rathnure teams of 74/75, manager. Two in a row Rathnure team were a receiving a presentation from Leinster Council's Martin Skelly, formidable outfit, being 1973/74 Leinster club with Tom Rock, Chairman of Kimacud Crokes Hurling 7's
RATHNuRE 1974/75, 7-ASIdE PANELS Back L-R: John Quigley, Mickey Foley, Martin Quigley, Johnny O' Connor, Tom McIntyre (Kilmacud Crokes) Front L-R: Pat Quigley (GAA Pro), Teddy O' Connor, Syl Barron (R.I.P.), Patsy O' Connor, Paudge Fitzgerald (Kilmacud Crokes). Missing: Pat Flynn, Liam Byrne, Jim Higgins, Seanie Murphy HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 4
Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship SEMI-FINAL Senior 22/9/12, Wexford Park, 4.00 An Réiteoir: Pat Kehoe
RATHNURE FIR IONAId
1 17. Shane Murphy J I M M O R R I S S E y 18. Fran Murphy 2 3 4 C H R I S R E d M O N d M I C H A E L O ' L E A R y A N T H O N y O 'CONNELL 19. Stephen Quigley
5 6 7 20. Shane Barron SEAN O'NEILL JOHN O'CONNOR AIdAN REdMONd
21. Syl Barron 8 9
PAuL COdd dERMOT FLyNN 22. Brendan Flynn
10 11 12 23. Mark Boland TREvOR HOGAN dECLAN FOLEy BRENdAN O'LEARy
24. Jack Guiney 13 14 15 RICHARd FLyNN ROBERT COdd NIGEL HIGGINS 25. Teddy O'Connor
STEPHEN SOMERS, ANdy RONAN, PAT COdd, TRAINER: GERRy MCQuAId
FIR IONAId FAYTHE HARRIERS
16. Arron Lacey 1 17. Lee Murphy I A N S C A L L A N
18. Mossy Campbell 2 3 4 19. darran Caulfield B R E N d A N M u L L I G A N d A v I d M O O N E y A L A N LyNCH
20. Brian denton 5 6 7 21. Ben O’Brien EMMET KEELING RICHIE KEHOE LEE CHIN
22. dean Walsh 8 9 23. John Walsh JIM BERRy COLM HEFFERNAN
24. Paul O’dowd 10 11 12 25. Johnny Bridges WAyNE MALLON SHANE HOWARd KEvIN GORE
26. Cillian Lawlor 13 14 15
27. Alex Lynch POdGE FARRELL RHyS CLARKE PAuL LAMBERT
IGGy CLARKE (BAINISTEOIR), RAy CuLLINANE, PAuL BRIdGES, EAMMON SANdERS (TRAINER) HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 5
Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship SEMI-FINAL Senior 22/9/12, Wexford Park, 5.30 An Réiteoir: damien donovan
OULART-THE BALLAGH FIR IONAId
16. Michael Sinnott
1 17. Paul Roche B E N O ’ C O N N O R 18. Garrett Sinnott 2 3 4 19. Conor O Leary d E N N I S M O R T O N K E I T H R O S S I T E R B A R R y KEHOE 20. darren Nolan
5 6 7 21. Michael Jacob CONOR GOFF dARREN STAMP LAR PRENdERGAST 22. Stephen doyle
23. Andrew Kavanagh 8 9 SHAuN MuRPHy dAvId REdMONd 24. Tomas dunne
25. Tommy Storey 10 11 12 EOIN MOORE FRANK CuLLEN RORy JACOB 26. Kevin Nimmo 27. Aaron Kenny
13 14 15 28. Anthony Roche dES MyTHEN PETER MuRPHy NICKy KIRWAN 29. Rory O’Connor
PAT HERBERT (BAINISTEOIR), BRENdAN O’CONNOR, SEAN CROWLEy
FIR IONAId SHELMALIERS
16. William Redmond
17. John Redmond 1
18. Andre O Brien B R I A N M u R P H y
19. Chris McGrath 2 3 4 20. Shane Griffith B R I A N M A L O N E A I d A N M u R P H y C L I v E L AWLOR 21. Fergal Hynes
22. Stephen Corrigan 5 6 7 AIdAN CASH CONOR WALSH BENNy BARRON 23. david Cloney
24. Noel Mythen 8 9 25. denis Kelly BRIAN dOyLE EOIN dOyLE
26. William O Shaughnessy 10 11 12 27. James Gordon JOE KELLy CIARAN O’SHAuGHNESSy ALAN GRIFFITH 28. Ronan Kavanagh
29. Brian Tobin 13 14 15 CONOR ByRNE STEPHEN BANvILLE TOMMy BARRON 30. Conor Tobin HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 6
Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship SEMI-FINAL SHELMALIERS
On behalf of everyone in Hollymount may I welcome to Silverware for our County Teams in time. It does you all to this evenings County Senior Hurling Semi however make the difficulties of a ‘Dual’ club more Finals. All in Shelmalier are delighted with the complicated but that’s a debate for another time progress of our Senior Hurlers this year, particularly and another place. with our recent record of fighting relegation, thankfully that is behind us for 2012 at least. It also GAA in Wexford has been given a massive boost in gives great pleasure to all in our club to see that the last week thanks to the brilliant exploits of our finally all the hard work that has been done by so Camogie girls and I would like to take this many at underage level, in both hurling and football, opportunity to congratulate Kate, Catriona and all for so many years, is finally starting to pay off. To involved in the fantastic achievement of three in a our Selectors, mentors, trainers, players etc I say a row. Everyone in Shelmalier are very proud of ye all. huge thank you for all your hard work and In closing may I wish all four teams competing this dedication during this year and hopefully your work evening the very best of luck and hopefully the and efforts won’t finish this evening. The revamping ‘high’ in Wexford GAA will continue thanks to two of our Senior Championships this year to two groups exciting Senior Hurling Semi Finals. of six teams has defiantly improved the standard greatly in my opinion, and has led to some very exciting and thrilling games. Hopefully this will lead Mairead Ni Ceallaigh
OuLART-THE BALLAGH
Gaelic Games were always part of the recreational 1901) journalist, hurler and athlete who did so activities of the men of Oulart-The Ballagh, even much to promote the Association in the early days before the foundation of the G.A.A. In fact, so and Jim Mythen (great-grand uncle of the Jacobs) strong was the interest in both hurling and football who won All-Ireland senior hurling with Wexford in in the area that two, and sometimes three teams, 1910. represented the parish in the early days. Records show that the Oulart Hill hurlers contested and lost All-Ireland senior medals were won by Christy and the first ever Wexford senior hurling final of 1888 Michael Jacob in 1968 and by Martin Storey, Liam while the footballers from the curacy of The Ballagh, Dunne and Paul Finn in 1996 while Michael Jacob, were runners-up in the senior football finals of Liam Dunne and Martin Storey are the proud 1888, 1889 and 1898. Recognising the wisdom of holders of three All-Star awards each. the old proverb, “ní neart go cur le cheile” the present-day club, representing and uniting the Nine county senior hurling titles have been won whole parish and calling itself Oulart-The Ballagh, (1994, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 dates from 1954. and 2011) and presently we field four adult hurling teams i.e., senior, intermediate, junior and under Famous names from bygone days include J. Royce 21 as well as under-age teams from under 8 to (“The Irish Invasion of America”), P.P.Sutton, (1865- minor. HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 7
Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship SEMI-FINAL
Stephen Banville Aidan Murphy Clive Lawler
The club crest, featuring the pike, is a reminder of the Battle of Oulart Hill, where the Wexford rebels, led by Fr. John Murphy of Boolavogue, darren Stamp defeated the crown forces, on Whit Sunday 1798.
Oulart-The Ballagh Camogie Club is on the crest of a wave at the moment and are holders of the All-Ireland club-championship title. Nine members of the club won All-Ireland senior medals with Wexford on 16th September, namely Karen and Colleen Atkinson, Ursula and Helena Jacob, Mary and Una Leacy, Stacey Redmond, Shelley Kehoe and Shauna Sinnott. Karen Atkinson captained the team this year, while Ursula Jacob was awarded “player of the match”. Mary Leacy (2007), Una Leacy (2010) Ursula Jacob (2011) have also captained Wexford to All-Ireland senior victory and Colleen Atkinson was captain of the winning Intermediate team in 2011. The club will contest the senior camogie county final, against Shelmaliers St. Ibar’s on Saturday 29th September. HURLseniorSemis v8_Layout 1 20/09/2012 10:52 Page 8