SENIOR HURLING: Austin Stacks 4-10; St. Pats (East Kerry) 1-3.
Not since 1996 had we such as good a start to the season. Three wins out of three and, after this game played in sunny Glenflesk last Bank Holiday Monday (1st June), a District Board League title to boot.
Even if St. Pats were understrength on the day, take nothing away from our performance which was superb by any standards.
Pats scored one point in the first half, we scored 1-6. Kieran McCaughley was the goal scorer andadded a point also. Team Captain, Ronan Gillsenen and the evergreen Francie McLoighlin scored one each and John McCarthy put over three.
Within three minutes of the resumption John McCarthy had a further 1-1 on the scoreboard with one also from Ronan.
Five minutes into the half Ricky O’Halloran was introduced and in the space of eight minutes had slotted home two great goals. Dylan Crean and John O’Leen added a point each.
So in the second half we scored 3-4 to 1-2 for the opposition.
Well done lads. Without doubt the influence of Team Mentors, Brian Shanahan and Pat Murphy and the committment of everyone on the panel (we had 26 players in Glenflesk on a scorching hot Bank Holiday Monday) is reaping dividends.
Let’s dedicate this title to our late, much-missed colleague, Andy McAllen, who started out with us on this road to victory on 8th May when he played in goals in our round 1 win over Kilgarvan.
Team: Liam Cleary, David Field, Jim McCarthy, Andrew Foley, Kevin O’Leary, Peter O’Regan, Ger Meehan, Ronan Gillsenan (Capt) 0-2), Kieran McCaughley (1-1), Dylan Crean (0-1), John McCarthy (1-4 – 1 free), Trevor Barrett, Francie McLoughlin (0-1), Gearoid McCann, Ger Scollard.
Sub: Chris Foley (33m), Ricky O’Halloran (35m) (2-0), John O’Leen (39m) (0-1), Ross Long (41m), Maurice Lenihan (41m).
We now look forward to the start of the Co. League which has us at home to Crotta in the opening round (fixed at the moment for Tuesday, 16th June).
SENIOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 0-11; John Mitchels 0-4.
Played in Connolly Park in ideal conditions last Saturday evening (30th May) we gathered another brace of Co. League points to keep us in touch with table toppers Dingle.
We were four points up by the end of the first quarter – two from Mikey Collins, a pointed free by Kerry Minor, Shane Carroll and Darragh Long from play.
Mitchels then took control putting over three (all from frees) before the break to leave us four to three ahead at the interval.
Within two minutes of the resumption Mitchels had equalised. This was however to be their only score of the half as we took complete control with superb displays all over the pitch.
Two pointed frees by Darragh Long began our onslaught. Points from play from Graham O’Connell, Fiachna Mangan, Darragh Long and Mikey Collins followed by the 44th minute.
Two minutes later Darragh Long put over our 11th point from a free and unbelievably this was the last score of the game.
David Clifford was introduced four minutes from time and in his first attack was most unlucky to see his well taken shot come off the bar.
But the game was as good as over at that stage.
So now we have nine points out of ten and the last time we achieved that in 2004 we went on to the League final where we suffered a narrow one point defeat to Dr. Crokes (3-8 to 1-13).
Team: Martin Moriarty, Pa McCarthy, Barry Shanahan, Brian Dennehy, John Dennis, Alain Creagh, TJ Hogan (Capt), William Kirby, Gearoid McCann, Shane Carroll (0-1 free), Darragh Long (0-5 – 3 frees), Fiachna Mangan (0-1), Joey O’Connor, Pat Costello, Michael Collins (0-3).
Subs: Graham O’Connell (ht) (0-1), Damien Quirke (50m), Sean Power (52m), Brian Mangan (52m), David Clifford (56m).
Prior to the game there was a minute’s silence in honour of the late Andy McAllen.
Our next scheduled game depends on the result of the Kerry-Cork game next Sunday. If Kerry loose then we believe the Co. Championship goes ahead the following weekend (13th/14th June). We are away to St. Brendans.
If Kerry win then our next scheduled game is in round 6 of the Co. League for which we travel to Portmagee to play All Ireland Junior Champions, Skellig Rangers. This game is scheduled for Saturday 27th June (or Saturday, 4th July if Kerry loose to Cork).
JUNIOR B FOOTBALL: Our round 2 Co. League game against Dingle is scheduled to go ahead in Connolly Park on this Wednesday evening (3rd June) at 7.30pm.
JUNIOR C FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 0-13; Laune Rangers 1-8.
This round 2 Co. League game place at a fine sunny, but breezy Connolly park last Friday evening (29th May) produced some great football.
Both sides had two wides each before a Wayne Gutherie free opened the scoring in the 8th minute. Three more points from by David ‘Pecker’ Doyle, Nicky O’Connell and Anthony saw us ahead by four at the end of the first quarter.
However within the space of the next two minutes the Killorglin boys went ahead with a goal and two points. We then took over again and dominated the last ten minutes scoring four great point, two by the evergreen Michael ‘Chips’ Clifford and one each by Pecker Doyle and Nicky O’Connell to leave us in the lead by three at half time (0-8 to 1-2).
With 26 players available Team Mentors Charlie Healy, Joe Smith and Ger Mannix had the unenviable task of chosing the team and introduced three replacements for the second half (see team list).
We began where we left off and dominated the opening third quarter scoring a further four points to two for the opposition (ours came again from a Wayne Gutherie free, Nicky and two by Pecker). One of these points by Pecker was close in quality to the Maurice Fitzgerald point in Thurles some yeras ago.
We then had to endure a tense last quarter as Rangers came back at us and as the game entered its last minutes they had erduced our lead to just one, but a minute from time St. John Hegarty’s effort hopped over the bar to give us a two point cushion.
Team: Darragh O’Brien, Kevin Barry, Shane McMahon, John Slattery, Neil Cannon, Kenneth Leahy, Peter Williams, Garrett Clifford, Wayne Gutherie (0-2 frees), Nicky O’Connell (0-3 – 1 free), David Pecker Doyle (0-4), Shane O’Callaghan, Don Quinn, Michael Chips Clifford (0-2), Anthony Moriarty (0-1).
Subs: Eoin Kirby, Chris Reidy and David Kelliher (all at ht), Sean McCarthy (42m), St. John Hegarty (45m) (0-1).
In round 3 of the League we are away to Clounmacon but this has been put back to a later date at the request of the opposition.
KERRY .v. CORK: Tickets for Sunday’s game will be distributed in the Clubhouse on this Thursday evening (4th June) from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
ROCK GOLF SOCIETY: The next Outing of the Society is to Castleisland GC on Saturday, 13th June.
SPONSORSHIP: The Club’s main sponsor is Slatterys Travel, Edward Street. We encourage our members and supporters to support our sponsors whenever possible.
Slatterys Travel may be contacted at 066 7186200.
WEBSITE: Visit our website at www.austinstacks.ie.
In our ‘Gallery’ section of the website there are a large selection of photographs from La na gClub – well worth visiting. Some, we believe, had to be witheld for fear of incriminating some members but these could be used at a later date (an dtuigeann tu).
CLUBHOUSE: Bookings are now being taken again for any parties on Friday nights, and also Saturdays and Sundays.
BINGO: The Bingo session goes ahead as usual on Saturday nights at 8.30pm.
CARDS: The 45 Cards Sessions continue on Mondays and Thursdays at 9.30pm.
All at the Cards extend sincere sympathy to Peggy Godley (Ballyheigue) on the death of her husband, Thomas (see ‘Sympathy’).
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is extended to the families of Gerard Brick, Brandon (cousin of the Moran, Shanahan and Kelliher families, Rock St.); Josie Ferriter, late of Casement Avenue; Nora Flynn, The Cottages, Clonmore; Mary Teresa O’Connor, Caherleaheen (former Deputy Principal, Balloonagh Secondary School); Richard Gannon, Sydney and late of Kilkenny (brother of Jim); and Thomas Godley, Ballyheigue (husband of Peggy – see ‘Cards’ – and uncle of Aidan O’Connor) who died recently.