Compiled by Brian Caball
UNDER 6/7/8 FOOTBALL [BOYS]:
The Rock U6/7/8 boys will be in action once again on Sunday morning next, 2nd March, in the Mercy Mounthawk School Hall. The Under 6 boys (born 2019 and 2020) will be in action at 10am and the U8 lads (born 2017 and 2018) take off at 11am. Newcomers welcome.
UNDER 10 FOOTBALL:
‘See you all, boys, at our Football-For-Fun activity at 10.50am on Sunday next on the Astroturf at The Green CBS. Fáilte roimh dhaoine nua.
LÁ BREITHE SONA….
to two of our leading Rock lights! Our good wishes to William Kirby and Wayne Quinlivan, two great club players and two of our foremost coaches, who celebrate 50th Birthdays. Go maire siad an 100 agus bliain dá éis!
UNDER 12 FOOTBALL:
We moved indoors last Sunday morning due to the unpleasant weather conditions; mórbhuíochas and thanks to Tralee Harriers for facilitating us! Training for all U12 boys will take place at 9.45am on Sunday next on the Astroturf at CBS, The Green. (T.Mac Mathúna)
UNDER 14 FOOTBALL:
Our under 14 squad has been doing stellar work in the gym with Keith. There are no weights in use; it’s all about technique at the moment and the laying of sound foundations that will be of benefit our young stalwarts in the near future! Our enthusiastic coaching team is the same as last year, except for Drack who, unfortunately and after a lot of work had gone into him, has left us for greener pastures!! The boys are chomping at the bit for the season to start….tá siad ar bís agus ag tnúth le tús an tséasúir! Training will take place at 5pm on Wednesdays in the CBS Hall, The Green. All U14 lads welcome! Bring a friend! (Maidhc Ó hÓráin)
UNDER 15 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Good luck to Tralee CBS in their Munster U15A Taft Cup competition final v Coláiste Choilm, Baile an Chollaigh. The game has been scheduled for this Friday (28th) at 12.00 in Mallow. Good wishes to everybody and particularly to our Rock men, Mark Riordan, Danny Lane, David Ahern, Noah Reidy, Ryan O’Flaherty. Good wishes, also, to Dale Counihan, joint manager, and Damien McLoughlin, team physio. Go n-éirí go geal leo uile sa chraobhchluiche! Gach ádh ar an bhFaiche! (A.Mhic Lochlainn)
UNDER 15/16 – CLUB FOOTBALL:
(i) Brilliant training sessions were held on Wednesday in The Rock Gym and on Friday evening in the MTU.
(ii) Best wishes to our Under 15 football panel on their trip to the Nemo Rangers Club, Cork, on Saturday next, 1ú Márta. The Nemo games, the annual Mick O’Brien Tournament, are important to our players and mentors; we like to challenge top-class teams and to be challenged by the best of clubs! Go mbaine sibh taitneamh agus tairbhe as an lá, a bhuachaillí!
(iii) On Sunday next, 2ú Márta, our boys will play v Na Mistéalaigh (the John Mitchel Club). Unfortunately, last week’s challenge match v Firies had to be postponed due to the non-availability of pitches by both clubs.
(iv) Some of the U16 boys (born in 2009) trained once again with the minor team after our own session on Wednesday; they also played with the minor team last Friday evening in a home challenge game v An Ghaeltacht. ‘Well done’ to Ben Litchfield, David Hobbert, Michael (Haulie) Cotter, Jack Delaney, Nathan O’Connor and Oran O’Donoghue who were given playing time on the pitch and who aquitted themselves very well.
(v) Other great news around the U16 group is that a number of boys have been chosen to work on county development squads.
(a) Conor O’Regan has been on goalkeeping duties with the Kerry Minor squad. Mighty stuff, Conor!
(b) Eoin Mangan, Harry Murphy and Conor O’Regan are working with the U16 North Kerry development squad.
(c) The U15 North Kerry development squad has Danny Lane, Mark Riordan and Jayden O’Dowd involved. So, ‘well done’ to all and we encourage them to keep up the hard work. Busy times for the U16s! (Ger Hobbert)
GAELTACHT SCHOLARSHIPs:
(i) Anybody interested in a partial scholarship to The Gaeltacht? Some of the payment would be made by the GAA. For further information send e-mail to: culturalofficer.kerry@gaa.ie or contact a club officer.
(ii) Win a two-week holiday in The Gaeltacht by making a one-minute video on ‘An Fhoireann is Fearr Liom’ as well as telling who you are and why you have an interest in Irish and in Irish culture. For further information send an e-mail to: culturalofficer.kerry@gaa.ie. The scholarship is sponsored by CLG na Mumhan and it’s for GAA members between 12 and 17 years of age. Clúdóidh na scoláireachtaí costas iomlán an chúrsa. Is ceart an físeán agus an fhoirm iarratais a chur isteach faoin 26ú Feabhra. Application form, srl: https://forms.gle/6jcbFgXALD6SHuvN9. Why not have a go!
UNDER 17 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
The Green and Mercy Mounthawk met in the quarter final of the Dunloe Cup competition on Wednesday (26th) and produced outstanding football. Rock players involved: Eoin Mangan, Jamie Casey, Jack Delaney (The Green), Ben Litchfield, David Hobbert, Oran O’Donoghue, Harry Murphy, Alex Touhy, Daragh Lyons, Conor O’Regan (Mounthawk). The victors will play against the winners of the Presentation Milltown and Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine match in a semi-final which is expected to take place on Wednesday next (5th March). Yes, excitement!
Ó MUIRÍ v MAC RUAIRÍ:
A water-logged field at Club Naomh Bríd i gCill Tuama (5 miles NW of Athlone), Contae Ros Comáin, caused the postponement of the Mercy Mounthawk v Coláiste Phádraig (An Machaire (Maghera), Contae Dhoire) Under 19 All-Ireland semi-final encounter on Saturday last. The game has been resheduled for this coming Saturday. Best wishes to our Rock boys….James Fisher, Pádraig O’Halloran, Gavin Casey, Daniel Kirby, Ben Murphy, Alex Tuohy, Cormac Bastible, Paddy Lane, David Lucid, Harry Murphy, Leon O’Connor-Sweeney and Steven Conway. A trip to GAA headquarters and the challenge of Coláiste Cholmáin, Clár Chlainne Mhuiris, Contae Mhaigh Eo, await the victors. Seabhaic Thrá Lí Abú!
UNDER 18 – CLUB FOOTBALL:
Best wishes to our minors v Kenmare Shamrocks on Saturday next (1ú Márta) in the Keanes’ SuperValu club championship quarter final. Imreofar an cluiche ag 3pm i gConnolly Park. Good luck to Bainisteoir Eoin, to his foireann bhainistíochta and to the players. The presence of a ‘16th Man’ on the terrace would be a great help to our boys!
KERRY and ROCK GIRLS:
(i) Good wishes to our club’s Lucy Ní Chonchúir and to her Kerry Minor teammates who’ll challenge Tipperary in Fethard on Saturday in the first round of their Munster Championship.
(ii) Good wishes, also, to The Rock’s Eimear Ní Dhuilleáin and Kara Ní Chiarba who’ll be part of the Under 16 Kerry girls v Port Láirge ar an Satharn beag seo i gComórtas na Mumhan. Imreofar an cluiche ag Club na gCrócach, Cill Airne.
BUÍOCHAS:
‘Thanks very much’ to all our Club Lotto supporters and especially to: Husseys, Newsagent, Prince’s Quay; Carmel Cuiltéir, AdeS; The Burger Shack, Monavalley; The Brogue Inn, Rock Street; Barry’s Shop, Upper Rock; Commane’s Bookshop (PC Books), Rock St; O’Flynn Interiors, Rock St.
CLUB SHOP:
For Club merchandise, please log in to www.austinstacks.ie
AN RÍOCHT 2025:
(i) ‘Well done’ to the Kerry Seniors v Tír Eoghain in the Allianz National Football League last weekend. What a finish on the Hill of the Rowan Tree!! Great to see our Dylan so involved! Good luck to them v Maigh Eo next Saturday.
(ii) ‘Well done’ to the Kerry Ladies v Tír Eoghain last weekend and best wishes to them in next Sunday’s outing v Maigh Eo.
(iii) The Kerry hurlers were shocked by Dún na nGall last Sunday and we wish them well in their next outing.
(iv) Congratulations to our senior ‘keeper, Michael Tansley, on being chosen as captain of the Kerry U20 football team.
POMEROY:
The town/village of Pomeroy is situated in the townland of Cabhán an Chaorthainn (Hill of the Rowan or Mountain Ash) in County Tyrone.
THE SKILFUL GAME:
What an interesting motion from Wexford for the Ardfheis of the GAA! ‘Every club shall field at least one hurling team at U7/U8 and U9/U10 level and shall organise hurling games on the GoGames model for U7/U8 and U9/U10 age grades.’ Their rationale seems to be that, according to a 2021 Sports Ireland and Sheffield Hallam University Report, our national sport of hurling has slipped out of the top 10 activities in Ireland. It seems that less than 2% of O16 players play hurling (Fayey, Layte & Gannon ESRI). The dropout rate from hurling in the 21-26 age bracket is over 75% (Keeping Them in the Game – Irish Sports Council/ESRI). Hurling was granted official recognition from UNESCO on the List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is vital that the GAA, as the governing body for hurling, protect and promote the sport no differently than the obligation on the OPW (Office of Public Works) to protect and promote the UNESCO heritage sites at Brú na Bóinne, Sceilg Mhícíl and the Giant’s Causeway. Aren’t the Wexford GAA people correct when they state that we should ensure that every child on the Island of Ireland is afforded an opportunity to hold a camán in his hand and to learn and play hurling in his formative years? After all, foreigners are playing it in Germany and elsewhere (‘Cluiche ag Baile’ ar TG4)!
SEANRÁ:
An cóngar chun an bhia agus an timpeall chun na hoibre. Take the shortcut to the food and the long way round to work!
THE ROCK SOCIAL:
The Rock Club Social Night will take place on Saturday 8th March in Óstán Bhaile an Gharraí!