SENIOR FOOTBALL; Austin Stacks 1-5; Spa (Killarney) 0-10.
Not a very good start to our Co. League season as we came up second-best in our opening game in a very wet Connolly Park on last Saturday evening (25th March). We had a very good start and led by 1-2 to no score after the opening 12 minutes. Donagh McKivergan opened the scoring just after 40 seconds followed a minute later by a Shane O’Callaghan point. Our goal came in the 12th minute from team captain Michael O’Donnell. But then the visitors came more into the game scoring three unanswered points in an eight minute spell – 15th to the 23rd minute. An Eoghan Carroll point followed, to leave us ahead by a goal at the break (1-3 to 0-3).
The early minutes of the second half saw both sides scoring a point each, ours coming from a solo effort by Ronan Shanahan who started the move in his own back line, racing up field as he often does, to put over from close range. That was as good as it got for our lads as Spa seemed to weather the elements better and out-scored us by six points to one during the remainder of the half – our only point coming from second half substitute, Shane Carroll.
Even the result didn’t go our way it was still nice to Billy Lee and his colleagues giving game time to our younger generation, including Colm Browne who was making his Senior debut, son of former Club stalwart, Kieran.
After the game Paul O’Sullivan was deservedly presented with the Celsius Mensware Man of the Match Award.
Team: Ben Quilter, Barry Walsh, Barry Shanahan, Ronan Shanahan (0-1), Paul O’Sullivan, Dean Rusk, Jack Murphy, Michael O’Donnell (Capt) (1-0), Seán Quilter, Cian Dillane, David Mannix, David Fitzmaurice, Donagh McKivergan (0-1), Shane O’Callaghan (0-1), Eoghan Carroll (0-1).
Subs used: Shane Carroll (0-1), Shane Bastible and Colm Browne (all 44m), and Luke Chester (55m).
Round 2 of the League goes ahead at the week-end when we travel to Killarney to play table-toppers Legion who staged the biggest win of the opening round with their 1-14 to 1-5 win against Ballymac. This Game goes ahead on Saturday 1st April at 6pm in Legion.
B TEAM: Having a bye in round 1 our B Team are due to travel to Lispole on this Sunday afternoon (2nd April), for a 2pm start. We will then have five more rounds to play against Moyvane (h) (w/e 9th April), Finuge (a) (23rd April), Laune Rangers (h) (30th April), Ballylongford (a) (14th May) and Duagh (h) (21st May). This will be followed by a Phase 2 of the competition involving four more games during the month of June and early July.. More about this later.
C TEAM (Black): Our opening Co. League game, away to Fossa C, did not go ahead last week due to the sad passing of Pat Sweeney, President of the Fossa GAA Club. Our sincere sympathy to Pat’s family and to the Fossa Club. The game has been re-fixed Wednesday April 17th at 7.30pm. Our next game, at home to Rathmore, is fixed for the w/e of 6th May.
C TEAM (Amber): Our opening Co. League game, away to Duagh last week-end did not go ahead due to an unplayable pitch in Duagh caused by the inclement weather. We await details for a re-fixture.
Paul Lucey Run for the Rock: The launch for this year’s run took place on Monday evening (March 27th) in Connolly Park of the 5th annual Paul Lucey Memorial Fun Run/Walk. The event will take place on May Bank Holiday Monday, 1st May 2023 – https://austinstacks.ie/run-for-the-rock-is-back-mon-may-1st/
ROCK ST. PO. LOTTO COMPETITION; This Friday March 31st is the closing date in the Rock Street Post Office – Club Lotto Competition. The winning Club will have exclusive sales on their Club Lotto tickets in the Rock St. Post Office for the next 3 years. Club supporters will get (please ask) one token for each transaction completed at Rock St. Post Office between now and 31st March. Put it into the Austin Stacks Collection Bucket in the Post Office. By the end of March all the tokens will be counted and the Club with the most tokens will be deemed to be the winner. A single postage stamp doesn’t count as transaction, but everything else does. A €4 TV Licence Saving Stamp counts as a transaction as does registered letters, parcel postage, bill payments, phone top-ups, phone sales, a dog licence, foreign exchange and withdrawals.
CLUB MEMBERSHIP: This season’s Club Membership, which is now due, may be purchased online via your Club Foireann Account or pay online via Clubforce (see austinstacks.ie for link), or sign up for a monthly DD payment, or pay by cash by contacting Club Registrar, Bernie Mannix at 086 0767415.
CLUB CARDS: Our Card sessions continue in the Clubhouse on Mondays and Thursdays with the starting time of 9pm sharp.
CLUB LOTTO: This week’s (27th March.) Jackpot worth €3,550 was not won. The winning numbers were 16, 18, 30, 32. The €20 winners were Adam Boyle, Pat Carmody, Denny Walsh and Pamela Swan, all c/o The Club; and Bríd Moriarty, c/o The Ladies.
Next week’s Jackpot will be worth €3,600.
Continued thanks to the following businesses for selling our Lotto tickets on a weekly basis – Kevin Barrys Shop, Commane’s Book Shop (PC Books), O’Flynns Interiors; Hussey’s, Princes St., The Burger Shack, Monavally and Kirby’s Brogue Inn and continued thanks to everyone who purchases tickets week-in, week-out.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently: Bebe Long (nee Flaherty), St. Brendan’s Park and formerly Kilflynn; Mary (Maura) Carmody (nee Kelly), St. Brendan’s Park and formerly Fenit; Johanna (Hannie) Burke (nee O’Shea), Laurel Court and formerly Dunmanway; Mary Kinch (nee McCarthy), Cloondara; Patricia Healy, Listellick and formerly Brighton; Michael Horgan, Killarney and formerly Oakpark; Abbie Moriarty (nee Carey), Hawley Park and formerly Farranfore; Maureen Roche (nee O’Meara), Stacks Villas; Michael Spring, St. John’s Park and formerly Tramore; Joe Corrigan, O’Rahillys Villas; and Catherine (Kate) Carmody (nee O’Shea), Rockpark Ave. and Connolly Park (wife of Mike, Manager of many Club teams down the years, including the 1986 MH Co. Championship winners, mother of former Club players, Ger, Michael, Dex, Mary and Eleanor) and grandmother of current Club players, including Marc a member of last year’s MF team).