Castlelyons look a Premier outfit as they take Courcey Rovers.

Castlelyons 1-17 Courcey Rovers 1-12

Our intermediate hurlers were not at their best in many games this year due to injury and unavailability of players.  So we headed for Blarney on a misty evening with the sky almost on top of us but some leakage from the camp revealed that we had picked up good form and were ready for battle.  Having to pass down by Courcey Rovers during the warm up one could see from the sheer size and strength of the opposition they would be tough.

However, right from the start we took em on with serious hurling and Ml Spillane put over what we thought was a score but after a ‘hawk-eye’ decision it was wide.   Courceys had a wide ball and three dubious decisions went against us and Aidan O Sullivan had a great shot saved.  A bad ball out of the full line gifted their man Gavin Maloney with a point and Darragh Lordon had a point to put them 0-3 ahead.  But we began to colour the scoreboard as A Spillane, A Fenton, and A O Sullivan R Bransfield and Anto again all had points.

Shane O Sullivan was very sound in goal.  Phillip Mahon and Alan Fenton began to dominate a much rated Courceys midfield.  But Courceys showed their strength as their half back Diarmuid O Neill gaining possession with high fielding from our puck outs sent over two skyscrapers from seventy yards out.  Then came a well taken goal for Courceys by Shane Maloney on broken ball after loose marking by our backs.  But A Fenton with a ‘65 and Anto a point from play steadied us again each side of a Lordon point.  This left us two points down at the short whistle on the score 1-7 to 0-8.

The second half began in hectic fashion and young Jack Barry on his debut at wing forward sent over a beauty but then we had two bad wides. However, an A Fenton free and a mighty Anto point each side of a Courcey point levelled the game.  The full back line of Brian Carroll, Colm Barry and debutant Declan Varner were skin-tight and safe.  The half back line of Ciarán McGann, Cian O Leary and Tommy Carroll were hurling very well.  The fat was in the fire with Anto Spillane going well and running at the Courceys defence when a Courceys defender winding up the hurley in “billhook fashion” pulled across the arm of Anto and actually broke the hurley off him.  Anto Spillane showed his coolness and temperament with no reaction or no rolling around either but the referee did the business with a “Red” signal.  

There was a battle royal at midfield for supremacy between Lordan and Mahon.  Then young Jamie O Leary who had come on as a sub showed class and stick work supreme as he cut through three opponents and worked in a fine ball to Ronan Bransfield.  Bransfield fetched, turned well and sent a bullet to the net.  We took over with some mighty hurling as our sub Robbie Feeney sent over two great points and Keith O Leary, Anto and Jack also had scores. What a win and a most important one for our club.

Congrats to our players who gave it their all.  As I said at the start they faced up to a big, strong and fancied opposition but as Mark Twain (he was not a hurler) said “it is not the size of the dog in the fight it’s the size of the fight in the dog” and it was great to see that from our lads in Blarney.  Well done to Manager Mick Spillane, selectors John McCarthy and Colm Crowley.  There is some time before the next round which will surely have more very strong opposition so let’s continue to work hard and “keep in the zone”.  We have only two players over 25 on the panel although one of them is a good few years’ around. A young team can have its own difficulties as they all need work and holidays so hopefully all can be managed. 

Team: -  Shane O Sullivan, Brian Carroll, Colm Barry, Declan Varner, Cian O Leary, Tom Carroll, Phillip Mahon, Alan Fenton, Jack Barry, Ronan Bransfield, Ronan Fenton, Aidan O Sullivan Anthony Spillane and Michael Spillane.  Subs: - Jamie O Leary for Ronan Fenton, Robbie Feeney for M Spillane, Keith O Leary for Ronan Bransfield.  Eoin Barry, Shane Moroney, Liam Moroney, Ml John Dorgan, Shane Fenton and Eoin Maye.

Scores: - A Fenton 0-6 (0-3 f, 2 ’65), A Spillane 0-5, R Bransfield 1-0, J Barry 0-2, R Feeney 0-2, A O Sullivan and K O Leary 0-1 each.

Referee: - Simon Stokes, Tullylease, gave us a worry at the start with some decisions but maybe we were a little biased.  He settled down to do a good job overall.  Of course, we must learn to keep back from the line as this only irks officials so let’s do this going forward.  It was great to speak with P J Stokes, umpire, after the game as he complimented the quality of hurling and the temperament of our players.

Congratulations to Maura O Sullivan, Mohera, Castlelyons.

Congrats to Maura O Sullivan this week’s winner of our Weekly Lotto Jackpot worth €10, 000.  The winning numbers were 6, 8, 14 and 22.  The seller of the winning ticket was Ned Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Bros, Fermoy.  Maura has been a great supporter of our Lotto and Ned a mighty seller of tickets in Fermoy and has sold a previous Jackpot winner.

Don’t forget we are off again with a Jackpot of €2,000 next week and the draw takes place in the Abbey Tavern on Monday 27^th June at 9.30 pm.  Thanks as always for your great support and you can play Online or buy from the usual outlets.

County Board Meeting – 14^th June, 2016

Nemo Rangers have notified the Cork County Board in writing that they want the services of their Club players on county teams and would only be releasing them per Rule 38 in future as they require them for their league games, etc. Several delegates spoke on this matter as it is farcical that players were tied up in training sessions with the county and not allowed play in important club games, indeed, in many cases looking on from the sideline at club games. The County Board have endorsed this as it is rule and the relevant Liaison Officers will be notifying the Managers. The rule is set out below and all are available on the Cork GAA Website as when there is some muck about they are used and well known to some.

Rule 38: -  Bye-Laws 2015 -  Coiste Chontae Chorcaí

Senior Inter-County Players shall be only forbidden to play with their Clubs in the 6 days prior to an Inter-County Championship engagement, except for All-Ireland Finals, when 13 days shall apply.  In the event of the above, the Player's Club Championship fixtures shall be automatically postponed on application to Divisional Committee or County Committee in question.

Rebel Óg East U16 “C” Grade Championship.

Castlelyons 7-27 Kiltha Óg 0-9

This was always going to be an interesting game as Castlelyons were pitted against Kiltha Óg, an amalgamation of two strong intermediate clubs, Castlemartyr and Dungourney.  Furthermore, this is their second team as they also have an “A” Grade team.    Rebel Óg is now on the go since 2011 and one would expect that the grading and match ups would be even but this was not the case as this was a runaway victory for Castlelyons.  So the interest really was on standard and grading with the recent talk on Cork hurling matters by the Coaching Officer and a review of Rebel Óg.

Castlelyons started at whirlwind pace and had five points through Shane Flynn, Conor McCarthy and Jack Kenny 0-2 on the board before Kiltha Óg registered their first score from Darragh Cashman.  Our lads played mighty stuff with good angles, clearances down the line and finding their men all the time as they seemed to have so much time on the ball.  Then when great work by Conor McCarthy set up David Morrison for a fine goal it was as good as game over.  We continued to pile on the pressure and the scores and had a massive lead at half time which we added to handsomely in the second half. 

It was not the fault of Castlelyons that the opposition were weak and it gave us the opportunity of learning and freedom of hurling expression on the night.  We have very established lads already in Jack Kearney and Jack Kenny.  Gavin O Neill was good in goals with Eoin O Neill and Peter Hegarty doing well outside him.  The half line of Leon Doocey, Conor McCarthy and Peter Roche are all cracking hurlers and of course the forwards Shane Cotter, the Morrison’s Richard and David, and Shane Flynn can all take their chances.  They look a fine outfit.  There may be tougher days ahead but I think Castlelyons are well up for it and well done to Mark Flynn and his selectors are doing a fine job.

Spare a thought for Kiltha Óg who must be a bit demoralised after such a defeat.  The 12-a-side is really tough when you are under so much pressure.  They had some fine players who kept going all through in goalie Peter Nestor, corner back Tom Sweeney, midfield Niall Morgan and forwards Ronan Hayes and Darragh Cashman.

Bon Voyage to Darragh Lawlor.

Best wishes to our player Darragh Lawlor who is travelling to the USA and taking up work there for the summer. 

En vacentes en France.

Wishing our players Cian O Neill and Darragh Beausang a great time in France at the soccer.  Take it easy out in Bordeaux lads as we need you for a bit of hurling when ye get back.

Congratulations to Grainne McCarthy.

Congrats and well done to Grainne McCarthy who won the Cork Camogie Under 16 Long Puck competition last weekend and now goes on to represent cork in the All Ireland series.  This was an extra special weekend for the McCarthy family as her dad John was a happy selector with the Castlelyons intermediate team who beat Courceys.

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