PIHC – ‘Winner take All’ on Friday Evening.

Castlelyons face the might of Fr O Neills in a ‘winner take all’ premier intermediate hurling championship in Killeagh at 7.30 pm this Friday evening (23.6.17). Both teams fell at the first hurdle last April as Charleville defeated Fr O Neills on the score 1-16 to 2-12 and we were well beaten by Kanturk 3-12 to 1-13 on the same day. Now just north of six months into the year its very early for a team to go out of the championship. Both sides have strong support and there will be good interest from other clubs so hopefully we will have a bumper crowd and a cracking game as there is so much at stake.

The Fr O Neills men, all born to wear the red and the green, are really motoring this year. When one looks at their improvement it shows that when they played Charleville in the PIHC two years ago there was twenty points adrift but this year Charleville were lucky to scrape home by one point. Of course, O Neill’s are last year’s intermediate champions. They are also second in the Division One of the League with just three defeats and look the real deal. Their trainer Noel Furlong is a real tactician and in his strategy bag he often pulls the lively Billy Dunne and powerful Declan Dalton into a two-man full forward line and will often use strong man Eoin Conway at full in a trad line up. He also uses Cillian Broderick as a third midfielder who pushes up at speed with gut busting runs forward. Mark O Keeffe is a lynchpin of the Imokilly senior team. They are very strong at the back also with Billy Murphy and Paudie Butler unyielding as the word is all are in top form and deserve the favourites tag.

The Castlelyons manager, Mick Spillane, has a tougher scenario with several injuries and exams. Darren Tobin has suffered a serious knee injury and we wish him well in recovery. Jack Barry, Alan Fenton and Anthony Spillane are all nursing injuries with Jamie and Niall O Leary sitting their Leaving Cert and some more just completed third level exams. Our performance to date have been a little patchy as we had a mighty first half in the Kanturk game but fell off in the second half both in hurling and opponent tactics. However, we had had some great results in the league and we are now second in Division 2 and shown good form in recent challenge games. Overall, our lads have given excellent commitment this year. Surely, we will have learned from the Ballinhassig tactics over the last two years and if we have a good game plan ourselves we have strong potential. The weather on Friday evening may be overcast, dry and warm and ideal for good hurling so let’s get the attitude and commitment up to top level and we can do the business. Best of luck to the lads and their management outfit. Castlelyons Abú.

Congrats to Cork Hurlers and our own Colm Spillane.

Well the story is getting better and the summer warmer. On the road to Thurles last Sunday even a bus felt the heat, the tar was melting along the road and many a body around the pubs in Thurles bubbled over as they waited for a four o’clock game. The atmosphere was hectic in the Stadium at throw in. Inside the white lines Waterford, the real favourites took on the growing favourites, the Rebels. Outside the lines sturdy athletic motivators “Big Dan” and “The Rock”, heroes of another era, directed the orchestra. Cork put two outstanding performances back to back and made Waterford look very ordinary as the Rebels took the day. 

Great to see our own Colm Spillane starring yet again in a full back line that is growing in confidence and getting serious accolades in the media. Well done Colm you are going mighty and congrats from the Club.

The question now is will Thurles hold the crowd on the 9^th July as Cork take on Clare in the Munster Final and will the poor Claremen get a terrible rolling over from the growing Cork juggernaut. Sure, we will have to wait on that! But you can’t bate being there.

Barry Murphy on Cork Minor Hurling for Munster Semi Final. 

Please note another big evening coming up in Thurles is Thursday the 29^th June as Cork take on Tipperary in the Munster minor hurling semi-final at 7.30 pm. Cork had a comprehensive victory over Waterford in Páirc Uí Rinn back in May showing great promise and the word is they are going well. That night our own Barry Murphy who had a hamstring injury prior to the game came on and done well scoring a fine point. He is now back in the groove bigtime and could well feature on the evening as his injury has cleared up. We wish Barry and the Cork team well in a tough assignment.

Castlelyons Weekly Lotto Draw Results 12.6.17 and 19.6.17.

The draw of the 12^th June 2017, was held in the Abbey Tavern. Numbers drawn were 19, 20, 24 and 30. There was no winner of the Jackpot Prize of €2,200 There were eight "Lucky Dip" winners as follows: - Michelle Tobin. Matt O Sullivan. Tony Coyne. Assumpta Mangan. Nora Hurley. Rachel Murphy. Colm Fenton. Liz C/O D O Leary.

Next draw will be held on Monday 19.6.17 in the Community Centre with the Jackpot now €2,400.

This week’s draw was held in the Club Bar on Monday 19^th June 2017. Numbers drawn were 5, 6, 12 and 13. There was no winner of the Jackpot Prize of €2,400 There were eight "Lucky Dip" winners as follows: - Maura O Sullivan. O O Sullivan. John Barry. Denis Fenton. Maureen Spillane. Helen Mackessey. Danny Healy. Meabh Coleman.

Next draw will be held on Monday 26^th June at 9.30 pm in the Community Centre. The Jackpot now €2,600.

Thanks as always for your great support and please advise your friends that they can purchase tickets Online or from the usual outlets.

Imokilly Grand Clubs Draw.

Imokilly GAA Division have launched a Grand Club Draw 2017 on Wednesday 24^th May. However, the sudden postponement of the opening of Páirc Uí Chaoimh was a blow but an immediate meeting of Imokilly Executive reviewed the Draw and we now have an even more attractive one by adding an extra year as follows: - The 1st Prize is Two Premium Seat Tickets for Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the rest of Season 2017 and all of Season 2018 which includes: - Two Premium Seats for all GAA matches played in the stadium for 2017 and 2018. Entry into a lottery for two All-Ireland final tickets if Cork are involved in the senior final 2017. Free entry for two to all Cork County Championship matches anywhere in Cork County for 2017 and 2018. A 2nd Prize of €150 and 3^rd Prize of €100.

This is an ideal way to support you Club as sixty per cent of ticket sales by the club goes direct to the club and the draw will be held on Thursday 19^th July 2017. Our new Chairman, Maurice Carroll, is coordinating this draw for our Club and the players have taken great interest also. Tickets cost just €10 and for each one sold the Club gets €6 with €4 returned to Imokilly. So, get your tickets and you can support your club, be a winner and in plush surroundings for the All-Ireland quarter finals on the 23^rd July.

Castlelyons in Abernethy Cup Semi Finals.

Our Intermediate hurlers because of their victory over Castlemartyr are now drawn against Cloyne in the semi-final of the East Cork intermediate championship. Fr O Neills face Sarsfields in the second semi-final. This has proved a great competition to date and hopefully we can go all the way. These games will be played on suitable dates.

Centenary Castlelyons Co-operative Creamery 1917 - 2017 

Congratulations to all who were involved in this great day last Friday and made it such a success. The Centenary Committee can be proud of their preparatory work and their work in the Glanbia representative structure. Well done also to the Book Committee of James Murphy, Marie Fitzgerald Murphy and Donal Howard as they have rekindled so many great memories. A special word of thanks to present Manager Mr Joe Barry who worked so hard to make the day special. May the vision and hard work of the founding fathers and people over the last century be a driver of the future. 

Club Main Sponsor: ZEUS Packaging Group.