Castlelyons GAA Notes week ended 17.5.21. 2021-05-19 11:22:00

Our Underage are really enjoying the training again.

Our coaches ensure a warm welcome for the kids and making training a great experience. Castlelyons are catering for all ages with a good balanced approach and making the connection with each player. The Under 11’s were in action in the main pitch on Saturday and despite some nasty showers the boys were going well, and one would have to be impressed by the fetching and the striking of both sides. The coaches of this group are Declan Wallace, Kieran Barrett, and Simon Barry. Simon was missing as was his son Tommy who sustained a nasty finger injury during the week.

Rebel Óg Underage Fixtures.

Moving on again and now we have the real action as our underage teams will be back in competitive action in early June.  Rebel Óg have now prepared and circulated their fixture plan.  They are ready to go for the season starting with hurling on week one and football on week two.  Castlelyons fixtures for early June.  Beir Bua.

  • Wednesday 9.6.21 East Fe18 Div 2 Hurling 7.30pm:  Castlelyons v Fr O Neills in Castlelyons. 
  • Friday 11.6.21 East Fe13 Group 5 Hurling 700pm: Brian Dillons v Castlelyons in Brian Dillons. 
  • Saturday 12.6.21 East Fe15 Div 2 Hurling 12md:  Castlelyons v St Colmans in Castlelyons. 
  • Monday 14.6.21 East Fe12 Group 2 Football League 7pm:  Bride Rovers v Castlelyons in Bride Rovers.

Special Training in main Pitch on Tuesday evening.

There was a céad míle fáilte to Páirc O Laoighaire on Tuesday evening for a great group "Little Friends, Little Needs" as they care for children with special / additional needs. Thanks to Carol Shanahan and Cathriona Barry who organised the group.  Simon Barry of our juvenile club and Kieran Higgins brought a load of gear and equipment.  The children had great fun and games and there was so much enjoyment for all. Well done too to all the Mams & Dads. On this Tuesday evening we will have senior star and teacher Colm Barry to assist the lads together with Sean Crowley, games development officer from Rebel Óg will attend also. No doubt, the 5pm to 6pm on Tuesday evenings will now be a regular slot of fun and games for this great group.

Training and Games – take great care to protect us all from COVID 19.

The pitches are almost full every evening Saturdays and Sundays.  Just to note that we are far from safe from the pandemic to date and restrictions to protect us from COVID 19 are still in place.  Accordingly, return to play protocols need to be followed strictly. Please re-register yourselves for Return to Play online at returntoplay.gaa.ie.  Parents and /or guardians is staying to watch their child at training (for child safe-guarding reasons), please ensure social distancing and always follow the public health guidelines.  Parents should not congregate in groups before, during or after sessions, outside of what is permitted in current Government regulations.  Remember the basics, maintain your social distance, wear a clean face covering when distancing can’t be achieved, wash your hands regularly & reduce your social contacts where possible to an absolute minimum.

Niall O’Leary hurling well with the Rebels.

We had a feast of games on both Saturday and Sunday evenings on the TV as the Allianz Leagues are now in full swing.  Tuning into the Cork versus Tipperary game in Thurles Donal Óg Cusack was talking up the Rebels chances and they done well with a draw against Tipperary in Semple Stadium. Our own star Niall O’Leary lined out at corner back for the Rebels and had another cracking game as Tipperary levelled it at the end with a monster free from Jason Forde. The Cork panel is strong and competition for places are keen. Niall is fast becoming a Rebel star as he is building up a strong line of form in this rapid-fire League. No doubt we will see more of him when the sun rises higher.  Great to have a man on the county side and that feel-good factor is about the place.  Also, his great example is helping our juvenile interest in the games go sky high.  Our other county player Colm Spillane is injured at present, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Focusing on the whistle blower is not the real story.  

The GAA Congress 2021 was historic as it was held in a virtual manner through the medium of the internet with attendees tuning in from the lockdown of their homes. However, there were some massive rule changes introduced. The big one was preventing a goal-scoring opportunity with a cynical foul, when advantage should be played.  In hurling, a team is now awarded a penalty if one of their players has a goal-scoring opportunity and is pulled down, tripped, or struck carelessly with a hurley while he’s inside the opposition 20-metre line or semi-circular arc. The player who commits the foul will be yellow-carded and sin-binned for 10 minutes. 

In the last few years, a professional approach to the amateur game of hurling has brought it to new heights of quality entertainment.   Backroom teams are all highly qualified and have their players seriously conditioned, well coached, and super fit.  But we all have heard chat about the physicality of some teams and how they seem to get away with it. Could it be that some county(s) being more traditionalist and not in favour of such physicality were cute in influencing rule changes. 

These rules were not introduced anonymously behind a desk in Croke Park but rather they came from country influencers onto the Congress Clár.  Then there was overall agreement from the county boards attendees before the rules were introduced or changed.  Of course, as Congress was held in virtual format the bearpit of debate was sadly lacking so one could contend that rules changes had an easy passage to the rule book. The referees were brought up to speed on changes and defining a goal scoring opportunity to ensure consistency in implementation.  The GAA national match officials outlined that all referees were well briefed and ready to whistle for the leagues.

Well over the last two weeks all we hear is concern about how hurling is being refereed.  Managers are complaining about the free count against their team, the tackles are rerun on TV and we even have a manager accusing his opponents of embarrassing simulation. Picture the poor referees in all this and all I can say it is egregious to blindly accuse them of causing this furore.  There is serious pressure on managers as their selectors dress up contrary to rules as hurley carriers pitchside and teams to prove their worth, avoid defeat, avoid relegation.  Players are running mad and taking too many steps, passing the sliotar with a throw rather than handpass and fouling around the goal in breach of the new rule.  The possession game is getting serious with layoffs to runners across the lines like rugby moves with the oval ball.  While pundits agree on fouls of extra steps taken and physical checks in their live commentary, they change to a populist tune later in TV and newspaper reports.

In that famous play Hamlet was talking about his stepfather getting all liquored up and engaging in shenanigans.  Hamlet said the stepfather was honouring rules in the breach rather than the observance. There are a lot of plays in hurling at present with some serious shenanigans going on and even the old rules are not honoured so it’s wrong to focus on the whistle blower. The next few weeks will be good.  Enjoy.

Castlelyons GAA Weekly Lotto on the rise as Jackpot hits €12,600. 

This week’s draw was held Monday 17.5.21 and the numbers drawn were 9, 17, 19 and 28. There was no winner, and the Jackpot is now at €12,600. The Lucky Dip winners were as follows: - 

  1. Noreen Fitzgerald. 
  2. Cathy Drislane.
  3. John Murphy.
  4. Karen Kearney.
  5. Emily Delaney. 
  6. Seamus Sexton.
  7. Padraig O’Brien.
  8. Mark Henley.

The results of the Club Lotto are published on both the Avondhu and social media.  The next draw is Monday 24.5.21 at the Centre. Thanks so much for your support and please advise your friends that they can play our Lotto, ONLINE or purchase tickets from the usual outlets.

Votes of Sympathy.

Castlelyons GAA wish to extend sincere sympathy to the O’Brien family Ballyduff, Co. Waterford and Coole, Castlelyons on the passing of Paddy O’Brien. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a ainm dílis.

Club Main Sponsor: ZEUS Packaging Group.

Notes by Kieran McGann PRO





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