All Square between Castlelyons and Carrigtwohill in U21 “A” HC but good result.

Castlelyons 4-10 Carrigtwohill 0-22.

Well it was off to Ballinacurra on Thursday evening for the East Cork U21A Hurling Championship. The evening was a roaster but the pitch good and the referee Cathal McAllister on the whistle. We were treated to a very good game of hurling game of hurling as our lads gave it everything over the hour. We had a great start as Jack Kenny and David Morrison had a goal apiece to put us 2-0 to 0-1 up and Mark Spillane added another point for us. However, Carrigtwohill began to take over and applied a lot of pressure. John Paul Murphy saved us on two occasions with massive saves and generally his ball fetching around goal was excellent. Our full back line of Eoin O Neill, Michael Buckley and Conor McCarthy held well against strong Carrig forwards led by their marquee forwards Liam Gosnell and Daire Crotty and they began to shoot a bit from outfield as they scored 0-8 on the trot to head us by a point after twenty minutes.

Credit our young backroom team here of Colm Barry, Darragh Lawlor and Eoin Maye. They made good moves with positive advice too. The lads responded and despite Ian O Riordan having gone injured which was a major blow to us we came back very well as Barry Murphy put over two valuable points and Richard Morrison crashed home a mighty goal. The hurling was excellent from both teams as Carrig really tried to reduce our lead but now the found our own man Niall O Leary in top form at centre back well assisted by Andrew O Neill and Shane Bargery. Peter Roche did a lot of tidying up at midfield and Mark Spillane with 0-2 from play with Richard Morrison 0-1 helped keep us in front on the score 3-6 to 0-12 on the half time whistle.

The referee Cathal McAllister is known for leaving the play flow and this certainly heightened the tempo of the second half. We thought at times we were due a few frees but they didn’t come our way but fair play to all the lads they were up for it. Carrig came within a point of us but P Roche and M Spillane has 0-1 apiece but then Carrig came level with their own county man Aaron Barry Walsh going at centre back. But our own man Niall was dominating too. He sent in a high ball into the edge of the square and young Seamus Morrison doubled on it to the net. This was the one we wanted as we were three up again with just ten minutes left. Brendan Geary came on for Richard Morrison. Peter Roche and Jack Kenny had good points for us. Carrigtwohill, who would have played up the grades at minor level and had a strong panel, finished out the game well to come back and Aaron Barry Walsh put over the equaliser with time up.

Overall this was a good result with Jamie and Keith O Leary injured and Ian O Riordan having to come off injured. Well done to all the lads and especially to the backroom team who made cute moves and got a lot out of the team. We are still in the championship as it is a kind of Super Six with two groups of three and our next outing is against the ‘Hill down for the end of the month.

Team: - John Paul Murphy, Eoin O Neill, Conor McCarthy, Michael Buckley, Andrew O Neill, Niall O Leary, Ian O Riordan, Peter Roche, Mark Spillane, David Morrison Barry Murphy, Jack Ronayne, Shane Bargery, Jack Kenny and Richard Morrison. Subs: - Shane Bargery, Seamus Morrison, Seamus Geary ( all played during the game and made a valuable contribution).

Castlelyons go to the top of Division 1 Hurling League.

Castlelyons 4-20 Ballinhassig 1-19

Castlelyons were at home to Ballinhassig last Tuesday evening in what was our first home Division 1 hurling league game of the year. Our pitch was in reasonable order despite the current drought and hot weather but there was a massive hop to the sliotar and it was tough on the feet. We made a poor start as Ballinhassig ran into 5 points to 1 lead, but Ml Spillane sent over a second for us on the first quarter and there was a much-needed time out for a water break. We came into the game big time as Jack Barry began to rifle accurate puckouts and Darragh Lawlor fed Niall O Leary for a good point and Barry Murphy scored on a pass from Ciarán McGann.

We were now getting on top as Alan Fenton and Niall O Leary both scored 0-1 from frees to put us in the lead. The hurling was now good and tough as Ballinhassig showed their mettle in going 0-10 to 0-7 ahead with their great scores in between a point from Alan Fenton. However, one could not but admire our lads who were standing up to opponents who so often in the past held control against us. Our full back line of Brian Carroll, Robbie Feeney and especially young Liam Moroney (full) got on top inside and made some great clearances and Niall O Leary, Alan Fenton and Michael Spillane had some great points to leave us 0-11 to 0-10 on the short whistle.

Ballinhassig forced a hectic pace on the resumption on the resumption but this time our half back line of Tom Carroll, Aidan O Sullivan and young Conor McCarthy who came on for Niall O Leary at the interval withstood pressure. There was a great interplay between Ml Spillane Alan Fenton who laid off to Ciarán McGann who buried a great goal to put us ahead again. We did concede a goal to Ballinhassig, but Alan Fenton had 0-4 from play and frees the last one after a terrible foul on Eoin Maye.

The game had a serious edge to it as M Spillane, C McGann and Barry Murphy had 0-1 each with Ronan Fenton working hard to leave it 1-13 to 1-17 with then minutes to go. Now Darragh Lawlor and, of course Eoin Maye began to show savage fitness and picking up a lot of ball about midfield and helping defence. Ballinhassig had closed the gap to two when Ciarán McGann blocked down a clearance and parted to Michael Spillane who banged in another goal and Ronan O Regan added yet another goal after opening the Ballinhassig defence with good running. We tacked on a few more points for a convincing 4-20 to 1-19 win.

This game had a championship edge to it. Castlelyons were missing Colm Spillane with Cork and Niall O Leary could only play the half hour. We are still down a few marquee players through injury but well done to young players Liam Moroney and Conor McCarthy both hardy men able to give it and take it in the heart of the defence and contributed so much to this win. Ballinhassig were down their intercounty men the Collins brothers and a few other good players too. We are now head of the IHL Division One, which is is fiercely competitive with only a few points between the sides so let’s not get carried away but keep up the good work lads.

Team: - Jack Barry, Brian Carroll, Liam Moroney, Robby Feeney, Tom Carroll, Aidan O Sullivan, Niall O Leary, Darragh Lawlor, Eoin Maye, Barry Murphy, Alan Fenton, Ronan Fenton, Michael Spillane, Ciarán McGann, Ronan O Regan. Subs: - Shane O Sullivan Shane Moroney, David Morrison, Noel McAuliffe, Peter Roche, Conor McCarthy, Mark Spillane.

Result of our Weekly Lotto of the 16.7.18. 

The numbers drawn were 2, 5, 12 and 28 There was no winner. There were eight "Lucky Dip" winners of €20 each as follows: - Martina Minihane, Mary Murphy (Abbey), Maura O Sullivan, Mary Long, David Stack, Declan Whelan, Martina O Regan and John Drislane.

The Jackpot is now €10, 200 and our next draw is Monday 23^rd July at 9.30 pm in the Club Bar. Thanks for your support and please remind your friends that they can play our Lotto Online or purchase from the usual sources.

Dry Spell.

This is a tough year on pitches as the Beast from the East hit us hard. There was a lot of damage done to our own pitch and surrounds as the goalposts, nettings and trees took a battering. Well done to John Healy and his field committee who done great work in restoring the playing surface and all possible repairs. Now the warm summer in line with the scarcity of water is posing problems for playing surfaces again as we are at the other extreme and the ground is extremely hard. These conditions present the players with difficulties and it is imperative to have suitable footwear and ensure good hydration before and during games. A study done by Kimberly DeAnna outlines that “If the air temperature is 25 degrees for a game combined with the water vapour a player is losing, their body temperature can rise to 49 degrees centigrade”. That’s massive energy being used up so the advice for management and players is please take all possible care.

Death of Rev. Fr. Martin O Riordan.

One of our former greats the late Fr Martin O Riordan went to his eternal reward. Fr Martin O Riordan was educated at St Colman’s and studied for the priesthood at the Irish College in Rome. On ordination he was a member of staff at the Vatican and returned to Ireland where he was chaplain in Youghal, curate in Ladysbridge and then appointed to the parish of Lisgoold in 1991. He was an outstanding hurler and was on the first Castlelyons team to capture the Junior A Hurling title in 1955 together with his two brothers Tom Joe and Michael (both RIP) . That 1955 final was a hectic derby versus St Catherines and in a welter of excitement Fr Martin put over the winning point for Castlelyons as we took it 3-10- to 4-6. Always a great supporter of our club he saw his nephews William and Martin have many East Cork and County success with Castlelyons in the nineties with William captaining Imokilly to a county senior title in 1998. The late Fr O Riordan was an avid reader, writer and published two books of poetry. The Castlelyons Club extends deepest sympathies to his sisters-in- law Moira and Ronnie, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a ainm dílis.

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