Footballers play Grange in Junior Football Championship.

Junior Football Championship.

Cork’s confined Junior C football championship this weekend with nine teams and Castlelyons are in Group One with Grange and Abbey Rovers.  We play Grange on this Saturday evening the 26.4.25 at 7pm in Castlelyons with Peter O’Donovan down to referee it. Great to see the lads making an effort again in football this year as we did not play in the championship last year.  We have played a challenge game but were down a few players due to injury and lads opting for the sliotar.  Grange struggle at times for numbers too but have a strong tradition of football while playing recently in county finals and they will be favourites. Best of luck to the lads.

Rebel Óg East Division Under 12 Football League 

Castlelyons 6-5 Brian Dillons 2-0.

Our Under 12’s had their first outing in the football league on Monday evening.  It was a lovely calm evening after a showery day.  Our young team delighted with some great football against Brian Dillon.  The first goal came from a goalmouth melee and Tom Barry took a lively pass from Cian O’Donovan, moved in fast and sent a rocket to the net to put us two goals up.  Brian Dillons then took over and had a few wides.  Boddy Hosford made a few great saves, and his clearances were long and relieving. Points by Tom Barry and Rian Fitzgerald and a good goal from Robbie Milword put us 3-2 to no score up at half time. In the second half Dillons started strong but were off target a few times as Robbie Milword had a point for us and then Robbie Wallace had a goal followed by one from Callaghan McCarthy.  During the game Dillons did play well but were off target and at the end the finally got on the scoreboard with two good goals.  Well done to our boys and great to see such a good football played in Castlelyons.  Keep it up lads.  Thanks to referee Peter Cotter who came from the far side of the side after being refereeing Féile games all day in Bishopstown.  It would be great if we could get someone to take up the whistle as we are one of the few Clubs in the county without a referee.

Panel: - Bobby Hosford, Robbie Milward, Liam Cashman, Luke Dolan, Jack Cronin, Tom Barry, Robbie Wallace, Fionn O’Neill, Rian Fitzgerald, Liam Martin, Callaghan McCarthy, Cian O’Donovan, Diarmuid O hUallacháin, Mason White, Charlie White, Darragh McCarthy, Darren Buckley, Flynn Murphy and Eoghan McCarthy.

Rebel Óg East Division Under 18 Football League

Lisgoold 0-7 Castlelyons 8-10

Our Under 18 footballers travelled to Lisgoold last week and were outstanding against the locals as they powered t a comprehensive win.  They now have three wins from two defeating Kilworth and Lisgoold, but they travelled to St Vincents understrength and lost that one.  Well done lads. 

Team versus Lisgoold: Kevin Barry; Cathal Sheehan, Tom O’Neill, Darragh Bransfield; Darragh Flynn, Sean Óg McGuire, Oran Hickey; Dylan Leetch, Ronan Ryan; Sean Hussey, Sean O’Callaghan, Shane Hallihan; Kieran Murphy, Adam Lardner, Ronan Stack; Sub; Jude Hallihan who got game time.

Castlelyons GAA Lotto. 

The next Draw on Tuesday 22nd April due to the Bank Holiday with the Jackpot at €13,400 and results not in time for this week’s edition of the Avondhu.  However, the results will be up on social media and on next week’s edition. Thank you all for your support and don’t forget you can play our Lotto Online or purchase from the usual outlets.

East Cork Under 15 Ladies Football Féile.

Plate Winners Castlelyons 3-05 Castlemartyr 2-05.

There is no doubt it Cumann Peil na mBan has arrived big time in Castlelyons.  Our under fifteen girls entered this prestigious competition for the first time this year.  Easter Monday was showery with one heavy bang of rain but there was some bright sunshine too.  There was a big crowd in Castlelyons as teams from Kilworth, Castlemartyr, Whitescross, Rathpeacon and Castlelyons gathered.  The games started around 11am and as the games were played out there was little between the teams as one point was the difference in victory or defeat in many games.  Rathpeacon and Kilworth made the the cup final with victory going to Rathpeacon in a good game.

Castlelyons qualified for the plate final against a Castlemartyr side who had narrowly beaten us in the group stages. In a great game where both sides exchanged the lead several times, the Castlelyons girls finally came out on top. It all came down to a penalty in the last few minutes, superbly won by the hard work of Anna Quirke. Sarah O’Connor stepped up to take the penalty and it was well saved by the Castlemartyr, but Sarah made no mistake with the rebound, drilling it to the net. Castlemartyr had one last chance to attack and worked the ball to their danger woman, number 18, but a combination of the Leetch sisters, Natasha and Alaina smothered the attack and won the ball back, just as the referee blew the final whistle. These girls are the pioneers of Ladies Football in Castlelyons as the club was only founded four years ago by our Chairman John Leetch. John was very proud to see our captain Gemma Collins be presented with the first of hopefully many, LGFA trophies for Castlelyons. A special thanks to two referees who put in a long shift on Monday.

It is back to League action for our U13s this Sunday 26th April V Kilworth away at 11am.

Cork and Clare share the spoils in the Munster senior hurling championship on Sunday. 

The crowd around town on Easter Sunday in Ennis was bigger than a Fleadh Ceoil as Cork, Clare and indeed South Galway natives gathered for the game of the Champions.  Cork the recent league champions of 2025 and Clare the reigning All-Ireland champions of 2024. The Stadium filled fast to its capacity of just over 20,700 and I believe all hostelries in the town and surrounds were also full for the game.  In the opener Cork had a facile victory over Clare in the senior camogie championship.  

Cork played with the breeze in the first half and the game started at a hectic pace.  It was a bit niggly at times as players got to know each other again.  Cork lived up to their league form scoring two great goals and almost out of sight at half time as they led by twelve points.   Clare were first out after half time and looked like lost souls standing around waiting for Cork who delayed coming back out.  Well, when the second half started it was all Clare as they shot two goals and a few points to make a game of it.  Cork moved on again and led by ten points when Shane Barrett was given a red card on 57 minutes. Then it was Clare’s turn to come back and the even moved a point ahead and in a hectic struggle Cork levelled it before the full-time whistle.  On the injury side Conor Cleary did not start for Clare, Diarmuid Ryan had to come off with an ankle injury and Shane O’Donnell was not even togged.  Rob Downey Cork’s towering centre back had to go off in the second half with a knee injury and was a loss.  Our own Niall O’Leary lived up to his consistency as he had a great game and Brian Roche of Bride Rovers scored a vital point when he came on.

Next Sunday Tipperary come to the Páirc for a repeat of the league final and no doubt boosted by their draw with Limerick last Sunday.  The Rebels will be most anxious to convince their supporters that they are the real deal, and a win looks likely although they may have to shuffle the deck. 

Cork Footballers – So near and yet so far.

Cork took on red hot favourites Kerry in the Páirc on Saturday for the right to play Clare in the Munster Senior football final.  This was an outstanding game and proves that the recent review and introduction of some new rules have taken the game out of the doldrums and more than contributed to the spectacle we witnessed.  The game commenced and at 7pm did not finish until just after 9pm in a cauldron of excitement all though.  Cork more that match the might of the Kingdom but in extra time Kerry had four shots at goal and converted all while Cork had nine wides as they lost 1-25 to 3-21.  The lesson from this is that Cork football is still in good stead but now they must move on to prove this in the next stages during the summer.

Fixtures.

Rebel Óg East Division Under 12 hurling league Castlelyons v Whitechurch on Saturday 26.4.25 at 3pm in Castlelyons.

McCarthy Insurance Group confined Junior C Football Championship Grange v Castlelyons on Saturday 26.4.25 in Castlelyons at 7pm.

Rebel Óg East Division Under 16 football league Kilavullen v Castlelyons on Monday 28.4.25 at 6.30pm in Castlelyons.

Rebel Óg North Division Under 18 football league Castlelyons v Carrigtwohill on Wednesday 30.4.25 in Castlelyons at 6.30pm.

Notes by Kieran McGann PRO.

Club Sponsor: - East Cork Oil.