This coming Saturday October 22nd and Sunday October 23rd we ask that all players, mentors and supporters stand united in full support of our referees with a national Respect the Referee Day. Without referees there would be no games to attend and enjoy. Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy has penned the below article for Respect the Referee Day ahead of the games this weekend.
cathail o’mahony of ballygiblin races away Picture: George Hatchell
Match Report by Stephen Barry Irish Examiner
Ballygiblin have made it back-to-back county championships as late goals from Seán O’Sullivan and Darragh Flynn ensured they became the inaugural Cork Premier Junior Hurling champions.
It was a victory that looked likely from a long way out after Michael O’Sullivan’s 25th-minute red card for interfering with Mark Keane’s helmet, and confirmed when outscoring Tracton by 2-3 to 0-1 between the 47th and 58th minutes.
Joseph O’Sullivan hit 0-10, split evenly between frees and play, in a man-of-the-match performance as Fionn Herlihy lifted the Jimmy O’Mahony Cup.
A quirk of Cork’s championship restructure means Ballygiblin now advance to defend their Munster Junior title, beginning against Grangemockler/Ballyneale of Tipperary in three weeks’ time.
Tracton joint-captain Michael O’Sullivan had an eventful 20-odd minutes on the field. He got the opening goal after only 25 seconds, spent two minutes off the field with a blood injury sustained in finishing to the net, and then was sent off with the game poised at 0-7 to 1-3.
Tracton dominated those opening minutes but took only one of their five attempts at the posts after the goal – Mark Byrne with the first of two points from play – as Ballygiblin worked their way into the game.
Graham Webb was excellent in a sweeping role for Tracton while Rory Sinclair limited the influence of Cork U20 Flynn (0-1 in the first half) but the North Cork side had a variety of threats. Joseph O’Sullivan was able to find space away from Webb to score three points from play and added another three frees, while Shane Beston (0-2, one assist) and Cathail O’Mahony (0-1, two assists) were rampaging down the wings.
Keane showed his class mirroring Webb’s role for Ballygiblin and he was given more scope to advance after O’Sullivan’s red card also freed up James Mullins.
The teams were level four times in the second quarter but Beston and Joseph O’Sullivan pushed Ballygiblin 0-10 to 1-5 ahead at half-time.
Flynn moved out the field and set up two points, with O’Mahony (0-3 in the third quarter) and Joseph O’Sullivan (0-2) both profiting, but four Tracton frees (three by Walsh, one by David Byrne) kept them hanging in there, 0-15 to 1-9.
Joseph O’Sullivan and Walsh traded a couple of missed frees but Ballygiblin’s scoring spread come to the fore against their tiring opponents with an unanswered 1-3 streak. Joseph O’Sullivan and Flynn hit points before Seán O’Sullivan, brought out the field, found space to run into. And when O’Mahony’s subsequent shot was saved, O’Sullivan forced it – just – over the line on 50 minutes. Joseph O’Sullivan’s point made it 1-18 to 1-9.
Conor McGuinness hit Tracton’s first point from play in 32 minutes but Ballygiblin made it safe; Seán O’Sullivan again running into space and feeding Flynn, who finished at the second attempt.
J O’Sullivan (0-10, 5 frees); D Flynn (1-3, 0-1 free); C O’Mahony (0-4); S O’Sullivan (1-0); S Beston (0-2).
R Walsh (0-5 frees); M Byrne (0-4, 2 frees); M O’Sullivan (1-0); D Byrne (0-2 frees); C McGuinness (0-1).
C Noonan; L Finn, F Herlihy (capt), J Mullins; B Coffey, M Keane, M Lewis; R Donegan, K Roche; D Flynn, J O’Sullivan, S Beston; C O’Mahony, S O’Sullivan, D Barry.
D Sheehan for Barry (41), K Duggan for Beston (60), C O’Brien for Finn (60), P Malloy for J O’Sullivan (60+3).
K Lyons; D Good, T McGuinness (j-capt), R Sinclair; K Webb, G Webb, C McGuinness; J Good, D O’Flaherty; D Byrne, M O’Sullivan (j-capt), M Byrne; D Harrington, P O’Riordan, R Walsh.
D Kidney for O’Sullivan (3-5, blood), C Quinn for O’Riordan (41), D Kidney for M Byrne (45), J Kingston for Walsh (50), M Byrne for O’Flaherty (56), S O’Sullivan for Quinn (59), E Kingston for Harrington (60+2).
W Wallace (Aghada).
Kilshannig Instrumental Music Group, winners in the Munster Scór Sinsir Finals receive their trophies from Ger Ryan, Chairman, Munster GAA and Margaret Whelan, Chairperson, Munster Scór. Picture John Tarrant
Munster Scor Sinsir Final
Kilshannig Instrumental Music enjoyed success at the 2022 Munster Scór Sinsir Final hosted in the presence of a capacity attendance in Cappamore, Co. Limerick.
Chairman of Munster GAA Council, Ger Ryan presented the provincial silverware along with Cathaoirleach Coiste Scór na Mumhan, Mairéad Uí Fhaoláin.
The newly crowned Munster Champions go forward to Craobh Scór Sinsir na hÉireann which will be held on Saturday, November 12 in Castlebar.
Torthaí
Rince Foirne: Newcastle (Tiobraid Árann)
Amhráiníocht Aonar: Mark O’Leary (Gneeveguilla, Ciarraí)
Aithriseoireacht: Noel Joyce (JK Brackens, Tiobraid Árann)
Bailéad Ghrúpa: Newport’(Tiobraid Árann)
Nuachleas: Newport (Tiobraid Árann)
Ceol Uirlise: Kilshannig (Corcaigh)
Rince Seit: Gneeveguilla(Ciarraí)
Tráth na gCeist: (1) Monaleen (Luimneach), (2) Churchill (Ciarraí), (3) Millstreet (Corcaigh)
Barrs captain Billy Hennessy lifts the cup after their win in the Co-Op Superstores Premier Senior Hurling Championship final. Picture: Larry Cummins
Match Report by Denis Hurley of the Echo
St Finbarr’s 2-14 Blackrock 1-7
St Finbarr’s are Cork hurling champions for the first time since 1993 after they got the better of Blackrock at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon.
In horrible conditions, a crowd of 15,165 was present to see the Togher club end their long wait, with second-half goals from Brian Hayes and Conor Cahalane pushing them past the challenge of the 2020 champions.
Leading by a point, 0-9 to 1-5, at half-time after playing with the wind, the Barrs had to withstand early second-half pressure from Blackrock. Alan Connolly set up Michael O’Halloran for a Rockies goal opportunity but Glenn O’Connor got in a great block. After that let-off, the Barrs pushed four ahead on 37 minutes. When Conor Cahalane won a loose ball just outside the Blackrock 20m line, he drove towards goal and then picked out Hayes with a handpass, allowing the dual star to bat home.
Ben Cunningham’s 65 soon after that moved them five clear. Though Connolly replied with a Blackrock free after he himself had been fouled, St Finbarr’s struck for their second goal as Twomey’s pass set Cahalane away and he produced a clever finish to ensure another green flag. It meant that Twomey had provided assists to the value of 1-5.
A seven-point lead became eight as sub William Buckley marked his arrival with a point. Though Shane O’Keeffe did score another for Blackrock, Cunningham’s eighth and Buckley’s second meant there was a nine-point margin as the game moved into injury time.
Though Blackrock did look to have pulled a goal back, it was ruled out and Cunningham, having just been named Man of the Match, added his ninth at the death to spark wild celebrations.
With Ben O’Connor and Ethan Twomey getting a foothold at midfield, the Barrs made early use of the elements at their backs.
While their opener by Pádraig Buggy was answered by a good Daniel Meaney point for the Rockies, three in a row from the Barrs gave them a nice cushion as Buggy and Ben Cunningham (two) were on target. They might even have had a goal as Cunningham found Brian Hayes with a good pass but Conor O’Brien averted the danger.
Though Blackrock had not made much headway in the opening ten minutes, there were signs that they could find space in the Barrs defence and they were level as Tadhg Deasy’s pass for Mark O’Keeffe opened things up and he sent a low shot beyond Shane Hurley to the net.
When Michael O’Halloran won the subsequent puckout and fired the ball back over the bar, the Church Road side were in front for the first time, but the Barrs responded well.
Cunningham’s free had them level and then, after Damien Cahalane got in a great block on a Robbie Cotter shot at the other end, Cunningham landed a 65 before Twomey set him up for his fifth point of the evening.
After a half-chance of a goal for O’Halloran, he was crowded out at the expense of a 65, which Alan Connolly converted for his first of the day, but Hayes made it 0-8 to 1-3 for the Barrs on 25 minutes, showing good awareness to create space from another Twomey assist.
As half-time approached, Blackrock drew level, with Mark O’Keeffe setting up Connolly and then his brother Shane O’Keeffe for points, but in the third minute of injury time Twomey forced a turnover, allowing Ben Cunningham to give the Barrs the interval lead with his sixth point.
Blackrock might have been happier going in given how the first half had gone, the second half belonged to the Barrs.
Scorers for St Finbarr’s: Ben Cunningham 0-9 (0-3 frees, 0-2 65), Brian Hayes 1-1, Conor Cahalane 1-0, William Buckley, Pádraig Buggy 0-2 each.
Scorers for Blackrock: Alan Connolly 0-3 (0-1 65), Mark O’Keeffe 1-0, Shane O’Keeffe 0-2, Michael O’Halloran, Daniel Meaney 0-1 each.
ST FINBARR’S: Shane Hurley; Jamie Burns, Cian Walsh, Eoin Keane; Glenn O’Connor, Damien Cahalane, Billy Hennessy; Ben O’Connor, Ethan Twomey; Pádraig Buggy, Conor Cahalane, Ben Cunningham; Eoghan Finn, Brian Hayes, Jack Cahalane.
Subs: William Buckley for Finn (48), Ciarán Doolan for Keane (55-56, temporary), S Cunningham for Buggy (60), Colm Keane for Jack Cahalane (60).
BLACKROCK: Gavin Connolly; Conor O’Brien, John Cashman, Stephen Murphy; Cathal Cormack, Alan O’Callaghan, Niall Cashman; Daniel Meaney, Mark O’Keeffe; Michael O’Halloran, Shane O’Keeffe, Tadhg Deasy; Kevin O’Keeffe, Robbie Cotter, Alan Connolly.
Subs: John O’Sullivan for Cotter (46), Ciarán Cormack for O’Halloran (53), David O’Farrell for M O’Keeffe (54).
Referee: Simon Stokes (Tullylease).
PIHC Final Castlemartyr v Inniscarra Picture: George Hatchell
Report by Rory Noonan of the Echo
Castlemartyr 0-15 Inniscarra 1-12
CASTLEMARTYR and Inniscarra will have to do it all again next Saturday after they drew in the Co-Op Superstores Premier Intermediate Hurling championship final at Páirc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday, in conditions the were better suited to going swimming in.
There was little between the sides all through and a draw was probably a fair result in the end and both sides deserved another day out, hopefully in far better weather conditions. Castlemartyr did have a chance to win it at the death but Mike Kelly’s effort from a free went narrowly wide to give them both another day out.
Both sides missed chances to open the scoring before Eoghan Martin set up Joe Stack to raise the first white flag for Castlemartyr, three minutes in.
A minute later and Inniscarra had a chance to open their account with Colm Casey bearing down on goal but Darragh Joyce was quickly off his line to deny him. Seven minutes in, as the rain eased somewhat, the East Cork side got their second point, with Mike Kelly scoring from a free.
It took Inniscarra nine minutes to get off the mark when Liam Ryan and Cork star Seán O’Donoghue combined to play David O’Keeffe in to score.
Kelly replied at the other end before Fergal O’Leary got Inniscarra’s second white flag to make it 0-3 to 0-2 after 12 minutes play.
Inniscarra had another goal chance when Owen McCarthy played a defence-splitting pass to Jack Harrington, but the slippery conditions saw him drop the ball when he was clean through on goal.
Two minutes later and they were back on level terms when McCarthy pointed from a free and Harrington made up for his earlier miss to put them in front for the first time in the 16th minute. Andrew McCarthy got their fifth as Inniscarra led 0-5 to 0-3 after 20 minutes.
O’Leary added another as Inniscarra were now enjoying the better of the exchanges with Liam Ryan dominating from centre-back at this stage.
Further white flags from O’Leary and Colm Casey increased their lead as Castlemartyr missed a number of chances to raise white flags.
In the last minute of the half, they had two goal chances with Harrington clearing off the line first from a Stack effort and then Sean Sheehan blocked magnificently to deny Barry Lawton.
With the last shot of the half, Ciaran Joyce got a much-needed point for Castlemartyr as they trailed by 0-4 to 0-7 at the break.
They followed it up with the opening white of the second half when Eoghan Martin kicked the sliothar over the bar.
Barry Lawton got their sixth and now there was only one between the sides as the East Cork outfit started much the brighter of the two teams.
O’Leary made it a two-point game again before Kelly pointed from another placed ball to make it 0-7 to 0-8 after 37 minutes.
A mistake in the Castlemartyr defence saw O’Donoghue raise another white flag for Inniscarra as the heavens opened again.
Kelly replied from another free but Casey raised a white flag at the other end to keep two between the sides.
Barry Lawton was on target again and when Stack raised another white flag it was a one-point game, 0-10 to 0-11. It could have easily been a goal as John O’Keeffe got a touch to his shot that just as easily ended up in the back of the net.
With 53 minutes gone the sides were level with Kelly pointing and all to play for with seven minutes to go.
O’Donoghue put Inniscarra back in front but again Castlemartyr responded with Stack on target.
Lawton had another effort on goal saved before Kelly pointed from a free to put them in front as the game ended injury-time. Another free from Kelly put two between the sides.
But the drama wasn’t over yet as subs Padraig Holland and Kieran Rice combined to see the latter raise the only green flag of the afternoon.
Again full credit to Castlemartyr as they didn’t panic and Stack split the posts to make it 0-15 to 1-12 going in the last minute of injury time.
With injury time up Joyce burst forward out of the defence and when he was fouled Kelly had a chance to win it but it went just wide to see a thrilling encounter end all square and go to a replay.
M Kelly (0-7, 0-5 f), J Stack (0-4), Barry Lawton (0-2), C Joyce, and E Martin (0-1 each).
K Rice (1-0), F O’Leary (0-3), C Casey, O McCarthy (0-1 free) and S O’Donoghue (0-2 each), J Harrington, D O’Keeffe and A McCarthy (0-1 each).
D Joyce; C Martin, D Moran, B O’Tuama; J Lawton, C Joyce, J Stack; Brian Lawton, C Sice; J McGann, M Kelly, Barry Lawton; A Kelly, J Stack, E Martin.
P Fleming for C Martin (ht), B McGann for E Martin, (54), D Leahy for A Kelly, M Cosgrave for C Sice (both 58),
J O’Keeffe; D Keane, B O’Mahony, J O’Sullivan; J Harrington, L Ryan, S Sheehan; J Enright, A McCarthy; C Casey, S O’Donoghue, F O’Leary; D O’Keeffe, D O’Connell, O McCarthy.
K Rice for D O’Connell (45), P Holland for D O’Keeffe (58),
Shane Scanlon, Newcestown.
