What’s new – Page 104

Co -Op Superstores Rebel Og Kicking Skills competition reached its conclusion

Co -Op Superstores Rebel Og Kicking Skills competition reached its conclusion on Saturday 3rd June in Pairc Ui Rinn . The county finalists consisted of all regional winners and three highest scoring losers in each age grade U12, U13, U14. This year represented the highest number of entries ever with a very high standard. It was great to see our stars of the future displaying their kicking skills.

The following were the winners:

U12 : St. Nicks

U13 : Carbery Rangers

U14 : Ibane Gaels

Conor Counihan Cork Football Co-Ordinator said, “The Kicking Skills Competition has again been a wonderful success and it continues to highlight the importance of a player’s ability to kick with both feet. We would also to thank Co-Op Superstores for their ongoing sponsorship and support of this annual competition”.

Dermot Foley , Retail Area Manager at Dairygold Co-Op Superstores said “Co-Op Superstores, the retail division of Dairygold, is hugely connected with the GAA community in parishes across Cork. We are proud to be involved with Rebel Og Coaching for another great competition this year and the talent and skills on display were a joy to witness. People Development is one of Dairygold’s core values and through this competition we are delighted to extend the opportunity to young aspiring footballers in Cork to develop their skill set”.

The winning teams were introduced to the crowd at half-time of the Cork v Kerry game on Saturday. All players who have achieved a 100% score in the regional qualifiers were awarded Golden Boot Awards for Excellence and were also introduced at half-time.

Teddy Mc Carthy, Cork GAA Icon RIP

Teddy McCarthy picture: George Hatchell

Cork GAA Chairman, Marc Sheehan described the late Teddy Mc Carthy as “a legend and Icon of Cork GAA, Sarsfields & Glanmire“. “There is great shock and sadness to hear of his untimely passing. Deepest sympathy of Cork GAA is extended to Teddy’s wife Oonagh, sons, Cian and Niall, daughter Sinead and extended family”

Known far and wide as ”Teddy Mac” he has the unique distinction of winning two All Ireland Senior Medals in Hurling and football within two weeks of each other in 1990 when Cork defeated Galway in the hurling decider 5-15 to 2-21 and gained a hard earned victory over Meath on a 0-11 to 0-09 score line.

An All Ireland Senior football winner in 1989 and All Star award from that year, Teddy won 3 All Ireland U21 football medals between 1984 and 1986.

His first All Ireland Senior hurling medal also came against Galway in 1986, when he famously returned from holiday to help lead the Rebels to glory. A National hurling league medal was gained in the infamous 1993 league final victory over Wexford after a second replay.

At Club level Teddy picked up two Cork Senior football medals with Imokilly in 1984 and 1986 and an Intermediate football medal with Glanmire.

His beloved Sarsfields reached the 1989 county senior hurling final losing out to Glen Rovers. He served Sarsfields as manager on two occasions and was a selector when they beat Bride Rovers to win the Cork SHC for the first time since 1957 and heralded a golden era for the Riverstown club as four county senior championships were annexed in an eight year period. Teddy was Vice Chairman of Sarsfields, the club he loved and served with great passion, at the time of his passing. Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam.

Teddy’s Funeral arrangements have been announced

McCarthy (late of St. Joseph’s View, Riverstown, Glanmire, Cork): On June 6th, 2023, unexpectedly, TEDDY Mac.

Lovingly remembered by Oonagh, Cian, Niall and Sinead, brothers Pat and Denis, sisters Breda, Philly and Mary, grandchildren Tiernan and Joey, daughter-in-law Ciara, mother-in-law Phil, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family and a large circle of friends.

Predeceased by his parents Mary and Denis, brother Michael and sister Ellen.

Reposing at Barry Bros. Funeral Home, Hazelwood, Glanmire on Friday (June 9th) from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Saturday (June 10th) in St. Joseph’s Church, Springhill, Glanmire which can be viewed mycondolences.ie (Link to follow)

Funeral afterwards to Rathcooney Cemetery.

Family flowers only, please.

Please leave your personal message for Teddy’s family on the condolence here

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis”

Eddie & Teddy picture: George Hatchell

Cork win U20 hurling title

ONeills.com All-Ireland U-20 HC Final

Cork 2-22 Offaly 3-13

By Kevin Egan at FBD Semple Stadium

Cork’s explosive start to the second half powered them to U-20 championship glory this afternoon in Thurles, as Offaly simply couldn’t match the Rebels’ power and athleticism once Ben O’Connor’s side moved into a higher gear.

Team captain Micheál Mullins set the tone when he took possession tight from the throw in and powered down the heart of the Offaly defence before blasting the ball to the net, and over the next ten minutes, Cork turned a nip and tuck contest that enthralled and excited just under 30,000 supporters, into as comfortable a victory as any team could possibly hope to experience in an All-Ireland final at any grade.

Six points in a row followed, with key forwards Jack Leahy, William Buckley and Ben Cunningham all on the mark from a variety of angles, the majority of them brought about by their ability to win their own ball and hold off defenders to generate a clean look at the posts.

All here @SimplySuits are delighted to have partnered with with another @OfficialCorkGAA winning 🏆 All Ireland 🏆 team
Well done to the U20 hurlers, all the Bens😂, all the players, back room team , clubs and the player’s families @Reardenscork will rock tonight #CorcaighAbú pic.twitter.com/H2dFjzG68i

— Simply Suits (@SimplySuits) June 4, 2023

As has been their trademark all year, Offaly’s resilience and persistence was admirable from the moment when Adam Screeney broke Cork’s run with a free in the 40th minute, but they simply didn’t have the strength to generate the momentum they needed to really bring the crowd back into the game.

Conor Doyle’s goal gave a brief glimpse of hope, but straight away Cork came back down the field and Diarmuid Healy split the uprights with a wonderful point from the right corner of the attack, and that was how the contest continued. Offaly worked incredibly hard to generate chances against a resolute Cork defence and an imperious half-back line, but two or three in a row proved elusive, particularly with Ben Cunningham beginning to find his groove.

The depth of the Cork panel came to the fore as Eoin O’Leary and Adam O’Sullivan put in big shifts of the bench, and while Shane Rigney did fire in a late goal for the Faithful County, it was far too late to put any real pressure on the rampant Rebels.

It was all so different from the first half, when the hurling was physical, intense, and of the highest quality. Cork got a huge early boost when Diarmuid Healy pounced on a loose ball and clinically found the bottom corner with a perfectly placed daisy cutter of a shot, but the real star of the show was Adam Screeney, who was almost unstoppable in the left corner of the Offaly attack. He picked off two glorious points of his own, won a string of frees that he converted, and set up the attack that saw Cormac Egan hit with a frontal challenge by Shane Kingston, leading to Dan Ravenhill’s perfect penalty to retake the lead.

Once Offaly got the ball into the hands of their mercurial talisman, good things happened, and he set up another wonderful goal chance for Egan, though Cork were able to make a block.

However as the half wore on, Cork did a better job of covering off the space and restricting the supply of ball into the full-forward line, and the signs were ominous for Offaly as Cork fired four points in a row to build a 1-11 to 1-9 interval lead, and that was after a half in which Offaly hadn’t shot a wide, and their only missed scoring chance was Egan’s effort, which ultimately yielded a score from the subsequent 65.

Still, as the roars echoed around the ground at half-time, and with a slight breeze set to favour the midlanders in the second half, it felt like this one was still in the balance.

The script was about to change dramatically, as Cork were on the cusp of a surge of scores that was to put the James Nolan cup firmly in their hands.

A proud day for @WhitechurchGAA with Michael Mullins leading @OfficialCorkGAA U20s to All Ireland Hurling Glory #CorcaighAbú pic.twitter.com/cVyPsqXcVQ

— Simply Suits (@SimplySuits) June 4, 2023

SCORERS FOR CORK: Ben Cunningham 0-9 (0-5f), Jack Leahy 0-4, William Buckley 0-4, Micheál Mullins 1-1, Diarmuid Healy 1-1, David Cremin 0-1, Tadhg O’Connell 0-1, Adam O’Sullivan 0-1.

SCORERS FOR OFFALY: Adam Screeney 0-9 (0-7f), Dan Ravenhill 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-2f, 0-1 65), Conor Doyle 1-0, Shane Rigney 1-0.

CORK: Brion Saunderson; Mark Howell, Shane Kingston, Darragh O’Sullivan; James Dwyer, Ben O’Connor, Micheál Mullins; Tadhg O’Connell, Eoin Downey; Diarmuid Healy, William Buckley, Ben Cunningham; Ross O’Sullivan, David Cremin, Jack Leahy.

SUBS: Eoin O’Leary for O’Sullivan (45), Adam O’Sullivan for Cremin (48), Colin Walsh for Leahy (55), Brian Keating for O’Connell (57), Ciarán Doolin for Dwyer (57)

OFFALY: Mark Troy; Patrick Taaffe, James Mahon, Brecon Kavanagh; Luke Watkins, Sam Bourke, Ter Guinan; Colin Spain, Cathal King; Dan Bourke, Cormac Egan, Conor Doyle; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Adam Screeney.

SUBS: Shane Rigney for Egan (half-time), Barry Egan for Mitchell (39), Rúairí Kelly for Taaffe (39), Joe Hoctor for King (45), Ailbe Watkins for Spain (53)

REF: Chris Mooney (Dublin).

All-Ireland SFC Group Two

All-Ireland SFC Group Two

Kerry 1-14 Cork 0-15

By Stephen Barry at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Kerry earned two precious points on Leeside to get their All-Ireland defence back on track, albeit without showing the class that got them up the steps of the Hogan Stand.

They led from pillar to post, but Cork never stopped nibbling away at them, with David Clifford’s 47th-minute penalty, after Seán Powter was sent to the sin bin, giving Kerry enough of a cushion. Clifford outscored the Rebels by 1-2 to 0-1 in that 10-minute spell with an extra man. He ended with 1-5.

Their first meeting back at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh since Mark Keane’s shock strike knocked the Kingdom out of the Covid Championship in 2020 ended with another high ball raining down on the Kerry defence. This time, 14,081 fans were present to see them hold out.

They join Cork and Mayo on two points in Group 1, with the Westerners to meet winless Louth tomorrow.

Seán O’Shea showed sparks of his 2022 form from the off. He was well up for this one, fist-pumping his first from play in the seventh minute (one of three early points set up by Paul Geaney) before adding two more. Maurice Shanley was soon switched to pick him up.

Shanley’s run had created Cork’s opener for Chris Óg Jones, with Brian O’Driscoll and Brian Hurley (free) keeping them in touch.

Kerry kicked three in a row thereafter to push them four up, with Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford, and O’Shea keeping them in control.

Powter was deployed as the Cork sweeper, while Paul Murphy took up the free role at the other end. Powter did advance with a skillful give-and-go for a deflected point as both defences denied goal chances.

Daniel O’Mahony was trusted with tagging David Clifford and they shared an engrossing duel. Clifford got off the mark in the fifth minute but O’Mahony dispossessed him twice shortly after.

Clifford retreated further outfield as the rate of scoring began to dwindle. He launched one missile between the posts from outside the 45 on the half-hour to end a nine-minute scoreless spell. He soon found himself playing crossfield passes within his own 45 as Cork seemed pleased to keep Kerry within sight against the wind.

A Hurley free brought them within one score but Paudie Clifford made it 0-9 to 0-5 at half-time.

Jack O’Connor sent Ruairí Murphy on for Spillane at the break but it was Cork who got the jump on the restart.

They had four points inside seven minutes against one O’Shea free, with scores from Hurley (a mark and a free), Powter with a turn of pace, and Killian O’Hanlon, who fired a potential goal chance over.

The heat was being turned up in the SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh sun, with the crowd getting involved, but one turnover would turn to disaster for the hosts.

Powter coughed up possession after taking a wrong turn, Jack Barry sent Geaney into space and he exchanged a one-two with Tom O’Sullivan.

Powter, desperate to make up for his mistake, brought Geaney down, and David Gough issued a black card and awarded a penalty.

David Clifford stepped up and sent the goalie the wrong way.

Kerry would stretch their lead to five with the man advantage thanks to two more Clifford points before Powter’s return. 1-12 to 0-10 with 13 minutes to go.

Cork kept fighting and their subs were making an impact, with Eoghan McSweeney scoring with his first touch and a huge Steven Sherlock point helping to cut the gap to two.

David Clifford burst through a packed defence to point but it didn’t quite settle Kerry. The Rebels raided back upfield to send Sherlock in on goal but he blazed over from a tight angle.

Clifford laid off to O’Sullivan, his engine still carrying him from end to end, for a tap-over, insurance point in the 73rd minute.

McSweeney’s final score came with time all but up.

Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Seán O’Shea 0-5 (2fs), Paudie Clifford 0-2; Tom O’Sullivan, Adrian Spillane 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: Brian Hurley 0-6 (5fs, 1m), Seán Powter, Eoghan McSweeney, Steven Sherlock 0-2 each, Brian O’Driscoll, Killian O’Hanlon, Chris Óg Jones 0-1 each.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Barry; Dara Moynihan, Seán O’Shea, Adrian Spillane; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Paul Geaney.

Subs: Ruairí Murphy for Spillane (h-t), Stephen O’Brien for Moynihan (61), Tony Brosnan for Geaney (62), Barry Dan O’Sullivan for Barry (65), Micheál Burns for P Clifford (70+2).

Cork: Mícheál Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Rory Maguire, Kevin O’Donovan; Luke Fahy, Daniel O’Mahony, Matty Taylor; Colm O’Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Brian O’Driscoll, Ruairí Deane, Killian O’Hanlon; Seán Powter, Brian Hurley, Chris Óg Jones.

Subs: Steven Sherlock for Jones (48), Eoghan McSweeney for O’Hanlon (59), John O’Rourke for Deane (65), Blake Murphy for Hurley (70+2), Tom Clancy for R Maguire (70+2).

Referee: David Gough (Meath).