 
St. Tola's & Clooney-Dangan Showdown
Corrib Drive saw the latest round involving St. Tola's girls team facing the girls from Clooney-Dangan schools. Despite having beaten St. Senans to proceed to this point of the competition, St. Tola's came up against a wall in this one and while displaying spirit and enthusiasm, Clooney-Dangan won the day. Final score was 5-2 to 0-0.
The visiting team from Clooney-Dangan
The St Tola's Team
Clare Senior Hurling Semi Final
Tones Advance to first final since 1996.
Wolfe Tones 3-15 St Jospehs Doora Barefield 2-11
Wolfe Tones justified the favourites tag entrusted upon them and advanced to the their first County Final since 1996 in this keenly contested semi final clash against St Josephs Doora Barefield played in front of a sizeable crowd in Cusack Park on Saturday evening.
The conditions were ideal for good hurling but this was a contest slow to ignite.
The Tones drew first blood when David Reidy pointed a close in free after Paul O Rourke was fouled en route to goal this was followed by a Doora point.
Then man of the match Declan O Rourke struck for a crucial goal at a stage when Doora Barefield were having the better of the exchanges.
Doora Barfield then struck back with a Conor Hasset goal and looked to be getting the upper hand until substitute Gareth McPhillips hit a purple patch scoring a goal and a point within a few minutes.
Doora Barefield went in leaders at half time courtesy of an opportunist goal by veteran full forward Ollie Baker.
In the 2nd half the Tones came out revitalised, the realigned half back lined marshalled by Frank Lohan began to dominate their opposite numbers and Brian O Connell and the aforementioned Declan O Rourke, now operating in the half forward line, proceeded to drive through the heart of the Doora defence.
O Rourke scored some excellent points off both sides as well a finishing off a good movement by belting the ball to the back of the net late in the game.
The most pleasing aspect from the Wolfe Tones mentors point of view was the manner in which the re jigged forward line functioned in the 2nd half.
All six forwards that finished the match ended up on the score sheet.
Brian Lohan was his indomitable self at full back helped in no small measure by his corner backs Diarmuid “Blower” O Rourke and the baby of the O Connell clan Gary.
The half backs, after coming to grips with the loss of Bob McPhillips early on in the game, tightened their grip on proceedings and cut out supply ball to the Doora full forward line
Brian O Connell showed his immense class and energy by putting in a great shift at centre field and in the half back line.
Declan O Rourke had an outstanding man of the match display ending up with 2-4 from play, the youthful David Reidy and Gareth McPhillps, who obviously didn’t relish the bench much and wanted to prove a point to the selectors, were the best of the rest.
So its Clarecastle next Sunday in the final and a re enactment of the 1996 decider.
Wolfe Tones are everybody’s favourites for the title this year but no doubt manager Paddy O Rourke will be well wary of Clarecastle's pedigree and will be keeping his charges well grounded between here and Sunday.
Cullaun Sailing Club - Cooler Series
The Cullaun 'Cooler Series' of races is currently underway at the club each Sunday afternoon. With four races run and two pending, the current positions are:
1 Chris Caher
2 Austin Collins
3 Colm Ward
4 Tom McHugh
5 Margaret Hynes
6 Shelia O'Malley
7 Brian Parks
8 Coranne Heffernan
9 Darragh McCarthy
10 Colette Burke
11 Dave Maher
12 Mary Sweeney
13 Brendan Glynn
The 'Cooler' series underway on Cullaun Lake
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St. Senans start season with home victory tribute to Jimmy
St Senans RFC lining out in white jerseys with red stripes played their first home Munster junior league game in their new home venue and recorded a memorable win coupled with a true grit performance that secured a well deserved bonus point into the bargain.
With conditions dry and firm underfoot, Senans opted to play against a moderate breeze in the first half, against a Fermoy outfit that fancied themselves to spoil the home atmosphere.
Shane Markham put Senans on the score board after 9 minutes with a drop goal after good pressure from the forwards. However Fermoy were to declare their intent by securing possession after the subsequent drop off and after some slack tackling in the middle of the field by Senans, ran in a try between the posts by Brendan Jordan that was easily converted. On the 20 minute mark Senans were again rewarded for persistent pressure with a penalty 20 meters out that was target practise for Shane Markham and he narrowed the gap for St Senans to 6 – 7. On 41 minutes however, Fermoy were awarded a penalty kick 30 meters out and slightly to the left of the posts where number 10 Tyrone Anderson converted and sent the away team into the break with a tasty advantage.
Straight from the start Senans upped the tempo and were rewarded with a try by Chris Sloan after a great break from Diarmuid Hughes that was not converted. On 50 minutes Shane Markham found himself exposed on his own goal line where Fermoy blocked down his attempted clearance and scored a good pressure try. An equally good conversion from an acute angle by Anderson pushed Fermoy in front once again. Senans again responded in strong fashion after the restart where a scrum on the Fermoy 22 resulted in Stephen Ryan breaking from the back of the scrum and off loading to Ger Hall who powered his way over for another Senans try. Shane Markham duly obliged with the conversion.
On 59 minutes Fermoy were awarded a yellow card. Down to 14 players St Senans tried to run the ball fast and wide but an intercept try by Fermoy between the posts that was easily converted told the Senans faithful that this game was going to the wire.
On 68 minutes Alan Moyles broke from inside the St Senans half of the pitch and jinked his way over the Fermoy goaline where Shane Markham obliged with the conversion. Wayne Comerford (ex cookie and new addition to the panel) scored a cheeky drop goal on 76 minutes to push Senans further in front by 4 points. Fermoy then went all out to peg back the deficit and piled on the pressure on the Senans line but to no avail. After battering St Senans on their own goal line, Fermoy opted to run the ball but Alan Moyles secured possession and ran 30 meters before offloading to Hughsie who created the simplest of run ins for Chris Sloan to score his second try of the match. The conversion clipped the post and went wide. Four extra minutes of play failed to narrow the deficit for Fermoy and the local fans greeted the final whistle by congratulating the Senans players on a job well done with their 33-24 victory.
On a day where Dermot Fitzgerald, Fran Duggan and Diarmuid Hughes played solidly, the man of the match award must surely go to Stephen Ryan whose courage, aggression and strength was unrivalled on the day. It was truly great to see him back from his stint in the AIL with UL- Bohemians.
Fermoy were best served by their outstanding outhalf Tyrone Anderson.
Referee Andrew Darcy from Limerick had a good game and handled the game very fairly.
Limerick Senior Hurling County Final
The “Bouncers” reach Limericks Hurling Holy Grail for the first time in their illustrious history.
Garryspillane 2-15 Kilmallock 2-12
Before the biggest crowd seen at a Limerick County Final for many a year, Garryspillane just pipped arch rivals and near neighbours by a goal in an absorbing contest in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.
The game took time to get going, as both teams were a little slow to settle and this lead to early stalemate.
Kilmallock had the better of the early exchanges but wayward shooting let them down, Paudie O Dwyer was dominating the mid field exchanges and both Andrew O Shaughnessy and young Eoin Ryan were causing all sorts of problems for the Garryspillane full back line. Impressive half backs Davie Ryan and Colm Hickey tried hard to stem the tide for Garryspillane.Shaughs showed his class by scoring a cracking goal after his penalty attempt was saved by the Garryspillane defence, in contrast TJ Ryan’s penalty effort at the other end was saved and cleared.
Kilmallock went in 2 points to the good at half time
The 2nd half started at a cracking pace Garryspillane hitting a purple patch with an opportunist Pat Tobin goal followed by 3 points in quick succession.
This period saw county star TJ Ryan, who up to then was rather subdued, spring to life and make space for his fellow forwards.
Kilmallock then began to re assert their superiority at midfield mainly through the efforts of man of the match Paudie O Dwyer( Limerick selectors take note!) and veteran forward Mike Houlihan, a little more rotund than in days gone by, scored a cracking goal to give the initiative back to Kilmallock.
The “Bouncers” best forward Donie Ryan capitalised on a little bout of dithering in the Kilmallock defence to score an opportunist goal. Frankie Carroll tacked on a few minors and Garry held out what for what was a famous first.
The final whistle signalled un bridled celebrations by the Garryspillane supporters and showed why the GAA is so special to communities all over this island.
Congratulations to my former near neighbours especially Snowey Heffernan of Denny Foods Ad fame, I have no doubt that the Bouncers will be great ambassadors for Limerick hurling.
What odds the Tones meeting the Bouncers in the Club Semi Final and those really great hurling men Messrs Considine and Ryan pacing the sidelines !
Just a little something to ponder on
“A few good reasons why the GAA is better than Soccer.
The GAA player who played in front of maybe 400 or 10,000 people at the week end will be teaching your kids,selling you meat,building your walls or fixing your drains on Monday morning. The soccer player who played in front of 40,000 plus at the week end will be moaning about playing to many games and will be trying sell you his personalised leisure wear.
Didier Drogba would run a mile if he came up against Brian Lohan or TJ Ryan.”
Keep the faith
Nick Condon
Shannon COmmunity Radio Sports Editor
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