Muintir Carraig na bhFear: Failte roimh an nuachtlitir is deanai i gcoir an nuacht, na heachtrai agus na trachtaireachtai faoi chumann Carraig na bhFear. Taimid ag tnuth leis roinnt chluichi cheannais I rith na seachtaine seo chugainn. Da bhri sin, lig do scith, mar trid is trid, is fiu go mor an nuachtlitir a leamh!
Welcome, to the latest club newsletter. Sit back and enjoy the latest reports from all our club teams as we enter the defining stages of a number of competitions. And it is a great sight to see so many Carraig teams with serious ambitions of winning some silverware. Enjoy!
East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship 2020 Round Robin Phase
August 9th Carraig na bhFear 1-21 Fr O’ Neills 0-13
August 21st Carraig na bhFear 3-17 Watergrasshill 1-17
The East Cork Junior Championship began in earnest on the August Bank Holiday weekend, a later than usual starting date, owed to the different times we live in. Our Junior Hurlers had a bye that weekend, but they began their journey for 2020 against regular opponents Fr O’Neills on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Castlelyons GAA Grounds. Looking at the Carraig team sheet revealed the usual suspects in key positions around the field. Casey at 1, no longer the apprentice, whose fine form from 2019 continued apace. Driscoll at 3, Geaney at 6, the wily Dorgan at 9, playing his best hurling at the prime of his career, Sheehan the braveheart at 11 and Murphy the enigma at 14 all lined out. J Ahern and B Sheehan were two starters who had deserved their place due to diligent training and good showing at recent challenge matches. All in all, do bhi cuma suimiuil ar an bhfoireann, ach ni rabhamar cinnte cen sort taispeantas a gheobhaimid.
In truth, the performance was good, considering the gap since competitive action before the lockdown took place last March. Carraig were beaganin mall I dtosach, slow to the ball,ponderous and unsure.After 15 minutes the game was level, 4 points a piece, with O’Neills dominating in their half back line. But then Carraig picked up the pace, drove on by Sheehan and Dorgan. Carraig hit a purple patch, with Sweeney, the 2 Murphys ( unrelated!) and Sheehan scoring classy points. A goal by Brendan Murphy meant ar an leath am, do bhiomar 1-11 I ndiaigh 0-07 chun tosaigh.
The second half was played out at a slower pace as O’Neills seemed confined to their fate. Carraig left a few goal chances go abegging and could have been more ruthless, but instead were content to keep the maor cuil busy. Sweeney, the two Sheehans, Crowley and Ahern all picked off scores and in the end, Carraig ran out deserving winners.
An Foireann: B Casey, T Sheehan, D O’Driscoll, J Forde, J Ahern, T Geaney, P Geaney, A Dorgan, M Ahern, B Sheehan, P Sheehan, P Murphy, D Sweeney, B Murphy, O Crowley.
An Fir Ionaid: T O’Donoghue, R Spillane, S Farrell, D Coleman.
Our second Round Robin game took place on a more autumnal evening at Rathcormac GAA Grounds i ndiaidh ar seanchairde, Cnocan na Biolrai. Carraig needed to avoid defeat to remain as group winners and earn a place in the last four of the championship. The ultimate goal was achieved, but at times our play and intensity was inconsistent, which contributed to keeping Watergrasshill always in a position to make things uncomfortable.
D’imir Carraig leis an ghaoth sa chead leath, agus do bhi B Murphy, an laoch croga sa daichead line P Sheehan agus D Sweeney I mbarr a reime. Carraig ‘s inside forward line were availing of a lot of the space in behind the ‘Hills full back line, which lead to two majors from Murphy and Sweeney. Nuair a sheid an reiteoir an fheadog tar eis triocha noimead, do bhi Carraig 2-12 i ndiaidh 0-08 chun tosaigh.
Carraig started the second half comfortably and added another point from Sweeney, but Watergrasshill then proceeded to have their best patch. They whittled Carraig’s lead down to 6 points, thanks to a well taken goal and some accurate free taking. But good defensive work from T Geaney, Coleman and O’Driscoll, plus some smart stops from the cul baire, Casey, meant the ‘Hill never got closer than this. Carraig finished out the game with a few substitutions adding to the score board, notably M Hickey and S Farrell. In the end, the job was done, with a viewing audience of less then 20 people still unsure how good the team are. Beidh an teocht ag eiri nios airde sa deireadh seachtaine seo chugainn, mar ta an Cobh ag fanacht leis an deis cheart, dioltas a imirt orainn tar eis an chluiche anuraidh. Cuireadh rabhadh o bheal duinn…..We have been warned.
East Cork Junior A Hurling Semi Final Augst 30th
Carraig na bhFear 3-15 Cobh 1-18
In the end, it went right to the wire. Both sides had coughed up leads at different parts of the game, but heading into injury time, the momentum appeared to be with Cobh. They had scored 8 unanswered points in a 12 minute spell and the scoreline read 3-12 to Carraig, 1-18 to Cobh. Who would blink? In the end, it was Carraig’s day, thanks to two classy long range frees from an laoch mor, Tadhg O Geibheannaigh agus pointe eile o A Dorgan. Nuair a sheid an reiteoir an fheadog deireanach, do chlualathas beic mor as na himreoiri agus lucht leanuna Carraig. Agus do ligimid osna throm foiseamh. We also breathed a sigh of relief!
The win owed its genesis in two periods of dominance, a fifteen minute spell before half time and a 13 minute spell after the short whistle. Carraig plundered 3 goals in those periods, do bhuail B Murphy dha cul gleoite agus do fuair D Sweeney an ceann eile. Better play from our half back line, in which P Geaney stormed into the game meant Carriag had a foothold on possession. However it did not start like this. Cobh were very confident in the first 12 minutes of the game, and could easily have had 3 goals scored after 5 mins. They managed one and Carraig had lost a lot of shape in the war zone area between both 45s. Patiently though, even as things were not going well, Carraig hurled their way into the game, with P Sheehan and O Crowley showing good leadership and scoring well. The half time score was Carraig 2-05 Cobh 1-06.
As mentioned d’imir Carraig chomh gasta agus is feider leo I dtus an dara leath. At one stage, Carraig lead by eight points, as the introduction of J Forde and the good combined play of Crowley and Murphy yielded some great scores. However, an inability to win primary possession from our own puck outs and some poor discipline allowed Cobh back into the game. Finger nails were getting shorter as Cobh equalized on the 60th minute, but, like the battle hardened warriors they are, this Carraig team found a way to win and set up a mouthwatering clash with Lios Gould in the East Cork Hurling Final 2020.
An Foireann: B Casey, T Sheehan, D O’Driscoll, D Coleman, J Forde, T Geaney, P Geaney, A Dorgan, M Ahern, B Sheehan, P Sheehan, P Murphy, D Sweeney, B Murphy, O Crowley.
An Fir Ionaid: T O’Donoghue, R Spillane, M Hickey, C Cronin (blood sub).
East Cork Junior C Hurling Championship Round Robin Game 1.
Carraig na bhFear 1-21 Liosgould 0-13
Ar oiche fhluich Samhraidh, do bhi bua maith again in aghaidh ar sean naimhde Liosgould. In our first Round Robin game in the Junior C Hurling Championship, a strong honest performance from 21 players gave us a solid start in this competition. Buttressed by a couple of players who will be needed in the Junior A Grade, Carraig went toe to toe with Liosgould from the off. P O Sullivan and Mossie “ The Enigma” O Driscoll hit some classy scores in the first 20 mins as Carraig tried to stamp their authority. Liosgould were dangerous on the counter attack and strong defensive play from the green horn O Raghallaigh and Walsh, in positions No3 and No 6, meant at half time, Carraig were in a good place, leading 11 points to 7.
The conditions did not improve in the second half and fading light also became an issue, but this did not deter our men. Hickey at 11, Deegan at 14 were physically relishing the contest and Carraig started to stretch their lead. Young Foley at number 9 put in a great game, ag gluaiseacht gan stad gan staonadh I gach dtreo. As the substitute bench was emptied the tempo did not fade. A clinical finish from an garsun Flynn embeillished the victory and the group went home content on a good start to the championship, with more to come from this team in the coming weeks.
An Foireann: C O’Brien, T Hegarty, C O’Reilly, P O’Brien, C Hayes, S Walsh, C Cronin, J Forde, D Foley, C Hill, M Hickey, T O’Driscoll, P O’Sullivan, T Deegan, S O Donovan.
Fir Ionaid: P O’Keeffe, C Cooney, E O’Flynn, J Meehan, T Coleman. D Foley( re- substitution).
Juvenile Report.
U14 Hurling & Football Reports:
July 17 ·
U14 Hurling League Division 1A
St Colmcille’s 3-15 Whitechurch 1-05
Lift-off… Finally… Our Under 14 hurlers had the distinction of being the first St. Colmcille’s team to play a competitive game since the early 1980s as they opened their league campaign away to Whitechurch this evening. As if we hadn’t waited long enough for it, the game itself was delayed 45 minutes owing to the referee not turning up and so a replacement was drafted in… The game was a much tougher encounter than the end scoreline suggests as St. Colmcille’s net-minder Adam O Halloran pulled off a number of great saves. Outside him Aidan Docherty put in a sterling performance in the full back line, while Ronan Healy and Adam Bowen worked tirelessly throughout. St. Colmcille’s led 1.5 to 3 points at the break with Sean Delaney raising the green flag.
Further goals from the energetic Sean Whelan and John Barry and a flurry of points saw St. Colmcille’s win out on a 3.15 to 1.5 scoreline – Special mention to Michéal Murphy who knocked over 6 points and Billy Ryan four during the course of an impressive first outing… Tosach maith – leath na h-oibre!
U14 Hurling League Division 1A
St. Colmcille’s 2-19
Kiltha Óg 6-7
Both these teams were vying for the top spot in the league rankings heading into this final round of games. However as it transpired they couldn’t be separated. After a rip-roaring game of hurling it all ended in a draw in Carraig na bhFear.
It was end to end stuff all the way through – while St. Colmcille’s held the most slender of leads at the short whistle, on a scoreline of 1-10 to 3-3, they trailed most of the second period having been rocked by a couple of goals from the Castlemartyr & Dungourney combination early in the second half. However our boys weren’t going to lie down and take a beating – they stuck to the task reeling in their opponents with some fantastic points from both play and frees. It ended in a welter of excitement as darkness quickly descended but not before St. Colmcille’s had scored their twenty-first score of this hugely entertaining encounter – enough to give them a deserved share of the spoils. Both teams now progress to the league semi finals, where they will be pitted against the Division 1B top pairing.
August 21st ·
U14 Football League Division 1B
St Colmcille’s 4-09 Aghada 3-07
Our Under 14 footballers headed east this evening for their final fixture in the group stages, knowing that the winner here was going to end up topping the group. As anyone who ever travelled to Rostellan will attest there is never an easy game against Aghada, and our lads had to fight hard for this victory, in order to guarantee top berth in the league table.
The backs played very well throughout with Caelan Garde, Mark O Keeffe & John Barry all in top form. Up front Bobby O Connell was lively throughout, while Joe Dunphy netted 2 goals at vital times in the match. His pair were supplemented by another brace from Adam Bowen in the second half to ensure the journey back home felt shorter than it was as the evenings draw in …. With a semi final place gained in both codes this team have alot to look forward to still though, all going to plan.
U14s 2020
U18 Hurling and Football Reports:
July 22 ·
Minor 1A Hurling Championship
St Colmcille’s 1-22
Bishopstown 2-11
St Colmcille’s Minor hurlers made their first competitive appearance this evening vs Bishopstown at a sunny Whites Cross. This was a high quality affair, fitting of Division 1 hurling, and it was great to see our lads make the step up. The first half was a very close contest, and although we gave up some soft scores the work rate and attitude was excellent throughout the team. We managed to put some daylight between the teams early in the second half, and what was most pleasing was that the effort levels didn’t fall off. There were some top performances all through the team , with the half back and half forward lines in particular being very consistent. Final score St Colmcille’s 1:22, Bishopstown 2:11. Matches every Wednesday for next 6 weeks, Next week we have championship football vs Glenville.
Panel tonight:
Aaron Wallace, Felix Murphy, Eoin O Flynn, Rory McCarthy, Senan Ryan, Adam Curtayne Gardiner, Patrick O Leary, Dylan Foley, Stephen Whooley, David Fitzpatrick, Tadhg O Donoghue, Colm Murphy, Darragh Tattan, Eolan Dill, Conor Docherty, Billy Connolly, David Dunphy, Sean O Donnell, Ciaran O Regan, Sean O Donoghue, Kyle Murphy, Harry Coughlan, Fionnan Quinlan
Minor 2B Fooball Championship
St Colmcille’s 0-18 Glenville 1-04
In their opening football championship encounter, our Minors had an impressive victory over Glenville in very wet conditions at Carraig. Playing with the aid of a strong breeze in the opening half, St. Colmcille’s got off to a solid start, with attack-minded centre-back Tadhg O’Donoghue converting two frees, that were of his own making. These were soon followed by two more from play by towering full-forward Daniel Kelleher. Glenville did respond with two points, one from a free and another from play, to show they were up for the challenge.
Conor Docherty replied with another St. Colmcille’s point after making a magnificent catch in open play. Glenville replied once again to make it 0-5 to 0-3. O’Donoghue drove forward once again and ended up tacking on another pointed free. Corner-forward Colin O’Brien had a fine point from play and Kelleher fired over another, soon after being denied a certain goal by an excellent save from the Glenville custodian.
With the score at 0-8 to 0-3 at half time, Glenville would have felt this game was still very much in the melting pot, as they would be assisted by the strong wind in the second period. However St. Colmcille’s blew up a hurricane of their own early on in the second half – Docherty had a great score, followed by a second from centre forward Harry Coughlan after turning over Glenville possession through hard-graft. Sean O’Donoghue pointed a free, after a really good catch from the dominant Colm Murphy. Indeed Murphy and his midfield counterpart Docherty were totally dominant throughout this encounter, and were the launch-pad for this win, supported in the centre diamond by Donoghue at 6 and Coughlan at 11. Indeed both of our midfielders were next to score to leave Colmcille’s in a very commanding lead – 0-13 to 0-3. Glenville got their second half tally off the mark soon after, but wing-forward Stephen Whooley matched that score with a pointed free, after a searing run from him saw his Glenville marker black-carded by referee Dave Daly.
In the final quarter Glenville scored the game’s only goal after an expertly struck kick gave Rory Teahan no chance in goal. However St. Colmcille’s closed out the game impressively with Docherty, Sean O’Donoghue, Donoghue (free) and O’Brien all firing over to leave the final scoreline reading St. Colmcille’s 0-18 Glenville 1-4. Well done to all involved in this fine victory.
August 5 ·
Minor 1A hurling Championship
St Colmcille’s 0-19
Cobh 3-10
St Colmcille’s minor hurlers were in action this evening away to Cobh and came away with a creditable draw. This match was not for the faint hearted and our lads played at an exceptional standard for most of the game. The full back line was bolstered by the return of Cian Walsh who gave an excellent display alongside Eoin O’Flynn and Felix Murphy. Dylan Foleys free-taking was exemplary and kept the scoreboard ticking at vital stages. We were hugely competitive in every sector of the pitch throughout. Harry Coughlan and Sean O’Donoghue reeled off some excellent scores from play and we were in a strong position coming to the end of the game. Unfortunately a lapse in discipline cost us dearly late on and we conceded the leveling scores. Nonetheless the lads can be proud of a superb performance, we will take the learnings from tonight’s game and march on.
Minor Division 2B Football Championship
St Colmcille’s 0-15 Killeagh/Ita’s 2-09
St Colmcille’s Minors played out a second championship draw in a week tonight, this time in football action away to Killeagh/Itas. A sluggish start to the game was to be a sign of things to come. Each time we pulled clear by a few scores our opponents kept themselves in the game. We struggled to find any real rhythm, it was one of those nights when we were a bit flat and probably over-complicated in our play in front of goal. This gave Killeagh/Itas renewed hope and they looked to have stolen it with two late goals. However credit must go to our lads who showed some good composure down the final straight, picking off some good scores and leveling with a superb effort from Colin O’Brien. Credit also to Rory Teahan who made some excellent saves late on. Final scoreline Killeagh/Itas 2-9, St Colmcille’s 0-15. So we face into the final round of matches in both hurling and football knowing that a win would send us through to the knockout stages, what a fantastic fortnight to look forward to! First up is hurling away to Erin’s Own next Wednesday. St Colmcille’s Abú!
Minor 1A hurling Championship
Erins Own 1:12, St Colmcille’s 2:13
St Colmcille’s Minor hurlers came through a huge battle tonight in Caherlag to reach the knockout stages of the East Division 1 championship. Indeed this match was effectively knockout as a win for Erins Own would have seen them progress, so to win away to a senior club in those circumstances was never going to be easy. It was a greasy night for hurling and scores were initially slow to come. However a great point from the sideline by Sean O’Donoghue settled the team. When Dylan Foley dispatched a penalty we looked to be motoring but back came Erins Own with a goal despite an excellent initial save from Aaron Wallace. Colm Murphy & Tadhg O’Donoghue were getting on top in midfield, but we were three points adrift at halftime and again at the second half water break. Patrick O’Leary stood out in a backline that collectively really upped their game and this started to yield chances upfront. The forwards worked their socks off unselfishly, with Brendan Quain winning a huge amount of ball and Sean O’Donoghue getting a flick in the square for a super goal. The lads showed great composure to close out the game in the final minutes and got the win they richly deserved, not just for tonight but for the hurling they have played all through the last month. Next Wednesday it’s football at home to Carrigtwohill in the last group game where again a win would see us progress. St Colmcille’s Abu!
Minor Division 2B Football Championship
St Colmcille’s 2-18, Carrigtwohill 2-10
St Colmcille’s Minor footballers battled through tonight’s final group match against Carrigtwohill and deservedly qualified for the championship semi-finals. Despite what the scoreline suggests this was keenly contested all through. Tadhg O’Donoghue was immense at centre back in snuffing out a number of dangerous moves, and the workrate from all the backs was notable from the throw-in. Conor Docherty put in a trojan shift in midfield, regaining the form that has marked him out through the years, while his colleague Billy Connolly worked himself to a standstill. The running both on and off the ball by David Dunphy and Harry Coughlan was superb in the half forward line and Sean O’Donoghue got onto a huge amount of ball and picked off some great scores. The overall team attitude tonight was really top drawer all through, and it needed to be to win out against a tough opposition. The minor panel can take great satisfaction from coming through the six championship group games unbeaten, a super achievement in itself. However now that we’re this far it would be great to keep it going! Next Wednesday we are away to Carrigtwohill in the Minor A Hurling semi-final. St Colmcille’s Abu!
Minor squad 2020
U16 Hurling & Football Trachtaireachtai:
July 27 ·
U16 Football Division 2A Championship
St Colmcille’s 0-10 Passage 2-03
Our U16 footballers kicked off their league campaign with a one point win in Passage after a compelling contest. While there was only one point scored by the first water-break, there was a lot of goalmouth action. Between the posts, John Barry held firm aided by some heroic defending from our captain Martin Murphy and Kevin Fitzpatrick. Brendan Quain registered the sole point from a free.
By half-time we had fallen behind 1-3 to 0-3. We had tacked on two points but then our hosts finished strongly and we knew it was going to take a great effort to stay in this game in the second half.
And the team did indeed produce a great response to put Passage on the back-foot. By the end of the third quarter, we had seized the lead again 0-7 to 1-3 with the freshly introduced Sean Whelan claiming two quick-fire points along with one each from Eddie Coughlan & Luke Kelleher.
In a frantic final quarter, we had some early goal scoring chances before PJ O’Donovan scored a point. Meanwhile our full-backs Rob Sheehan, Ruairi Quinlan and Daniel O’Keeffe formed a solid barrier to hold Passage at bay until a stray ball was punched to the net to give our hosts the lead again with time running out.
However, this team then really showed its steel as the ball was worked forward for PJ O’Donovan to equalise. Not yet satisfied, we pressed forward again and Luke Kelleher swung over the lead point. This left the final score 0-10 to 2-3 after a courageous performance.
U16 Hurling Division 2A Championship
St Colmcille’s 3-13 Erins Own 2-14 ·
Our U16s played in Caherlag against Erins Own in their second league match on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday morning. This was a game that ebbed and flowed throughout with both teams enjoying periods of dominance on the scoreboard. We built an early lead aided by a fortuitous goal from Brendan Quain’s long range free along with some well taken points from a lively, strong running forward unit but Erins Own closed the gap before the first water break. A well taken goal by Evan Flynn and more points from Rob Sheehan and Shane Daly meant we reached half-time with a four point lead, 2-9 to 2-5.
Scores were scarcer in the second half but a crisp goal finish by Eddie Coughlan along with a brave block by full back Aaron Ryan ensured it was still a 4 point margin heading into the final quarter. Our hosts pulled level with time running out, but similar to last week’s match, again when it counted our players showed their grit and character. Rob Docherty won a long puck-out to launch the attack that ended with Adam Bowen hitting the lead point. The scoring was completed with Eddie Coughlan free. The final score was 3-13 to 2-14.
U16 Hurling Division 2A Championship
St Colmcille’s 0-09 Aghada 3-09
Our Under 16 hurlers came up short in their Round 3 hurling league fixture against Aghada this afternoon on a 3-9 to 0-9 scoreline. This game was a refixture as the original fixture was postponed due to the torrential rainfall last Monday.
It now means that our final hurling fixture away to Nemo Rangers on Monday week is crucial to determine our progress in this competition.
The lads involved in today’s tough battle will have a chance to seek revenge for this defeat as they play Aghada again on Monday evening, this time in the football league in Aghada.
August 24th
U16 Football Divison 2A Championship
St Colmcille’s 0-15 Aghada 1-08
Our 16 footballers advance to a semi-final after finishing top of their league group. In deteriorating weather conditions on Monday evening, they earned victory in Aghada on a score-line of 0-15 to 1-8. Most satisfying was that all of the panel available on the night contributed to this victory.
We started brightly with three early points, but the concession of a goal direct from a 45 brought our hosts back into the game. After that it was closely fought right to the finish. It was level at half-time (0-8 to 1-5), helped by Shane Daly scoring from a tight angle, Rob Docherty accurate with 3 frees and Brendan Quain landing a long range effort.
In the second half, our defence was much tighter. Kevin Fitzpatrick handling Aghada’s most lively forward along with Daniel O’Keeffe & Ruairi Quinlan, who were consistently getting the upper hand of their opponents. There was also a good spread of scorers – Luke Kelleher, Sean Whelan, Shane Daly, Patrick Harrington & PJ O’Donovan all contributing. Goalie John Barry made a point blank save in the final minutes to safeguard victory.
Our semi-final opponents will be decided in mid-September, so this group can be satisfied with a job well done so far but will look forward to challenging for silver-ware.
U16 Squad 2020
U12 Hurling & Football Trachtaireachtai:
U12 Football League
Our Under 12 footballers were out early this Bank Holiday Monday for their football league clash against Midleton, and they must have squeezed in the Weetabix beforehand too, because they were fast out of the traps here! Captain Shane Harrington put daylight between the teams early on with a couple of early goals. However it was at the other end of the field that the platform for this impressive victory was built – Tom O Sullivan, Ciarán Ryan and Ciaran Tattan snuffed out all Midleton efforts while behind them Rónán Aherne dealt comfortably and intelligently with any clearances he had to make. Tattan wasn’t satisfied to simply clear his lines but was there as a running support player, time and again for his team-mates. Outside him Martin Cotter, Alex Sheehan and Dylan Manley were also running constantly, with each playing an endless amount of ball over the hour.
A Davin Maher pile-driver into the roof of the net showed there was going to be no let up in the second half either in this contest. Evan O Leary popped over a couple of lovely points, but once again what was most impressive in this victory was the massive work-rates of the likes of Chris O Keeffe, Kevin Murphy, Fachtna Kelleher, Cian Dunne, Darragh McGuire, Jack Harte, Ciarán Ryan, Ruairí Dunlea, Josh Varley & Tadhg Harden. Mark Reynolds has joined up with the squad in the last couple of weeks and showed this morning that he is going to be a strong addition also. The scoreline at the finish read St. Colmcille’s 7-9 Midleton 2-0. CLCG Naomh Colmcille abú.
U12 Football League
St. Colmcille’s 2-4
Whitechurch 3-1
The goalposts in Whitechurch got a fair testing in this encounter, as St. Colmcille’s hit the crossbar and uprights time and again in the opening half of this Round 2 league fixture, played in very humid conditions on Monday night. This was a most entertaining encounter, with both sides feeling that they had the chances to win (Whitechurch also rattled the bar in the second half!), but on the flipside both teams would have to readily acknowledge they could have lost it too.
With one win and this draw in the football, attention now turns back to the small ball again, as we eye up a home fixture against Carrigtwohill next Monday.
