Na Piarsaigh GAA Club Notes:
Senior Football Championship Round 4
Na Piarsaigh 3-08 Adare 4-10
Our Senior footballers went down to championship favorites Adare in Clarina on Saturday evening. The result means we’ll have to battle a relegation semi-final in the coming even with a group game to spare. The last group tie sees us take on Fr. Casey’s on the week of the 10th of October. Fixture details to be confirmed. Team Eoghain Sherlock, Cathal McMullen, Ralph Leonard, Christy O’Hagan, Cian Counihan, Dean McLoughlin, Ronan Houlihan, Donal Ó Conaill, Jack McCarthy, Fionn O’Tiarnaigh, Evan Egan, Gordon Brown, Tommy Glynn, Kieran Daly, Daniel Collins. Subs Dylan Cronin & Jim Beary.
U20 Hurling Championship Round 1:
Na Piarsaigh 1-19 Mungret/St Pauls 2-17
Team: Marcus Murphy, Mike Duggan, John O’Keeffe, Adam Fitzsimons, Tadhg Mullane, James Finn, Ronan Benson, David O’Keeffe, Sam Jordan, Paul McDonogh, Eoin Brosnan, John O’Tiarnaigh, Alex Kearns, Mark Hogan, Josh Sheehan.
Junior B City Championship Final:
Na Piarsaigh 1-16 Ballybrown 2-26
Our Junior B hurlers lost out to a strong Ballybrown side in Monday’s Junior B CIty Championship Final. Played under lights in Páirc Uí Dromgúil, we entered the break with a 5-point deficit. We lost James Naughton to injury in the opening moments of the game along with Podge Kennedy having to be withdrawn at half time, also due to injury. Both were significant losses considering James had scored 1-01 in our semi final a week previous while the withdrawal of Podge saw a great deal of experience leave the side. Podge also brought a great scoring threat from his long range frees having already registered a point in the opening half. Great credit must still go to the team following the spirited display from start to finish. Cathal McMullen and Kevin McNamara were proving solid at both centre back and full back, while Donal Ó Conaill gave a man of the match display for the second week in a row from midfield. Donie’s midfield partner Sam Jordan chipped in with 2 points from play and was always a threat going forward. Eoghain Sherlock was a reliable focal point for our puckouts in the opening half, either fielding or breaking the dropping ball for his fellow forwards to run onto. Ben O’Regan had a fine display in the corner, and also registered 3 frees for the day. The 2 O’Tiarnaigh brothers, John and Ger scored 1-03 and 2-points respectively. The lads have been a breath of fresh air since coming into the team earlier in the championship, bringing great energy and physicality to the forward unit. An age old problem with junior hurling being able to make the ball stick up in the forwards, and without doubt John and Ger have been bucking that trend.
All is not lost following last Mondays defeat as we still have a county quarter final to play. We will be pitted against the winners of one of the other 3 divisions, with the fixture yet to be determined. Team Podge Kennedy (0-01f), Steven Mitchell, Kevin McNamara, Cian Brosnan, Tadhg Mullane, Cathal McMullen, Christy O’Hagan, Donal Ó Conaill, Sam Jordan (0-02), James Naughton, Eoghain Sherlock, Dillon Skehan (0-05, 0-04f), Ben O’Regan (0-03f), John O’Tiarnaigh (1-03), Ger O’Tiarnaigh (0-02).
Sub: James Linnane, Michael Duggan, Sean Harrington, Brian Connolly & James Daly.