CRECORA MANISTER

GARY O’CONNELL RIP:
It is with great sadness we learned last Tuesday of the passing of Gary O’Connell (25), member of our intermediate football and junior hurling teams following a short illness. Gary was playing football matches up to six weeks ago and for him to have passed away so quickly is devastating for his family, friends and team mates. Gary’s father Anthony is an ever-present member of the GAA Club committee and his brother Shane is currently playing with the intermediate footballers.
Gary was a very talented footballer and hurler and was a member of our county junior football winning team of 2020, scoring in the final against Monagea. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his father Anthony, mother Bernie, brothers Robert and Shane, sister Alison and wider family and friends. May he rest in peace. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
The club would like to thank everyone who helped with parking at the removal and at Gary’s funeral mass. There was also a great turnout of adult players for the guard of honour. A fitting tribute to Gary and the O’Connell family. It was great to see Crecora Manister GAA club at the forefront, in support of members of our Community, at this difficult time.
JUNIOR A HURLERS:
Our junior A hurlers got their 2022 campaign off to a winning start with a 2-16 to 0-16 win over Staker Wallace in Caherelly last Sunday. We wish a speedy recovery to Edwin Wixted who went off injured early in the second half. Team: Ger Kennedy; Tom Shanahan, Jack Dalton, Padraig Byrnes; Cian Leahy, Páraic O’Neill, Rory Hannan; Cormac Flanagan, Darach Skelly (0-1); James Conheady (0-2), Cathal O’Neill (0-9), Rian O’Byrne; Edwin Wixted (0-3), Conor Kirby, Brendan Power (1-0). Subs: Mike McCormack, Donnacha Connolly (0-1), Damien Kearney (1-0), Tim Moloney, Tomás Connolly, Dom O’Connor, Ciáran Heagney, Ciarán Kennedy, Seán Keyes, Fergal Egan, Fergal Carey, Richard Murphy (inj), Evan Moloney (inj), Micheál O’Neill (inj). We play Drom-Broadford in the second round next Saturday 6th August in Ballingarry at 7pm.
INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALLERS:
Our intermediate footballers lost out to St Patrick’s in the first round of the county championship on a score line of 3-7 to 1-8. Their next game will be against Glin on Saturday 13th August.
JUNIOR B HURLERS:
Our junior B hurlers play Na Piarsaigh in the first round of the city championship in Caherdavin at 7pm.
UNDER 17:
Our under 17s have a busy couple of weeks. The hurlers are away to Caherline this Wednesday 3rd August at 7pm while the footballers play Ballybrown this Friday 5th August in Ballybrown at 7pm, they play Galbally at home next Wednesday 10th August at 7pm and Ahane away Friday 12th August at 7pm.
UNDER 15:
Our under 15 hurlers had a fine win over Na Piarsaigh during the week with the final score reading 5-8 to 4-7. They play Drom-Broadford away tonight Monday 1st August in their last game. The footballers play Na Piarsaigh next Monday 8th August at 7pm in Crecora.
UNDER 13s:
Our under 13 hurlers’ next game takes place on Thursday 18th August against Belville Gaels at 7pm in Crecora.
CLUB LIMERICK DRAW:
Congratulations to Tom Shanahan who won €1,000 in the August edition of the Club Limerick Draw.
FAUGHS ALL-IRELAND CENTENARY- CRECORA CONNECTION:
This past weekend Faughs hurling club in Dublin commemorated the centenary of their team that won the 1920 All-Ireland senior hurling championship representing Dublin beating Cork 4-9 to 4-3, and who were presented with the Great Western and Railway cup, the predecessor to the Liam McCarthy. The 1920 final was actually played in 1922 with the delay due to the War of Independence occurring in Ireland at the time. An interesting fact to note was that not one of the All-Ireland winning Dublin team was born in the capital. There were three Limerick men on that team, a Mick Neville from Rathkeale and two Crecora men, Martin and Tom Hayes from Bawnacouma, Kilpeacon.
Martin was born in to Timothy and Mary Hayes in 1890. He played his club hurling initially with Fedamore and narrowly missed out on an All-Ireland medal with in 1911 when a dispute over the state of the pitch at Cork’s Athletic Grounds saw Limerick refuse to play the final. The Munster council nominated Tipperary in their place and Kilkenny won the final. After moving to Dublin in 1915, he played, typically in the full-back position, for Commercials Hurling Club as well as Faughs. In total, he won three All-Ireland’s with Dublin in 1917, 1920 and 1927- having come out of inter-county retirement and nearing 40 years of age to win the latter. One of the founders of the Garda Hurling Club, he also won an Army championship medal
Tom was a brother of Martin and was born in 1893. He won five Dublin Senior Hurling Championships, one with Commercials in 1916 and four with Faughs in 1920, 21, 22 & 23. Tom was a regular on Dublin teams from 1914 to 1923 and won an All-Ireland in 1920. Tom Hayes’ son, Christy Hayes, played at centre-back on the last Dublin team to reach an All-Ireland Final in 1961 where they were unlucky to lose by 1 point to Tipperary. 100 years on, Cathal O’Neill has become the latest Crecora man to win an All-Ireland medals with hopefully more to come.