KILDIMO PALLASKENRY GAA CLUB NOTES
PREMIER MINOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 0-14 Monaleen 2-15. There was disappointment for our minor hurlers who were defeated in the semi-final of the Premier Minor Championship by Monaleen in Mick Neville Park. It was an even enough contest throughout, but two goals for Monaleen at crucial junctures proved to be the difference. We played against the breeze in the first half, which did have an impact on the game. However, we did play well in the opening quarter of an hour, winning the majority of the breaking ball and dominating puckouts at either end. Despite that, Monaleen hit the opening two scores of the game to take an early lead. We opened our account after Conor McMahon did brilliantly to claim a puckout, he played the ball inside to Robert O’Farrell, who was fouled on his way through on goal. Seánie Hartigan struck over the free and we were up and running. A great surging run from Ryan Manning down the right wing then opened up the Monaleen defence, and he fired over the bar from a narrow angle to get us back in terms. Despite being dominant in a lot of facets of play, Monaleen were able to use the wind advantage to create some scoring chances and hit another score, while a number of our frees from distance were dropping in around the goal. James Ranahan showed good aerial ability but it was a score from Seán Hartigan and a great point from Conor McMahon which saw us take a one-point lead.
Monaleen hit back with two scores in a row before Ciarán McMahon showed great ability to break past the covering defenders before popping the ball over the bar. At this point, we were going very well; our backs were defending very tenaciously while the likes of Robert O’Farrell and Ciarán McMahon were causing problems with their direct running. However, where we had been dominating breaking ball, this swung the way of Monaleen after the water break and they began to take control of the game and racked up a number of scores in a row. They made use of the wind to really press our puckout and heaped pressure on us, and the scores began to flow. They hit three points in a row, before firing in a goal from a tight angle which gave them a six-point advantage. Only via a free were we able to stem the tide and we went in behind by seven points: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 0-6 Monaleen 1-10.
Despite this deficit, we knew we were still well in the contest with the wind to come and we did have the better of the second half in most respects. However, Monaleen’s advantage did play on our minds a little bit and we were perhaps chasing the game a little too much. But we did have the better of the half and we began to eat into the lead. When Ciarán McMahon was fouled, Seán Hartigan was able to fire over the free to set us on our way before great play from Eddie McLoughlin saw him create a chance which was eventually finished by his midfield partner, Séamus Stokes. Our backs were now well on top with the likes of Davy Fitzgerald lording it in defence, and adding frees from distance but Monaleen were still able to nick a point or two and we began to chase goals perhaps a little too early.
Monaleen dropped defenders deep and their keeper stood strong to prevent every one of our attempts on goal. But nevertheless, we were closing the gap and after the break, a great score from Ciarán McMahon cut the gap to just four points before a monster free from Davy Fitzgerald saw the gap cut to just a goal. Davy was playing some very nice ball into the likes of Seán and Robert in the corners but Monaleen were defending stoutly and were determined not to concede a goal. Monaleen hit another point from a free to open their lead again but this was reduced again when Davy was hauled down as he carried the ball into midfield, and he himself landed the free from distance. However, we were hit with a late sucker punch when we had a goal opportunity at one end which referee, Mike Mann, gave as a free against us.
Monaleen moved the ball into space at the other end, and the ball was finished to the back of the net for a goal.
This was the game’s crucial score as it turned a three-point lead into a six-point lead and, while momentum had been with us, it now seemed certain that we would need a goal to salvage something from the game against a very strong Monaleen defence. James Ranahan did very well to create a goal chance but his shot was well-saved. We did well to recover and pop a point over the bar via Eddie McLoughlin but time was running out. We did have a couple of late 20-metre frees as Monaleen hauled our players down on any occasion it looked as if they may break through, both Robert O’Farrell & Ciarán McMahon being fouled without any ceremony. However, these frees were well-stopped on the line by the Monaleen men and they held on for victory.
Obviously our lads were gutted, the final scoreline did not reflect the balance of play, a seven point deficit was very harsh on the lads. However, Monaleen were that little bit more clinical and made the most of the period when they were on top just before half-time to open up an advantage. Nevertheless, this group of players continue to do themselves and the club extremely proud; they are competing at the highest level of Limerick minor hurling and competing with the very best teams in the competition. They have not made a final on this occasion but have developed hugely as a group and as individuals over the past 12 months, and will undoubtedly continue to do so into the future. They will learn more from this defeat against a team of the quality of Monaleen than any number of games at a lower grade. The vast majority of players involved are still U-17 again in 2022, while a number will be making the step up to our senior panel! Despite this result, the future is extremely bright for the club, and real success for these players is not far away!
Credit to all the players for their efforts over the course of the season. A big thank you also to John Stokes and all his management team for the huge effort they have put in preparing and coaching this team. Thanks to John, to Pat Hartigan, Kyle Hayes and Adrian Garvey as well as Neil Rushe on first aid as well as Éanna McGarrigle and Kevin Aherne who were helping out with the stats! There were a number of others helping out on matchday, a huge thank you to all that were involved, it is very much appreciated!
Team: Niall Rushe; Shane O’Sullivan, Ben Higgins, Ethan Browne; Dylan Moloney, Davy Fitzgerald (0-5 frees), Eoin Mulvihill; Séamus Stokes (0-1), Eddie McLoughlin (0-1); Ryan Manning (0-1), Conor McMahon (0-1), Ciarán McMahon (0-2); Seán Hartigan (0-3, 0-2 frees), James Ranahan, Robert O’Farrell
Subs: Fionn McAuley for Ryan Manning
Panel: Joe Fitzgerald, Joey McCarthy, Calum Coughlan, Patrick Kenny, Tiernan Meaney, Ken Leahy, Jonathan McLoughlin, Cian Arthur, Seán Kavanagh, Ross Allen
INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: Next Saturday, October 16 at 4pm, our Pallas Plastering/Chill the Beans-sponsored intermediate footballers take on St. Senan’s in the county semi-final! This is the first time in the club’s history that we have reached this stage of the Intermediate Football Championship, and we are hoping to even go one better! St. Senan’s are the side who knocked us out of Championship last year and, having already beaten one of the teams who beat us last season, are looking to make
amends once again. As always, we would appreciate your support in Askeaton next weekend, please come along and get behind the team!
HURLER OF THE YEAR & ALL STAR NOMINATION: Some week for our very own Kyle Hayes! Just seven days after he lifted the County Cup as captain of our senior hurling team in the TUS Gaelic Grounds, he was nominated as Hurler of the Year for 2021, as well as picking up yet another All Star nomination. These accolades are testament to the quality of player that Kyle is; to all the hard work he puts in on and off the pitch to improve himself in every aspect. The very best of luck to Kyle ahead of the ceremony, hopefully he brings home both gongs!
JUNIOR B HURLING CITY CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-19 Mungret/St. Paul’s 1-12. Our Seven Sisters-sponsored junior hurlers booked their place in the City Final after a fine victory over Mungret/St. Paul’s in the semi-final. It was a foggy morning in Pallaskenry but by throw-in, the fog had lifted to make it a delightfully sunny morning for the home crowd. We were missing a couple of players through injury but still had great numbers togged out and this was a fine victory in the end. It took us a while to get going, but once we hit full flow, we had the better of the encounter.
We opened the scoring when the ever-lively Ryan Kelly linked up with Brendan O’Shea and Brendan fired over the bar but our opponents would get the next few scores in a row. We weren’t making life easy for ourselves in the early stages, conceding a number of very soft frees, and Mungret punished us on each occasions. They scored three frees without reply before Aaron O’Donovan did superbly to flick a loose ball into his hand via his foot and pop the ball over the bar. We would then take the lead when we scored the game’s first goal. Kieran O’Brien and Ryan Kelly had a bit of a dispute about who got the final touch to one of the goals against Claughaun, they’ll have to do the same here as Kieran O’Brien launched a ball in towards the edge of the square; Ryan made the run across the goalkeeper and contested the ball in the air but whether he got the final touch, we are unsure. Kieran is taking the credit for this one after Ryan got the credit the last day!
Ryan was causing havoc inside with his movement and was fouled by his marker as he won yet another ball and looked to set a teammate away. Aaron fired the free over the bar. At this point, it looked as if we had regained control of the game but again, the concession of some soft frees saw it slip away from us briefly. Mungret hit their first point from play and followed this up with two more frees to level the game once more at the water break. We came out a different team in the second quarter, only conceding one more scoreable free for the rest of the half and we began to work the ball much better. Brendan Meskell and Ryan Kelly were causing trouble inside while Matthew Lucey’s pace and Mikey Dillon’s work rate were beginning to cause problems for the Mungret backs. Aaron put us back in front with another free and then Jack Mullane was hauled down as he attempted to burst forward, and Aaron was again on target with the placed ball.
Mungret did hit another score from play but we would then score two excellent points from play to open up a three-point lead. The first of these was probably the score of the game: Brendan O’Shea did excellently to win the ball and he found Aaron O’Donovan who showed great vision to pick out an excellent pass to Matthew Lucey, who had made a superb run into space. Matthew had missed the target with his first effort but made no mistake on this occasion as he raced through on goal. Aaron followed this up with another score from play before Mungret hit back with a point from play and then a point from a free. But we would
get the last score of the half, another free from Aaron O’Donovan saw us lead at the break: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 1-8 Mungret/St. Paul’s 0-9.
It had been a better performance since the water break but we knew there was more in us as we headed out for the second half and we worked extremely hard to open up a lead. Over the course of the second half, we would limit our opponents to just 1-3, with only the goal coming from play; while scoring 1-11 ourselves. It was a dominant second half performance and we started like a train. The likes of Naoise McGarrigle and Jai Chaudri began to really impose themselves as wing-backs, with Keel Moloney holding the middle while Jack Mullane, Kieran O’Brien and later Brian Howard did the work in the middle. Ryan Kelly was the star of the early period of the second half as almost everything he touched turned to gold. He showed a great first touch to control the first ball that went into him, he turned and put it over the bar. The powerful Jai Chaudri then burst forward and played a lovely ball into Ryan; again Ryan swivelled and fired over his second point in quick succession.
Jai then won the puckout himself and again drove forward towards goal, but was fouled by the opposition and Aaron stroked the free over the bar. A two-point lead had very quickly become a five-point lead and this meant that even when we were hit with a sucker punch of a goal, we still were in front. A dangerous ball was dropped in around the square and the Mungret forward reacted quickest to the breaking ball to fire to the net. But we had dominated thus far and we responded superbly to the goal with another great team move. Brendan O’Shea again did really well to win the ball, he managed to get it away to Kieran O’Brien who got his head up to find the veteran Mikey Dillon, who landed over a great score from out the field!
We followed this score up with our second goal of the game. Adrian Garvey had joined Ryan Kelly inside in the full-forward line, lending his energy and experience to the cause, but Ryan had his marker under severe pressure and when another ball was sent in towards Ryan, he won it but was hauled to the ground with the goal at his mercy. Referee, Kieran Flaherty, awarded the penalty and Aaron O’Donovan made no mistake with the strike, firing it into the bottom corner. Mungret did hit back with a free but we would then hit five scores in a row to put the game out of their reach. Some of the areas where we were making mistakes in the first half, we tightened up now, and proceeded to dominate the game. Our half-back line were very strong under the high ball; our half-forwards were getting up and down in support while the likes of Marc O’Shea, Evan Considine and Ciarán Downes were imperious at the back.
When Brendan O’Shea was fouled, Aaron slotted over yet another free before Aaron scored his third point from open play! Adrian Garvey was then first to a ball delivered inside, and he raced through on goal but his shot on goal was deflected behind for a ’65. Aaron popped the ’65 over the bar to give us an eight-point lead. This became nine when Naoise McGarrigle picked out Adam Butler in the middle; he shifted outside his marker before firing the ball over the bar. A powerful run by Jack Mullane down the left wing also resulted in him being fouled, and again Aaron was on target with the free. Mungret did hit two frees in a row but we saw out the victory with two more frees; Adrian Garvey was hauled unceremoniously to the ground as he raced through for another goal chance before Brian Howard was fouled.
It was a well-deserved victory but there is still plenty to improve and work upon for the City Final. We are due to play the winners of Na Piarsaigh and Patrickswell, whose semi-final is fixed for during the week. Keep an eye on social media for details of this match! Well done to all players and management for this result, and best of luck for the rest of the season!
Team: James Mason; Ciarán Downes, Evan Considine, Marc O’Shea; Keel Moloney, Naoise McGarrigle, Jai Chaudri; Jack Mullane, Kieran O’Brien (1-0); Mikey Dillon (0-1), Brendan O’Shea (0-1), Matthew Lucey (0-1); Ryan Kelly (0-2), Brendan Meskell, Aaron O’Donovan (1-13, 1-0 pen, 0-9 frees, 0-1 ‘65)
Subs: Adrian Garvey for Brendan Meskell; Brian Howard for Kieran O’Brien; Adam Butler (0-1) for Matthew Lucey; Darragh O’Brien for Ryan Kelly; Mícheál Cuddihy for Brendan O’Shea
Panel: Eoin Sexton, Evan McCarthy, Danny O’Sullivan
U-19 B HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 3-22 Ballybricken/Bohermore/Fedamore 0-6. Our U-19 hurlers had a great victory in their quarter-final clash in Doon. Right from the off, we dominated all over the pitch, with scores coming from various sources. Davy Fitzgerald had a big game at centre-back, while Aaron O’Donovan was in fine scoring form in attack, notching four sidelines in the process. Mícheál Cuddihy was a powerful presence on the edge of the square, and Seánie Hartigan made a huge scoring impact from the bench. We do not yet know who we will be facing in the semi-final; keep an eye on social media for updates. Well done to all players and management!
U-15 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 1-4 Monaleen 1-12. There was disappointment for our U-15 footballers who were knocked out at the semi-final stage by a very strong Monaleen side. We had won every game in the group stage, but it was almost two months since our last Championship game and Monaleen were that bit sharper on the day. Well done to all players and management for all their efforts throughout the year!
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR: We are delighted to announce our first fundraiser in quite some time with events planned for a ‘Spooktacular’ Halloween weekend. Keep an eye on social media and the Team App for details of events which include discos for youngsters on the Friday night; a sponsored walk/run for all ages, ‘Road to Croker’ competition for U-15s & U-17s and a Halloween Fancy Dress Ball on the Saturday; with a 7-a-side hurling competition, poc fada and bbq among the events planned for the Sunday!
KILDIMO/PALLASKENRY GAA & CAMOGIE FRIDAY NIGHT ACADEMY: We are delighted see the return of our Friday Night Lights academy programme in Kilcornan Hall & Astro last Friday. The academy programme covers skill development, fun games, fundamental movement and more and is suitable for children from U-7 all the way up to U-17, with different time slots for the various ages and is set to continue until Friday, December 17! Many thanks to our guest coaches Peter Nash, Ciarán Downes, Conor Staff, Tommy O’Connor, John Barry and to all our club coaches for their expertise!
CLUB DEVELOPMENT GROUNDWORKS LAUNCHED: We were delighted to have three-time All-Ireland winner, Kyle Hayes, at the launching of the groundworks of our club development plan. Our ambitious plans include a 27m ball wall, a 27×25 enclosed all-weather training area, secure perimeter fencing as well as floodlighting for all year round use. This will be a huge asset for the club, will allow us to secure a training base for the winter months while allowing our players of all ages to hone their skills.
While stage one of these works has begun, we still need further assistance from the community in order to bring all these plans to conclusion. We are asking our friends, members, parishioners and supporters to assist with this project so that we can create future All-Ireland winners in the club! Contact any committee member to pledge your support!
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION: Best wishes to all the boys and girls in Kildimo who made their First Holy Communion on Saturday morning!
CONFIRMATION: Best wishes to all club members and parishioners who made their Confirmation in Kildimo during the week!
CLUB LIMERICK DRAW: Congratulations to John Chawke who was a winner in the Club Limerick draw for August but unfortunately we had no winners in the September draw. This is a great way to support both your club and county, so please join the Club Limerick draw for 2021! You can win up to €10,000 monthly with 30 cash prizes and an exclusive star prize given out each month! Join the Club Limerick draw by visiting www.limerickgaa.ie/club-limerick-draw “supporting the future success of our clubs & county teams”.
PITCH SIGNAGE: If you or business is interested in supporting your local GAA club, give us a message on social media for details of pitch signage options in both Kildimo and Pallaskenry GAA grounds.
CLUB LOTTO: The winning numbers in this week’s lotto draw were 5, 12, 14, 16. There was no winner of the overall draw. The €25 lucky dip winners were 1. Edel O’Mahony; 2. Franzita Whelan; 3. Audrey Kenrick; 4. Karen O’Brien. The jackpot rises to €11,800 for next week’s draw.
Our lotto has moved online and can be played at https://smartlotto.ie/kildimo-pallaskenry-gaa/lotto with options to play weekly, monthly or as often as you like! Six-month and annual lotto subscriptions are also now available. With ongoing restrictions our club lotto is the most vital fundraising and income source for the club, even more so now when all other fundraising activities remain suspended and not possible to run. We are continuing to reach out to members, supporters, friends of our club to please consider joining and playing the lotto online in order to support the ongoing costs of running our club. The best way to support the club right now is through the lotto!
Tickets are also available in Mace Kildimo, Gala Pallaskenry, the Seven Sisters, the Beer Garden, De Bucket, the Corner House and Clancy’s Bar and from our weekly lotto sellers. Please continue to support your local club!
TWITTER: The club also have a new twitter account which can be found by searching Kildimo/Pallaskenry GAA or by the twitter handle @kildimopallas. Give the club a follow to keep up to date with all the latest club news.