KILDIMO PALLASKENRY GAA CLUB NOTES

INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS! Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-10 Rathkeale 0-14. What an achievement for our Pallas Plastering/Chill the Beans-sponsored footballers! I really am honoured to be involved with this club, they just make you so proud to be associated with them on an ongoing basis, and they certainly make match reports so easy to write! We are now a dual senior club. Just eight seasons ago, our first teams contested an intermediate hurling relegation semi-final and couldn’t even make it past the quarter-finals of the junior B football championship. A lot of the players who played today played in those matches, but what a turnaround in such a short space of time! And that didn’t come easy, it took a lot of hard work and many people deserve a huge amount of credit. We’ve had unprecedented success at underage level, we have unprecedented representation on county panels, standards have been raised year on year both on and off the field; all these factors have contributed to the success that we have seen.
We suffered tragedy in the club this year, the community as a whole still feels the loss of Darren acutely. The loss is not something we will ever forget, but we have had to pull together to support each other and the bond that this group of players and the club beyond have is something really special. And that more than anything is what makes us all proud to be involved. We strive to be the very best we can be, in both codes: there is a core group of players that play both hurling and football but no matter what sport we play, we support all others.
To the match itself… it was a very enjoyable game; both sides play open, attacking football and both played some great stuff at times. Mick Neville Park was in fine nick, considering the absolute downpour that had hit in the afternoon and thankfully the rain largely held off while the match was ongoing. We did not start brilliantly and our opponents brought a level of pace and intensity to the first quarter that really was hard to match. They dominated proceedings in the early stages, and hit two points with their first two attacks. We struggled to get out of our half but tightened up a little bit, pressuring them into a few wides in a row, but we had to deal with wave after wave of Rathkeale attacks, and credit to our backs for keeping the score down. Peter Nash finally got us off the mark with a really difficult free, after Darragh Deegan had been fouled on the back of a powerful run, Peter curled it over the bar superbly. Rathkeale hit back with another free of their own, before Peter got our first score from play, another excellent score.
But Rathkeale continued their dominance as we approached the first half water break; they were moving the ball with pace and intent, were tackling hard, forcing us into mistakes and we just hadn’t got going. They kicked two scores from play in a row in response to Peter’s point but we would narrow the gap again just before the water break. Peter just had one of those first halves where everything he touched turned to gold; that is when you want your leaders to stand up, we were underpar but he kept us in touch as he kicked another superb point from play which meant we were only two points down at the water break, despite having not played.
From there, we woke up, and were the better team over the course of the next 45 minutes. We suffered an early setback in the first attack after the water break as Brian Howard brought down his man who was heading through on goal, with Brian receiving a black card and was sent to the sinbin for ten minutes. Rathkeale kicked the free; we were now three points down and a man down, our backs were really to the wall. But that seemed to be what we needed to
kick us into the gear. We raised our intensity a couple of notches and suddenly, it was us who were turning Rathkeale over and first to every break. Cathal Downes was once again absolutely monstrous in the middle of the field, claiming kickout after kickout. Lorcan O’Leary, James Pomeroy and Tony McCarthy were quickest to the breaks while the movement of Peter, Darren O’Connell and Dylan Corrigan inside was causing serious problems for the Rathkeale defence. A foul on Darren allowed Peter Nash to kick an outrageous free, this time off his left foot, to narrow the gap again.
Rathkeale would kick another free to go three points up but that would be their last score of the half, and we would go on to kick four without reply. The first of these came from the superb Conor Staff, who was a willing runner in attack and defence all evening long, his shot just crept over the crossbar, an inspirational point which really drove us on. They were able to get their kickouts away a little easier while we were down to 14 men but we were turning them over before they breached our defensive cover and hitting them on the counter. When Conor was fouled as he drove at the heart of the Rathkeale defence, Peter was able to score the free yet again, to narrow the gap to just a point. We outscored them by three points to two for the period that Brian was sinbinned, and he returned to the field and made amends immediately. He seemed to pop everywhere, both as an attacking and defensive outlet and was involved in the move which led to Peter himself being fouled. This free allowed Peter to level the game as we approached half-time. And on the stroke of half-time, Dylan Corrigan weaved his way past a defender, but was hit high as he did so, referee Timmy McGrath awarding another free. Peter made no mistake, kicking his seventh point of the first half to give us a one-point lead: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 0-8 Rathkeale 0-7.
We had recovered from a poor opening fifteen minutes and were now motoring nicely but it was Rathkeale who would start the second half better. They scored from an advanced mark to level the game, before kicking another free to restore the lead that they had held for most of the first half. However, we would get the next score, and we would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. On moments like these, county finals are won. Lorcan O’Leary had a fine game, his ability to read a break around the middle was second to none, but realistically he probably will remember this final for the two second half goals he hit in a few glorious minutes. The first came when Conor Staff launched a ball in towards the edge of the square; Lorcan had strayed in and showed his undoubted aerial prowess, as he broke the ball down to himself, swivelled and finished brilliantly past the goalkeeper. The movement of Darren inside undoubtedly helped him but it was a huge score from Lorcan, one that you could feel would be crucial. And it was followed up with one of those moments that really does not come around very often, but the quick thinking of Peter and Lorcan created another goal opportunity from nothing. Darren was fouled close to goal, it looked like it would be a tapover free for Peter but Lorcan made the run off the shoulder, Peter spotted it and played the pass. Lorcan took the ball, brushed aside the marker and buried the ball low across the goalkeeper into the back of the net!
In a flash, the game had turned on its head. Two goals in three minutes for Lorcan now saw us hold a five-point lead! It was certainly a shock to Rathkeale’s system but unfortunately we kicked a wide before we could extend the lead to six points. Rathkeale had been the better side for large periods of the first half but now had to dig deep to stay in touch, and that they did. They kicked two nice points in a row to reduce the gap to just a goal again and to give them hope. It is odd how the momentum of a game shifts and despite having just hit two goals, now we needed a score to settle us, and it was Dylan Corrigan who delivered. He drove at the Rathkeale defence yet again and popped the ball just over the bar to restore a two-score
lead. Our inside line of Darren O’Connell and Peter Nash were causing havoc with their moment and when the likes of Conor Staff, Cathal Downes, James Pomeroy and Tony McCarthy played their pinpoint kickpasses, we were retaining the ball inside. The accuracy of our shooting wasn’t always what we wanted it to be but we were still playing well, although Rathkeale were able to kick another free just before the second half water break.
With fifteen minutes remaining, we knew we had it within our grasp but needed to show composure to see it out. It was during this period that warriors like Barry Walsh, Jack Mullane and Mossy Sheehan really came to the fore; they were out in front of their men, turning the ball over and helping us launch attacks through the likes of Liam O’Sullivan and Brian Howard. Everything Peter Nash had kicked in the first half went straight over the bar, he had a bit more difficulty with the frees in the second half but nailed an absolutely crucial one to restore our four-point lead, after a foul on Conor Staff.
That would be our last score of the game; we had other chances but couldn’t convert and perhaps dropped a little too deep in the closing stages. Ryan Kelly came off the bench to offer fresh legs and immense work rate, after Darragh Deegan had run his socks off. Tony McCarthy, Lorcan O’Leary, Conor Staff and captain Liam O’Sullivan all stepped up to win crucial kickouts for us in that final quarter, which helped us relieve pressure while Tony and Liam also won breaks on Rathkeale kickouts. These dominance at kickout time, with some laser accurate kicks from Jamie Hickey, was a big part of why we won this game; we were always able to put pressure on Rathkeale’s kickouts and Cathal Downes just seemed to be everywhere under the high ball.
But with time ticking away, Rathkeale scored a lovely point from distance to narrow the gap to just three points and as we approached injury time, they made it a two-point game. They threw the kitchen sink at us in the dying moments and Jamie Hickey had to produce an absolutely top class save to keep our lead intact. He hadn’t been called into action too often throughout, and that is the sign of a top keeper, that he was able to react like that when we needed him most. We conceded a couple of frees they went for goal from a 20m free with almost every one of our players on the line. Thankfully, we were able to divert it behind and it was Conor Staff who rose highest to claim the ’45 as it was floated in, which would be the last action of the game as referee Timmy McGrath blew the final whistle!
Cue pandemonium as players and supporters alike erupted in sheer delight and shortly after, we were able to watch Liam O’Sullivan lift the trophy, which marked our climb from junior B to senior football. We now have a Munster campaign to look forward to in December but there are some celebrations to enjoy in the meantime!
Credit to all the players involved; we had a huge panel of players this year and this has been one of the main differences this year. We have a lot of players involved on county panels, a lot of players involved with hurling and other sports but this year, we were able to have worthwhile training sessions all year long and that is thanks to all the players who togged out and committed to this panel. It may be a cliché to say that the panel is so important but it really is the truth. In previous years, with smaller panels, there have been times when we have not had the numbers to have a worthwhile training session and that was not the case this year. Being able to have quality training sessions even when down a number of players is something that cannot be underrated so a huge thank you to every single one of the players, the county medal is worth just as much to number 38 as it is to numbers 1-15.
We must also thank the club for all the support they have provided to players and management throughout the year; no stone was left unturned! And to the management team, they built upon the foundations laid by previous management teams, who also deserve credit. But John Chawke deserves huge credit for leading the club to senior football in his first year as manager; already a club legend, he is now cementing his place in folklore. He was joined this year by the great Ollie Coffey, a superb coach, who has added a huge amount this season! Billy O’Sullivan and Paul Browne put in a huge amount of work as selectors, while Alan Fitzgerald is an ever-present on the sideline! Many thanks also to Éanna McGarrigle on stats, Darren O’Shea as liaison officer, Brendan O’Shea on first aid and Mark Melbourne as physio; all of these are important roles and the work the lads put in is absolutely massive.
I’ve definitely gone on too long again, fair play to you if you’ve made it this far. Two last thank yous: to our sponsors, Pallas Plastering and Chill the Beans, thanks to the O’Connell family who have definitely played a huge part in this success; and to all our supporters who have got behind the team all year! These are the moments in sport that are meant to be enjoyed: as a club, as a community, we have had a lot of success in recent years and you have to enjoy these moments as they occur, they may not last forever. So we’ll finish up there, a special night for the club, 2022 promises to be yet another special seasons. I’ll say it again: what an achievement. Cill Díoma/Pailís Chaonraí abú!
Team: Jamie Hickey; Barry Walsh, Mossy Sheahan, Jack Mullane; Brian Howard, Tony McCarthy, Liam O’Sullivan; James Pomeroy, Conor Staff (0-1); Cathal Downes, Lorcan O’Leary (2-0), Darragh Deegan; Peter Nash (0-8, 0-6 frees), Darren O’Connell, Dylan Corrigan (0-1)
Subs: Ryan Kelly for Darragh Deegan
Bench: Eoin Sheahan, Matthew Lucey, Johnny McHale, Garry Sheehan, Martin Nunan, Paudie Walsh, Luke Guinane, James Fitzgerald, Mícheál Cuddihy, Naoise McGarrigle, Darren Lane, Ciarán Galvin, Tadhg O’Shaughnessy, Shaun Barry, Sean Staff, Kieran Bourke, Bryan O’Shea, Tom O’Shea, Evan Considine, Darragh Walsh, Aaron O’Donovan, Pa Staff
JUNIOR B HURLING QUARTER-FINAL! Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-18 Blackrock 0-27 AET. It was desperately disappointing to come out on the wrong side of the result after a hard-fought contest in Caherdavin, in which our players fought to the bitter end and overcame a number of obstacles, but the result just did not go our way. It was a very high-scoring contest for the last week in October and both sides fought for every ball in what was an intense battle. Unfortunately, we took to the field without five players who had featured in our City Championship campaign but, thankfully, we have huge numbers at junior this year and still had a very strong team take to the field. Although this wasn’t a dirty game by any means, the game was riddled with a lot of frees, some of them perhaps harsh, and when you concede 0-14 from placed balls, you will face an uphill battle.
Our opponents had the advantage of the wind in the first half and they made good use of it, bombing puckouts deep into our territory. They would have the better of the opening thirty minutes for sure, as they made us work very hard to move the ball out of defence and they popped over a lot of scores from distance. To the credit of our players, they fought like dogs to stay in contention at the half-time break. Blackrock opened with a score from play before Jack Mullane was fouled as he burst out of defence. Aaron O’Donovan levelled things with an excellent strike into a tricky breeze. Blackrock would then find a bit of form, and reeled
off three scores from play in a row, their best spell of the game. At this point, we were perhaps a little loose in defence and struggling to make the ball stick in attack as we tried to cope with the weather conditions. But, gradually, we began to get a grip as the likes of Keel Moloney, Brendan O’Shea and Darragh Walsh began to get on breaks around the middle third and the likes of Evan Considine and Jai Chaudri began to come out with ball in defence. We hit our first score from play when we patiently worked the ball through the hands; Mikey Dillon found Brendan O’Shea who showed great awareness to find Darragh Walsh outside him, and Darragh popped the ball over the bar.
But Blackrock struck back with a free and then hit two more scores from play to open up a five-point gap, again making use of the advantage of the breeze. They launched a few balls in around the square and James Mason had to be alert to prevent a goal, while on another occasion, Evan Considine did well to turn the ball over and burst out of defence and was fouled as he made his clearance. Aaron came back deep inside his own half to take the free, and launched an amazing score into the wind to narrow the gap again. Blackrock hit another free and we were having to work very hard to create scores into the wind, but did so when Aaron O’Donovan cleverly found Darragh Walsh down the left wing with a little stick pass. Darragh was able to turn and fire the ball over on the angle to narrow the gap to just four points.
Having not really hurled, we felt we were in an okay position with just a few minutes to go the half-time break. However, that score actually seemed to spur on our opponents and they would score two frees, interspersed with a point from play and it seemed to our partisan supporters that we were having to work that bit harder to earn scoreable frees. A four-point deficit had now turned to seven and while we knew we had the wind to come, we were glad of the lifeline we received just before half-time. Mikey Dillon did superbly to block a defender’s clearance and turn the ball over, and he launched a ball in towards the edge of the square. We were outnumbered inside but Ryan Kelly did brilliantly to break the ball into the path of Roger Ryan. Roger had the opportunity to shoot off his left side, but with the defender coming across on the cover, he showed all his experience to swivel back onto his right and bury the ball past the goalkeeper for a superb goal! This meant that we went in at half-time just four points adrift: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 1-4 Blackrock 0-11.
We knew that we had the wind to come and we started the second half like a train. Blackrock would hit yet another free but then we would completely take over and hit seven scores without reply! Where in the first half, we struggled to get out of our half, this happened to Blackrock in the second half as we attacked every puckout which were dropping just around the middle of the field. Brian Howard was introduced at wing-back and won a huge amount of dirty ball, while Kieran O’Brien, Mikey Dillon and Keel Moloney all seemed to be first to every break. The movement of Roger Ryan and Ryan Kelly was causing absolute mayhem inside in the full-forward line and now Blackrock were having to resort to fouls as we looked to take on our men at every opportunity. When Brian Howard was fouled after he won a puckout, Aaron popped the free over the bar and that started us on our journey to take control of this game.
Some fantastic work rate from our forwards then forced the Blackrock defender to overcarry as he tried to emerge from defence, and Aaron was again on target with the free. Roger was beginning to absolutely dominate inside, he was first to every ball and when he won another ball in the left corner, he beat his man to create the overlap, with Ryan Kelly lurking inside. Roger popped the handpass to Ryan and although he miscontrolled it in the first instance,
pushing him wider of goal, he was not going to be stopped. It was now an almost-impossible angle with the goalkeeper advancing, but Ryan pinged the ball right into the top corner to level the game! And from the puckout, we were in the lead! Brian Howard was again the one to win the break, he picked out Keel Moloney with a brilliant pass, Keel got his head up to find Roger who turned and fired over the bar. Kieran O’Brien then did brilliantly to break a puckout, Aaron O’Donovan was there to pick up the loose ball and he split the uprights with for another great score. Mikey Dillon then found Roger Ryan again inside in the full-forward line, and he was able to shimmy onto his left side to pop yet another point over the bar. Ryan Kelly made another ball stick inside in the full-forward line, he was hauled back as he tried to get away from the defender and Aaron struck over another free to put us into a four-point lead.
At this point, we were totally dominant in all areas, the likes of Naoise McGarrigle and Jack Mullane were pushing right up on the Blackrock men, giving them no hint of space; the middle third was all ours and we had turned a four-point deficit into a four-point lead inside the first 12 or 13 minutes of the second half. Things were looking good but there was a momentum shifter when Jai Chaudri received a second yellow card, and we were reduced to 14 men. Blackrock hit the free to cut the gap to just three points again, but crucially, followed it up with another free and then a point from play. We had dropped a little deep when the red card was first awarded but soon got a grip on the game again, as our players worked so hard to fight for everything. Ciarán Galvin came off the bench to cause mayhem in the Blackrock defence with his raw pace and directness. He tortured his marker, was first to every ball and after he linked up with Roger Ryan, for Roger to score yet another point, it seemed like he was fouled every time he touched the ball.
Our inside forward line was still causing huge trouble when the ball went in, Roger linked up with Ryan Kelly who was again fouled as he went through on goal. We had a possible advantage as Aaron O’Donovan was breaking onto the loose ball inside the Blackrock cover but referee Timmy McGrath had already blown for the free, which Aaron popped over the bar to put us back into a two-point lead. But Blackrock were awarded two frees in a row around the middle of the field, which their goalkeeper came up to strike over the bar and to level the game again. Momentum was not with our opponents but we finally won a free deep in our own half, when Kieran O’Brien got over the ball and was pushed straight into the back. Aaron O’Donovan came back inside his own ’45 to launch an absolute monster free over the bar to put us into the lead. We were already deep into injury time and with 14 men, we repelled a number of Blackrock attacks but time kept rolling and, finally, deep deep into stoppage time, they were able to work a score to level the game again. When the final whistle finally went, it meant we were headed for extra time on a scoreline of: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-13 Blackrock 0-19.
Although we were restored to 15 men for extra time, there were a lot of very tired bodies out there, as our players had given absolutely everything. But the pace of Ciarán Galvin was still ripping Blackrock to shreds whenever the ball went in and the first ball that went in, he was fouled, and Aaron popped the free over to give us a lead. James Mason then produced a fantastic save to prevent a Blackrock goal, while on other occasion, Jack Mullane produced a brilliant covering tackle to prevent what looked like a surefire goalscoring opportunity. They were threatening now and hit two points from play, and another free to give them the lead before Mikey Dillon found Aaron O’Donovan, who hit his second point from play, to narrow the gap.
We levelled things early in the second period of extra-time; again Ciarán Galvin was fouled and Aaron O’Donovan fired the free over the bar but Blackrock hit the front again shortly after. Jack Mullane then was fouled around the middle of the field as he burst out from centre-back and Aaron again made no mistake with the free, a really spectacular display of freetaking in difficult conditions. But the toll of the second half and now playing into that wind again saw momentum slightly shift away from us and Blackrock edged in front with a point from play. But they still seemed to be able to win frees a little bit easier than us, and they hit two in a row which just saw the game slip slightly away. Ciarán Galvin did his utmost to drag us forward again and won yet another free, which was converted by Aaron but it just seemed like we would need a goal as a couple of shots went just wide of the post. Blackrock were able to repel our attacks and scored another monster free of their own with they very last puck of the game.
It was heartbreaking for our lads to go out in such a manner, but they put in a performance that can make them very very proud. The odds were often stacked against them, but they fought for everything. A huge thank you for all the efforts the players have put in all year, there was a massive panel of junior players this year and it was difficult for gametime to be given to everyone but players kept togging out and coming every week. While we had much more in our minds than just a City Championship title, and the nature of the defeat is disappointing, there is serious talent in this club and we know that the step-up to Junior A is coming in the very near future, the players are more than good enough. Many thanks also to John Barry and his management team of Danny O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Shea, Éanna McGarrigle, Jim Maher and Natal O’Grady for all their efforts throughout the year!
Team: James Mason; Ciarán Downes, Evan Considine, Marc O’Shea; Jai Chaudri, Naoise McGarrigle, Jack Mullane; Kieran O’Brien, Darragh Walsh (0-2); Mikey Dillon, Keel Moloney, Brendan O’Shea; Ryan Kelly (1-0), Roger Ryan (1-3), Aaron O’Donovan (0-13, 0-11 frees)
Subs: Brian Howard for Marc O’Shea; Ciarán Galvin for Keel Moloney; Darragh O’Brien for Brendan O’Shea; Brendan O’Shea returned to the pitch for extra-time; Tom O’Shea for Brendan O’Shea
Bench: Brendan Meskell, Eoin Sexton, Mícheál Cuddihy, Evan McCarthy, Tom O’Shea, Danny O’Sullivan, Matthew Lucey (injured)
U-19 B HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: Our U-19 hurlers are the next team who have a chance to notch a county title as they take on St. Kieran’s in the final on Wednesday evening in Mick Neville Park at 8pm! Once again, we would ask for your support on Wednesday night and hopefully we will see another piece of silverware for the club!
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR: Many thanks to all who supported our ‘Spooktacular’ Halloween weekend, it was very much appreciated.
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!
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!
CLUB LIMERICK DRAW: A good weekend for Tom O’Connell, team sponsor of our intermediate footballers who also celebrated his birthday and was a winner in the Club Limerick draw for October! 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 6, 19, 25, 30. There was no winner of the overall draw. The €25 lucky dip winners were 1. Billy Chawke (junior); 2. Laura Gallagher; 3. Saran O’Neill; 4. Ann Cusack. The jackpot rises to €12,100 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.
PHOTOGRAPH ; KILDIMO PALLASKENRY COUNTY INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS 2021