Kildimo/Pallaskenry GAA Club Notes:

Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-21 Adare 0-19. Club hurling championship is back and we opened our account with a superb victory over our neighbours, Adare. There have been plenty of setbacks along the road this year and perhaps the conversations from outside was of a slightly negative bent due to some unfortunate injuries to key players and other absentees.

For various reasons, we started without seven of the team who started the first Championship match of 2023. It was a young team which took to the field from the start with only one player over the age of 26 starting with an average age of just 23 (seven starters eligible for the U-21 grade, had that not been switched). Our underage coaches have been doing great work in recent years to continually produce players who are able to mix it with the very best and this was a testament to them as much as anyone else.

We had three players making their Championship debuts and all three were absolutely superb, right up there for man-of-the-match. Seán Kavanagh belied his tender years, an absolute warrior in the forward line. He consistently won ball that he had no right to win, his intelligence in possession is that of a player with 10 years senior experience and he just caused havoc in the Adare backline. Rob O’Farrell is a huge talent; he took responsibility in a scoring sense and finished our top scorer from play with 1-2, the goal coming at a crucial juncture and he also set up the other goal. Between the sticks, James Mason was the other player making his Championship debut. He’s had to wait a bit of time to secure the starting spot but has been in superb form throughout 2024 and he carried that into this match. Rock solid under a high ball, cool as a cucumber in possession and an unbelievable shot stopper, he put in a huge performance. It was also a senior Championship debut for Lorcan O’Leary. He started in our Premier Intermediate final victory in 2020 but has been away for the past number of seasons and was a welcome addition to the team again this year, particularly given the injuries to some of our key backs. He manned the full-back position excellently and kept things safe as houses back there.

We had the benefit of a strong breeze in the first half and we started like a train and, arguably, should have been further ahead at half-time. Adare did get the first score on the board but we hit back immediately with a goal. Rob O’Farrell danced past a couple of defenders, weaving his way through the Adare backline before flicking the ball across the goal where Shaun Barry was lurking and he showed great improvisation to volley the sliotar first-time past the helpless Adare goalkeeper. There had been some little signs of nerves early on but that was a great settler and we never looked back.

Adare hit back with a point but we would then begin to assert our dominance and hit the next five points in a row. Once they dynamic duo of Kyle Hayes and Jack O’Keeffe got a bit of service, they were totally dominant inside in the full-forward line. The movement of both inside and their ability to make the ball stick gave us a huge platform and they finished with 0-3 points from play apiece. Davy Fitzgerald was hoovering up a huge amount of ball from his centre-back position and had runners ahead of him in the likes of Eddie McLoughlin and Liam Griffin, and we always had options to hit the full-forward line.

It also led to goal chances and we probably felt that we should have been further ahead at the break. Both Jack and Kyle were unfortunate at different junctures that a ball just popped out at the wrong time, the ball broke the wrong way and maybe just led to a scuffed shot or allowed a defender to get across to put pressure on. Kyle was hauled down for another of the more clearcut opportunities while Jack eased his way past a defender but his low shot was brilliantly-saved by the Adare goalkeeper’s foot and out for a ’65. But the goal threat was there and we would expect to be a little bit more clinical in future contests. The joy that we did get from the creation of the goal chances and the threat of the inside two was that it forced Adare to drop a sweeper back in front of them. This meant that, at the other end, Davy Fitz was able to sit in the pocket and we were able to nullify their scoring threat from open play and Davy showed his class and composure to dictate things as the playmaker.

This also brought our half-forward line slightly more into the game and the score of the half was probably one of the most simple. James Mason identified that Rob O’Farrell was in a one-on-one contest out on the right wing and landed the puckout perfectly down on top of him. Rob showed all his skill to rise into the sky, catch the puckout cleanly, push away from his marker and send his shot straight over the black spot from out the field. Ciarán McMahon also got in on the act on the other side as he fired a lovely shot from the left touchline over the bar. Seán Kavanagh was also winning puckouts even when outnumbered two-on-one, with the sweeper coming across to pressurise him. But his ability to win possession and do the right thing with the ball is truly outstanding. The one disappointing factor that we had from the first half was that we gave up some soft frees that allowed Adare to just about keep in touch. Our backs were all on top of their men, and frees were their main avenue of attack. It was a half of almost total dominance and yet we felt the lead could have been more than nine points at the break: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 1-13 Adare 0-07.

We had made good use of the wind and we knew that Adare would want to do the same, they had a lot of players with good shooting ability around the middle third and we knew that intense work rate and pressure to be applied in that area would be vital. However, we did not start the second half well and Adare were able to get the first few scores on the board. Adare were never going to lie down and they came back swinging early in the second half and we did struggle with the momentum shift. Areas where we had been getting joy in the first half, we were no longer having the same results. Jack O’Keeffe, who had been close to man-of-the-match in the first half, was starved of possession inside in the full-forward line, we weren’t getting the same number of deliveries away and Adare were penning us back a little bit with the wind.

They would hit five points in a row at the start of the half to cut our lead from nine to four. Work rate was still good but they were beginning to get the edge on breaking ball and it took Conor Staff showing great initiative and leadership to go on a powerful run up the field and win a free which was nailed by Shaun Barry to just get us up-and-running in the second half. Adare would respond shortly after but the crucial score of the game came shortly after. Jim Mason hit the short puckout to James Pomeroy in space in the corner-back position; who carried the ball up the field and delivered into the forward line. The initial delivery was cut out by Adare but we had enough bodies in and around the ball in the form of Liam Griffin and Seán Kavanagh to force the handpass to go astray and it came to Rob O’Farrell around the halfway line. He went on another powerful run and things just opened up in front of him. He was still some distance out from goal when he unleashed his shot and it was just how you coach your players to shoot for goal; it was low which is always harder for the keeper to block and it bounced up off the ground and into the back of the net.

It was a huge moment in the game and a great piece of leadership shown by one of the youngest players on the pitch. From his starting position where he initially picked up the ball to where he took the shot on from, it was a moment of individual brilliance which settled our nerves massively. It pushed our lead back out to seven points but Adare again responded well. They hit the next three points to close the gap back to four once again. We introduced the returning Darren O’Connell and Seánie Hartigan from the bench and they did make a big impact in seeing out the game. After they cut the gap to four again, they had put a squeeze on us but we had finally got to grips around the middle again. They did have a potential goal chance when the ball was popped out to the left side but Seán Kavanagh did superbly to get back deep into his own backline and dispossess Declan Hannon; he then managed to secure the loose possession against three Adare players, carry the ball out further and actually win a sideline too. A phenomenal piece of work rate from another of the youngest players on the pitch.

It felt like that was a crucial point; a goal there and we would have been under serious pressure but, from that point, we would outscore Adare 0-7 to 0-3 and see out the game in relative comfort. It had been a while since Rob’s score (our last score at all) but we would finish with a flourish. A trademark Eddie McLoughlin sidestep in the middle of the field allowed him to evade a couple of tacklers with ease and he got his head up to find Liam Griffin, who had drifted into space on the right wing, and Liam popped the ball over the bar. Shortly after, Eddie played another lovely low delivery in front of Darren O’Connell who got easily got free of his marker. He took his man on and looked like he was fouled but managed to do enough to stop the back coming out with the ball and the ball popped out to Liam, who fired over his second point in a minute (from very similar positions) and, suddenly, the momentum was back with us once again. Liam was desperately unlucky not to have had a hat-trick of points in succession when he showed an outrageous piece of skill to control the ball from a sideline delivery and get away from the Adare back, but his shot was narrowly wide.

But we had re-asserted our dominance and the scores kept coming. From the next puckout, Kyle Hayes won the breaking ball, got his head up and found a simple pass to Shaun Barry who popped the ball to Davy Fitzgerald coming at pace off the shoulder. Davy surged forward from centre-back and fired a lovely point off his left side into the wind, a point that his all-round performance. The lead went out to eight when Darren won a free which was converted by Rob. Adare did hit a couple of scores but they were now at a stage where they had to chase goals and our backline were impenetrable. Rock-solid in defence, each and every one of them with Luke O’Keeffe also coming in to shore things off when Conor Staff was forced off through injury. It was another sub at the other end who rounded off things in style as the elusive Seánie Hartigan showed what he can do when he gets any sort of space. The deliveries that had dried up at the start of the second half were back again and he linked up well with the likes of Kyle Hayes, Seán Kavanagh and Ciarán McMahon and scored 0-2 from play in a matter of minutes. It took a slight edge off the nerves and allowed us to fully celebrate when Declan O’Driscoll blew the full-time whistle.

It was a great win: the bookies and the media had made us heavy underdogs for this encounter, potentially for a variety of reasons but the players showed great belief in themselves and each other and produced a massive display, particular from some of the younger players who certainly didn’t shy away from the battle. A word also for Darren O’Connell who wasn’t long off the plane back from Australia for this Championship match. It’s a fair old distance to travel for a match and although he didn’t make the starting team, he showed his class in making a huge impact from the bench. He secured possession and won vital frees to settle us at a time when we were under a bit of pressure and momentum was against us.

But now attention must turn very rapidly to our next Championship match. It doesn’t get any easier and it doesn’t get less momentous. Only six days after playing one of our closest rivals, we now have to face the other in the form of Ballybrown next Thursday night, also in Mick Neville Park. We all remember how dramatic that one was two years ago… It’s one win on the board but there is an awful lot more work to do if we want to get back to where we want to be. Team: James Mason; Ciarán Barry, Lorcan O’Leary, James Pomeroy; Jack Mullane, Davy Fitzgerald (0-1), Conor Staff; Eddie McLoughlin, Liam Griffin (0-5, 0-3 frees); Rob O’Farrell (1-3, 0-1 free), Shaun Barry (1-3, 0-3 frees), Ciarán McMahon (0-1); Jack O’Keeffe (0-3), Kyle Hayes (0-3), Seán Kavanagh.

Subs: Darren O’Connell for Jack O’Keeffe; Seánie Hartigan (0-2) for Shaun Barry; Luke O’Keeffe for Conor Staff.

Kildimo/Pallaskenry 3-14 Ballybrown 2-13. Our Junior C hurlers travelled to our neighbouring parish, Ballybrown, on Sunday evening in what could have worked as a very entertaining opener for our Senior Championship match next Thursday evening. It was the last club game to be played by Darren Lane before he leaves on his travels and everyone at the club would like to wish him the best.

We had the benefit of the breeze in the first half and made good use of the advantage, enjoying a healthy lead at the half-time break. We opened the scoring with Naoise McGarrigle overlapping from wing-back to pop the ball over the bar. With the wind at this back, John Chawke’s puckout was an absolute weapon and he was able to launch the ball all the way to the edge of the score. An early puckout in this fashion bounced in behind the Ballybrown full-back line, Adam Butler was quickest to react and he buried the ball to the back of the net. Adam then made use of the breeze himself when firing over a free from inside in his own half to give us an early five-point lead.

Ballybrown would hit back with a free before we reeled off six scores without reply. John Chawke fired a puckout straight into Cían Hayes’ paw, who linked up with Ruairí Maher, who fired over the bar. Ruairí notched his second point shortly after, following good work by the pacy Ethan Browne. Cían then had a shot go slightly short, the Ballybrown goalkeeper took it down from just over the crossbar but Lano was on hand to bury the loose ball into the back of the net, claiming a goal before he heads off! A brilliant run by Keel Moloney saw him go past a couple of defenders before setting up Cían for another point. Ciarán Downes then showed great determination to burst through a number of tackles and rampage through the middle of the Ballybrown defence before firing straight over the bar. Ethan Browne then got in on the act with a nice point from play, after he had worked hard throughout to put us up 2-7 to 0-1.

Ballybrown hit a point from play before Adam traded frees with the Ballybrown freetaker. The score of the game was probably our next point. Ruairí Maher showed an outrageous first touch to control the sliotar, he handpassed out to Cían Hayes, who flicked the ball over the head of two defenders, regained possession and showed a quick flick of the wrists to score. We would also score the final two points of the half: Ruairí Maher hit his third when he collected the ball in space on the left wing, steadied himself, and fired straight over the bar. He then secured another ball in the full-forward line and recycled back to Naoise McGarrigle to pop over his second point of the game from half-back. Half-time score: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-11 Ballybrown 0-3.

It was certainly a healthy lead but Ballybrown did have the advantage of the wind in the second half and closed the gap considerably. We would only score a further 1-3 in the second half, all coming from the stick of Cían Hayes. He opened the scoring in the second half also and it took a while for our opponents to really get going, but this led for a dramatic finish. After Ballybrown responded to that opening point, Cían did superbly to catch a puckout from John, shrug off his marker and fire straight between the posts. But Ballybrown would hit the next three scores in a row: a point from play and two frees as they began to close the gap.

Subs from both sides began to enter the fray and perhaps the game became a little disjointed. We had good performers all over the pitch, the work rate was good and there was a decent spread of scorers in attack while Bredan O’Shea held things together well at centre-back, Naoise McGarrigle was raiding forward on the wing and Martin Neville was linking things nicely. The full-back line of Ken Leahy, Evan Considine and Eoin Sexton were largely comfortable and Joey O’Keeffe, in particular, showed very well from the bench. After Ballybrown’s run of three scores, Cían scored yet again and our lead was still very comfortable.

But some of the Ballybrown subs made a huge impact and livened up their attack and they came at us hard in the final 10 minutes. They hit two more frees before they scored two goals in the space of two minutes, the second an absolute cracker which gave John Chawke absolutely no chance. Suddenly, after cruising for so long, we were only five points down. When Ballybrown also scored the next point, it looked like it would be a nervy finish. But we dug deep, Mikey Dillon sent a sideline down the wing, Kieran O’Brien did very well to win it and popped it inside to Cían Hayes. Cían showed great strength and determination to go past his marker and he buried the ball past the goalkeeper. This brought his personal tally for the day to 1-5 and gave us a bit of breathing space.

Ballybrown threw the kitchen sink at us in the closing stages and went close on a few occasions. They hit a couple of points from play but a 20m free was well-saved by the men on the line and diverted for a ’65. They dropped that in around the house but we were able to avert the danger. Ballybrown would round off the scoring by nailing a sideline, straight over the crossbar, a nice feat at any level but we held on for a four-point victory! Well done to all involved. Team: John Chawke; Ken Leahy, Evan Considine, Eoin Sexton; Martin Neville, Brendan O’Shea, Naoise McGarrigle (0-2); Kieran O’Brien, Ciarán Downes (0-1); Ethan Browne (0-1), Cían Hayes (1-5), Keel Moloney; Darren Lane (1-0), Ruairí Maher (0-3), Adam Butler (1-2, 0-2 frees). Bench: Ross Allen, Mikey Dillon, Mark Guinane, Joey O’Keeffe, Sean Bailey-Whyte, Fionn McAuley.

Well done to Shane Carroll who starred for the Limerick U-16 hurlers at wing-back last week.

Well done to Cáit, Eve and Sarah who played with the Limerick U-14 camogie teams last weekend, who were taking part in the Orla McDonagh Memorial blitz in Thurles. Cáit also captained the Limerick team.

No winner of our lotto jackpot this week; the winning numbers were 4, 8, 9 & 20. The €25 lucky dip winners were K+D O’Donnell, John Maher, Jim Mulcaire & Cian Harrington. Next week’s draw takes place in the Seven Sisters with the jackpot rising to €15,800.