St. Kierans GAA Club Notes:
County Senior Football Championship Round 5:
St. Kierans 1.5 Mungret/St. Pauls 1.9
Saturday nights game against a Mungret/St. Pauls side who had won their four championship outings to date, securing direct passage to the County Semi-Final was a must win game from our perspective following two disappointing defeats at the hands of Na Piarsaigh and Adare. The opening half was an edgy affair with both sides deploying defensive zones to curb the attacking threat of the respective forward units. The city side were the first on the scoresheet after four minutes of play following a well worked team move. They would double their lead on the ten-minute mark after they were rewarded a free inside thirty yards following an excellently taken catch from their full forward who was subsequently fouled. The ever-dangerous Alan Daly soon replied with a marked point to get us off the mark. Mungret quickly increased their lead to two points once more before a major turning point in the half as Liam Kennedy cut through the heart of the Mungret defence to find the back of the net and put us into the lead for the first time. Mungret would retake the lead on the twenty-minute mark before two late scores, an excellently struck 45 from Dylan Moloney and another Alan Daly free put us back into the ascendency at the half time whistle. Leading by a point at half time we put ourselves into a very commanding position and could count ourselves unlucky not to have a greater lead were it not for some misplaced passes and wayward shooting in front of goal. Mungret got the opening score of the second half to tie up the game before a Michael Shanahan point restored our advantage. Now leading by a point and bettering Na Piarsaighs result who trailed Adare at this stage it looked as if we had one foot in the knockout stages of the county championship for the first time since 2022. Another Mungret free tied up the game once again before an Alan Daly free following an excellent turnover from the kickout restored our slender advantage. As the final whistle approached we led by the slightest of margins with five minutes to go. For several of the players it was their third championship game within six days and the energy levels began to drop. Mungret to their credit showed no signs of complacency despite already ensured of qualification and capitalised on our indiscretions to force us to turnover the ball late on for two late scores to put them back into the lead. With the game now in added time Mungret pounced once more to find the back of the net and secure a four-point victory to shatter our dreams of a quarter final berth. And with Saturday’s defeat our 2024 championship season concludes with two wins from our five championship games. The campaign started off so brightly with two excellent performances securing comprehensive victories over Ballylanders and Monaleen. Following the championship break we failed to recapture the same form with three successive losses to Na Piarsaigh, Adare and Mungret/St. Pauls scuppering our chances of progression. Despite the disappointment of not advancing from the group positives can be taken from the championship campaign with several younger players stepping up and getting their first taste of county championship action proving they can perform at this level. Many thanks to the players and management team of Mikey Greaney, Patrick Histon, Seamus O’ Donnell and Martin Kelly and physio Senol Yamac for their hard work and commitment throughout the season. A huge amount of time and effort goes into preparing the team of training and matches and they deserve huge credit for their time and dedication throughout the campaign. Despite failing to advance from the group we can look forward to the 2025 campaign with optimism that we can make an impact in the championship with a fortune of good luck which has evaded us in recent campaigns.
Team vs Mungret/St. Pauls
Ray Noonan, Mike Shanahan, Aaron Heffernan, Anthony Mullins, Sean Long, Brendan McCarthy, Lorcan Murphy, Darragh Treacy, Liam Kennedy, Michael Long, Dylan Moloney, Mossie Shine, Alan Daly, Noel Callanan, Sean Ryan, Diarmuid Mulcahy, Darragh McMahon, Donie Nolan, Oisin Ryan, Luke Corrigan, Cillian Heffernan, Jack Mulqueen.
West Junior ‘B’ Football Championship Semi-Final:
St. Kieran’s 6.14 Drom/Broadford 1.4
For the third year in succession the junior footballers will square off against near neighbours Knockaderry in the West championship final following a comprehensive semi-final victory over Drom/Broadford last Tuesday evening. Played in fantastic conditions in Tournafulla we got off to a shaky start as our opponents took a two-point lead inside the opening quarter thanks to an early goal. For several players it was their second championship game in two days and fatigue was always going to be a challenge early on but once the lads got into the flow of the game and got a couple of scores on the board confidence began to grow and we led at the half time interval, 3.7 to 1.2 despite our slow start. Fielding an extremely strong team containing players of the calibre of Johnny McCarthy, John Doyle, Donie Nolan, Jack Harnett and Anthony Molyneaux who have a wealth of senior experience as well as well younger players such as Luke Corrigan, Jack O’ Sullivan and Conor Woulfe we moved the ball extremely well in the second quarter putting the Drom defence under immense pressure. Leading by a commanding scoreline at half time the game became extremely open in the second half with three further goals from Jack O’ Sullivan, and Cathal McEnery added to the earlier goals from Jack Harnett, Jack Mulqueen and Anthony Molyneaux. Seamus Mangan made his return to action for the first time this season following a lengthy injury and made a positive contribution getting on the scoresheet and bring a lot of energy to the half forward line. At the final whistle we came away with a comprehensive victory to set up a West Final date against Knockaderry who had a hard-earned victory over Ballysteen in the second semi-final. over the last two seasons the two sides have built up a healthy rivalry at this level. Knockaderry secured a comprehensive victory in the 2022 decider while we got revenge last season securing a first West Junior ‘B’ Championship title for the club before bowing out of the County Championship at the semi final stage following defeat to Ballylanders. The 2024 decider promises to be another keenly contested encounter. There was no separating the two sides in the group stages of the competition as we were deadlocked eight points apiece. Knockaderry will undoubtedly draw confidence from their strong hurling championship campaign to date also which has seen them advance to the knockout stages of the championship. We can take confidence from the fact we have been performing extremely well all season and have built up plenty of strength in depth within the panel with several players absent from the semi final victory hoping to be available for selection for the final to give the management team some selection headaches. At the time of writing, we are awaiting fixture confirmation. We will inform club members of the fixture details in the coming days.
County Intermediate Hurling Championship Round 3:
St. Kierans 1.10 Murroe/Boher 2.26
Limerick GAA training headquarters in Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale provided the venue for the refixed round three encounter on Thursday evening as we took on one of the championship favourites and undefeated side Murroe/Boher. Both teams came into the game with contrasting fortunes. The east Limerick men had secured three wins from their three games to date with victories over Croagh/Kilfinny, Pallasgreen and Mungret/St. Pauls B while we had three successive defeats to Pallasgreen, Croagh/Kilfinny and Bruree. Despite a heavy defeat to Croagh/Kilfinny our performances against Pallasgreen and Bruree had been extremely competitive and could count ourselves unlucky not to have got more from either game. On Thursday evening we came up a very well drilled and organised side who will go a long way in the championship. We trailed by eight points at the break, 0.15 to 1.4 with our goal coming thanks to the efforts of Donie Nolan, making an immediate impact on his return to the starting fifteen as we recaptured his form of old. Two quickfire goals from the east Limerick side inside the opening fifteen minutes of the second half all but wrapped up the game as we began to show the effects of our second championship game in four days and for some a third. At the final whistle the east Limerick side came away with a comfortable victory as we ran out of legs on the night. As a result of Thursday evenings defeat, we are now resigned to a relegation battle and will contest a relegation play-off final in the coming weeks against the bottom placed team from group two which will be determined this weekend following the final round of games. We take on Mungret/St. Pauls B this Saturday afternoon in our final group game at 1pm in Askeaton.
Team vs Murroe Boher
Cillian Ambrose, Aaron Heffernan, Diarmuid Mulcahy, Mossie Shine, Sean Long, Brendan McCarthy, Cathal McEnery, Sean Ryan, Eoin McEnery, Jack Harnett, Ian Mackessy, Donie Nolan, James Muckell, Jack O’ Sullivan, Michael Murphy, Fionn Gleeson, Anthony Mullins, Michael Long, Conor Woulfe, Cillian Meade, Edward Fitzgerald,
Last Person Standing 2024:
Be in with a chance to win our first prize of €500 with our 2024 St. Kieran’s GAA Premier League Last Person Standing fundraiser.
▶️10 weeks / Pick 10 teams
▶️Pick the winner of one Premier League game each week
▶️If your team wins you progress to the next week
▶️If your team loses / draws you’re eliminated
▶️You can only pick a team once
▶️The last person standing wins €500
Gameweek 1 Begins on September 28
Entry €10 and can be submitted by filling out the Microsoft form through the link below or through any committee member or member of our Senior Football & Intermediate Hurling panels. Entry forms will also be available at Neary’s Bar, Ardagh.
You can pay via Revolut to 0857060100 or cash to any player / committee member.
Tractor / Vintage Car Run:
Following on from our highly successful Tractor/Vintage car run in 2023 we are delighted to announce we will once again be holding the event on Sunday October 13. The event will
commence at the new GAA field in Ardagh and follow a route around the locality. Tractors, motorcycles, vintage and modified cars are welcome.
Ardagh Development Association & St Kierans GAA Club Lottery Draw:
Results for Monday 16th September 2024 as follows.
Jackpot €6900
Numbers Drawn 7, 11, 15, 22. No Winner
Lucky Dips
€40 The Five Ardagh c/o Brendan Duggan
€40 Billy Breen Shanagolden
€40 Alan Hogan Ardagh
€40 Peter Buston c/o Nearys
€40 Kara Greaney Carrigkerry
Next Draw Monday 23rd September 2024 with a jackpot of €7000.00
Thank you for playing and for supporting our lotto. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.