Club Notes 3/5/13

Last Sunday was a day which brought both joy and sadness to the club and also to the local community. When we woke on Sunday morning with championship fever, it was quickly tempered with sadness when we heard that Michael Crowley; Kilmacabea had been called to his eternal reward after a short illness. Michael will be fondly remembered by all those in the community as a hard working, honest man who always had the time and energy to help with whatever event or project was ongoing in the locality. It was with his help that Kilmacabea GAA were afforded the opportunity, to buy and ultimately develop John William Goulding Park into the fantastic facility that it is today. The club will be forever grateful for he did and we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Margaret and the whole Crowley family on Michael’s passing. Ar dheis de go raibh anam.

It was with this sad news that the Junior A footballers travelled to Rath to take on the 2010 champions, Gabriel Rangers in the first round of the Buckley Financial sponsored Junior A Football Championship. On a bright day, with a stiff breeze blowing in from Baltimore harbour both sides served up a marvellous hour’s football, and it was fitting that the  Kilmacs honoured Michael’s memory by winning on a score-line of Kilmacabea 2-10  Gabriel Rangers 0-13. A tight tense opening saw the Kilmacs struggle with the Gabriel’s forwards and it looked like another long afternoon for the Kilmacs. But credit to this bunch of players, they hung in there, and inspired by team captain Sam O Driscoll,  and Ger O Donovan the Kilmacs managed to go in at half time level at five points apiece. The pivotal moment in this game came ten minutes into the second half when, a searing run by Sam O Driscoll ended with Ger O Donovan rifling to the Gabriel’s net. The game still wasn’t over but the gap of three points was still maintained and when full back Eoin O Donovan crashed a second goal to the net with a little over ten minutes to go, the result was then in no doubt. A late surge was not enough for the western men and it will be the Kilmacs who will march on to the next round of the championship in early July.

The club was also proud last Friday night as a small band of supporters made the journey to Austin Stack Park  Tralee to watch Richie O Sullivan and the rest of the Cork minors as they disposed of Kerry’s challenge on a score-line of Cork 3-6  Kerry 0-10 in a tense Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship 1^st Round replay. Their next assignment will be against Tipperary in Thurles on May 15^th at 7:30pm and we wish Richie and Niall Hayes the very best of luck.

Fixtures for the coming week: Junior B Football League vs Clonakilty on Friday 3^rd May at 7:30pm in Leap.

Please check locally as fixtures are subject to change and don’t forget you can keep up to date with all club activities and events by logging on www.facebook.com/Official Kilmacabea

GAA Club or www.twitter.com/KilmacabeaGAA.

Upcoming underage fixtures as follows

U13 Football championship V Carbery Rangers B on Wednesday 1^st May in Castlehaven at

19.30

Minor hurling  V Ibane Gaels on Thursday 2nd May in Leap at 19.30

U14 football  V Kilmichael on Thursday 2nd May in Leap at 19.30

U12 hurling  V Ilen Rovers on Saturday 3^rd May in Rath at 11am

U16 football  V Beal Atha Gaoraidh  on Sunday 5th May in Ballingeary at 11.30

Check prior to travelling