ALL-COUNTY HURLING LEAGUE FINAL: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 3-15 Glenroe 1-18. League champions! Having been stuck down in Division 4 for the past four seasons since the League was restructured, we are glad to finally escape it with a 100% record. It went down to the final game, in front of our home crowd in Pallaskenry against a Glenroe side who we've had many battles with over the years. This game was no different; Glenroe caused us plenty of problems and the game went down to the wire. They say that it's a sign of a good team that can win while not playing well; and I think all involved would agree that this team are capable of much better than we saw for most of this game. But when push came to shove, and the game was on the line, they had the fight, determination and composure to get over the line.

Our first-half performance was from ideal, Glenroe found scores a lot easier to come by and were putting out defence under a lot of pressure although the likes of Kevin O'Connell and Keel Moloney were doing their bit to keep them out. Adam Butler linked up with Liam Griffin for our best score of the half, with Ruairí Maher also lively. But we were four points down, and in danger of letting our opponents build up a hefty lead when Barry O'Connell decided to take matters by the scruff of the neck and ran right at the heart of the Glenroe defence; he popped a clever handpass to Ruairí Maher in space, who finished brilliantly into the corner of the net. But the first half certainly wasn't our finest display and we went in behind on a scoreline of Kildimo/Pallaskenry 1-8 Glenroe 0-13.

We have played Glenroe plenty of times in Championship action over the past number of years, and we knew they would pose a big threat. But we matched their ferocity in the second half and slowly made our way back into the game, bit by bit. In these tight matches, you need your big players to stand tall and Barry O'Connell made good use of his time on the pitch, finishing with 2-4 from play and stepping up when we needed him most. A weaving run through the Glenroe defence resulted in him being fouled and it looked as if a penalty would be awarded, but before the referee could blow the whistle, Barry managed to flick the ball to the back of the net to give us the lead for the first time in the game.

Glenroe responded well, and created a goal chance of their own. John Chawke reacted superbly, diving low to his left to brilliantly prevent the goal but was so unfortunate to see the rebound come to a Glenroe player who buried the ball in the back of the net from close range. At this point Glenroe were still doing the better hurling, but another piece of brilliance from Barry saw us back in front, as he ran at the defence and took a shot at goal from way out on the wing, but the speed and accuracy of it saw it fly past the goalkeeper for his second goal and our third of the game.

From there, we drove on. Barry hit a wonderscore from way out on the right touchline, Adam Butler converted a free after Cían Hayes caused havoc in the Glenroe backline. John Chawke landed two monster frees when we needed them most to edge us into the lead, and Tony McCarthy fired one over from the left wing. The last ten minutes really were a ferocious battle, but it was there that we really showed our steel. There were positive contributions all over in those moments; Robert McKeogh won his battle at wing-back, well supported by Shaun Barry who won some vital dirty ball in those moments. Jack O'Keeffe came off the bench to cause problems for the Glenroe backs and Cían Hayes was a strong target man in attack. It means our unbeaten run in competitive matches continues; this team really does not like losing and that habit played its part in those final minutes also.

It's fantastic to win a league title, it's been a long time coming. So massive congratulations must go to Chris Sexton and his backroom team: Damien Gillane, Jim Maher, Paudie Daly, Pat Enright, Éanna McGarrigle and Alan Fitzgerald; they've overseen the team winning seven games from a possible seven, and securing promotion. And of course, it is a huge achievement for the players too. It may not have the same prestige as Championship but the League is still a competitive competition, it's where the best preparation for Championship is done and it shows the depth of the panel. In total, we used 31 players during the league and that was without the likes of Kyle Hayes on county duty, and injured players such as Eoin O'Brien and Mikey Hayes. So well done to all those players, each played a vital role in securing this title and will hopefully drive us on in Championship also!

Team: John Chawke (0-2, frees); Luke O'Keeffe, Kevin O'Connell, Brendan O'Shea; Robert McKeogh, Lorcan O'Leary, Keel Moloney; Tony McCarthy (0-1), Peter Nash; Barry O'Connell (2-4), Shaun Barry (0-1), Liam Griffin (0-4, 0-3 frees); Adam Butler (0-1, free), Cían Hayes (0-1), Ruairí Maher (1-1)

Subs Used: Mikey Dillon, Adrian Garvey, Jack O'Keeffe

Panel Available: Danny O'Sullivan, Jack Mullane, Mossy Sheehan, Evan Considine, Naoise McGarrigle, Matthew Lucey

CITY INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: Kildimo/ Pallaskenry 1-17 Claughaun/ Old Christians 0-04. This wasn't the most free-flowing of games, just two days after a very intense league final, it took us a while to get going with the rock hard ground not helping matters. Despite not being ad fluent as we might have hoped for, or as we have come to expect, it was still a very controlled performance and a comfortable victory in the end.

Cían Hayes led the way with 4 first-half points from play and the game was really ended as a contest when we scored the game's only goal. Ruairí Maher looked set to race clear on goal but was brought to ground by an unconventional tackle, and a free was awarded 20 metres out. John Chawke punished the discretion by sending an absolute piledriver of a free into the back of the net, giving the five men on the line absolutely no chance.

The game petered out slightly but we kept the scoreboard ticking over. And obviously any day we keep the opposition to just four points, two from play, it's an impressive defensive performance. There were big displays from the likes of Kevin O'Connell, Tony McCarthy and Keel Moloney which helped drive us on to victory.

The win means that we make the City Final. This was the one competition that we really underperformed in last year, so it's nice to make an impact and it will be another chance to collect some silverware.

LIMERICK SENIOR HURLERS: Congratulations to Kyle Hayes, Barry O'Connell and the Limerick senior hurlers who defeated Kilkenny in a thrilling encounter to reach an All-Ireland semi-final. Kyle hit three points from play at centre-forward in a superb display against one of the best centre-backs around. Well done on the win, they go again in two weeks against Cork in Croke Park! Congratulations also to two young club members, Cian and Joe, who were flagbearers for the game; certainly bringing the Limerick team good luck!

LIMERICK MINOR HURLERS: The Limerick minor hurlers are out again next weekend also against Kilkenny, needing a win to also make the All-Ireland semi-final!

JUNIOR A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Our junior footballers are out in Championship action again on Thursday, as they take on Crecora/Manister in Mungret at 7.30pm. It's a must-win game, so please get behind the lads as they take on a Crecora/Manister side who we only defeated by the skin of our teeth in 2017!

JUNIOR B HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Our junior B hurlers also open their Championship campaign at the weekend, as they face Monaleen in Monaleen on Sunday morning at 12 noon. Best of luck to all involved!

U-16 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-9 Knockaderry/Monagea 3-12. There was disappointment for our U-16 hurlers who fought until the bitter end, but fell just short to a strong Knockaderry/Monagea side who are 2nd of 9 teams in the table at present. It was a brave performance with some very encouraging signs against one of the strongest sides in the division, but had a bit of misfortune. The lads are out in football action next week against St. Kieran's.

U-14 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 4-8 Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan 1-4. Congratulations to our U-14 hurlers who defeated our neighbours Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan in the Championship; their last game of the group stage. The result means that they finish that stage unbeaten and top of the group! Well done to all players & mentors for that fantastic achievement!

U-8 FOOTBALLERS: We fielded three highly-talented teams in an U-8 football blitz in Old Christians GAA last Friday. Another very enjoyable evening for all the boys and girls; and thanks again to all the parents and mentors for their support; the club needs you!

KELLOGGS CÚL CAMP 2018: The 2018 Kildimo/Pallaskenry Cúl takes place this week! The win for the Limerick hurlers has given rise to plenty of good feeling around the county, and it should be a great week for all our young hurlers and footballers in attendance!

FAMILY FUN DAY: You may have noticed the signs going up around the parish during the week, advertising our Family Fun Day for 2018 which is due to take place on Sunday September 2! Sponsorship booklets have also been given out at U-6, U-8, U-10, U-12 and U-14 training over the past few weeks.

In order for us to be able to plan appropriately, and have t-shirts and medals for all children who wish to participate, please ensure that your child returns their card as per the details on same. Only one card required per family.

Anyone else looking for sponsorship cards, we will have them available at underage training in Pallaskenry next Tuesday night (6.30pm to 8.00pm) and every Tuesday night for the month of July until registration closes.

Any questions, contact the Fun Day committee at [email protected].

CLUB LOTTO RESULTS: Monday July 9 2018.

JACKPOT: €12,100

Winning Numbers: 10, 14, 16, 32.

There was no winner of the overall jackpot.

 

Lucky Dip Winners: 1. S. Fitzgerald; 2. T. Fitzgerald; 3. J. Shanahan; 4. A. Healy

 

Next draw- Monday July 16, and the jackpot continues to rise; it has now risen to a superb €12,200! To be in with a chance of winning the jackpot, please contact any club committee member, any of our lotto committee or email [email protected]. An annual subscription is €100 and weekly tickets are on sale locally in shops and pubs across the parish.

UNDERAGE COACHES: We are still actively looking for more parents to get involved with the underage teams. We have a host of children looking to play, but there is a shortage of mentors, so we are putting the call out for people to get involved with the club! We would be delighted to get more people involved and if you are interested, or know someone who might be, please contact Ger McMahon at 086 8108916.

 

BORD NA NÓG: Our U-13 footballers are due to begin training from Monday July 16; please see the Team App for details.

 

We also hosted our first training session just for girls last week. There was a great turnout, and thanks to all who helped out. Please keep an eye on the Team App for details of further training sessions!

 

PITCHSIDE SIGNAGE: Pitchside advertising for the 2018/2019 season is now available; with the chance to sponsor the club in either or both Kildimo and Pallaskenry GAA grounds. Cost includes professional 8x2ft steel sign in full colour; for more details, please contact Niall Kelly ([email protected]) or John Chawke ([email protected]).

 

CLUB SHOP: Our online club shop has a number of new items including the new team jerseys, as well as a wide range of training gear. Please see the club website, Facebook page or Team App for the link to the online shop.

 

REGISTRATION: The deadline for registration has passed and anybody who is not registered is not insured and not eligible to play or train with the club. For insurance reasons, any player who wishes to play with the club this season must register as a matter of urgency. Registration forms can be downloaded from the Club Documents section of the Team App; or contact registrar Pat Culloo on 086-2224653.

 

TEAM APP: For all the up to date club news, fixtures, training schedules, club shop, club documents, log into the Club's Team App, available to download to your smart phone on iPhone and Android.

 

CLUB LIMERICK DRAW: Sadly, we had no winners in the June draw after some success in the first few draws. However, there are still six further draws yet to take place this year, with a subscription costing €10 per month. The CLUB Limerick Draw is a vital factor in the success of our County teams, it raises much needed funds for all our clubs to the tune of €400,000.

 

Kildimo/Pallaskenry GAA are very fortunate to have a great number of young and senior players represent our club on the intercounty scene. The CLUB Limerick Draw will also help the development of the Gaelic Grounds and Mick Neville Park, to make it a centre of excellence with four full-size pitches including synthetic pitch, flood lighting & ball alley. Each month there will be 30 Guaranteed Cash Prizes with a top prize of €12,000 & a star car prize in December worth €25,000. You can play online or contact any club member below, or call / e-mail Siobhan in the Limerick GAA Office 061-335516 / [email protected]. If you would like to take part, please contact Trish O'Dowd, Tom O'Connell, Tony O'Brien, Sean Cuddihy, Niall Kelly where you can pay upfront or pay monthly to be in with a chance

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